Chicago, IL—According to Mintel International, private label products are more popular among consumers, compared to recent years. Sales have increased in correspondence with private labels’ conscious effort to provide healthier products that are cheaper than name brands.

Mintel found that 44% of grocery shoppers report that store brand products seem to be of better quality than they were five years ago. In addition, 39% of those who identified themselves as the primary grocery shopper in their family said that they would indeed recommend a store brand item. Consumers are starting to feel that the quality and taste of store brand items is not inferior to their name brand counterparts. A mere 19% believed that buying name brand products is worth the extra money.

Store brand food products, especially, are receiving a better reputation. Mintel found that usually or sometimes, 60% of the grocery shoppers surveyed purchase the store brand bread or baked goods, and 58% buy store brand cheese. When it comes to quality, 62% say that there is no difference between name brand and store brand dairy products, 61% say there is no difference in canned food, and 56% report no difference in household cleaning products.

Published in Whole Foods Magazine, March 2011 (online 2/4/2011)