The question of whether supermarket house brands offer the same quality as branded alternatives is one we visit quite frequently This video from Mumbrella demonstrates that whatever the contents of the box, house brand manufacturers (Coles in this case) go to a lot of trouble to make their products look like name brand versions, with similar colours, photos and designs.
Packaging doesn’t change the viewpoint we’ve usually offered on this topic: the way to judge house brands is on a case-by-case basis. If the products are equivalent, you can save a lot by switching from name brands, but that won’t always happen. Case in point: Mumbrella’s editor Tim Burrowes notes that the store-brand cereal which kicked off this project in his head was fattier and less tasty than the brand product. There are no absolute rules, and you need to try before you buy.
If nothing else, the video is a reminder to check carefully when shopping, lest you pick up a product you didn’t want, house brand or otherwise.
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