8 Store-Brand Foods That Are Basically Identical to Name Brands
Walmart’s Great Value Peanut Butter Comes From the Same Factory as Peter Pan
A 2007 recall for both Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter revealed these products share the same manufacturer, ConAgra Foods. The FDA requires peanut butter to contain at least 90 percent roasted peanuts, leaving little room for variation between brands. Many shoppers wouldn’t guess these two products share a factory floor based solely on the price gap. Great Value peanut butter costs about 10 cents per ounce compared to Peter Pan’s roughly 13.9 cents per ounce, translating into real savings without compromising what ends up on your sandwich.
Store-Brand Breakfast Cereals Are Made by the Big Names You Already Know
Many of Walmart’s Great Value cereals are likely manufactured by the same companies that produce name-brand products, including Kellogg’s and General Mills. Malt-o-Meal Mini Spooners at Walmart taste identical to Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats according to several reviewers, who appreciate the much lower price tag. The General Mills Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Walmart’s Great Value Cinnamon Crunch matchup looks nearly identical aside from more defined cinnamon swirls on the name-brand version, with both sharing the same strong cinnamon-sugar taste and crisp crunch. Honestly, pour some milk on either of these cereals and try telling them apart in a blind taste test.
Costco’s Kirkland Coffee Is Custom-Roasted by Starbucks
Packages of Kirkland’s coffee used to explicitly say they’re roasted by Starbucks Coffee Company, though some packaging changed after 2023 and 2024, with some Kirkland coffee still roasted by Starbucks while others may come from brands like Green Mountain and San Francisco Bay Coffee. The price difference alone should convince anyone to grab the Kirkland version. A 40-ounce bag of Kirkland Signature House Coffee starts around $12.99, whereas a 12-ounce bag of Starbucks Coffee sells for $8.99 at Target. Let’s be real, you’re getting Starbucks quality without paying for all those commercials and fancy storefronts.
Kirkland Batteries Are Actually Duracell in Disguise
Kirkland Signature Batteries are made by Duracell, according to an interview with the CEO of Costco. The same manufacturer produces Kirkland batteries and Duracell batteries, making this one of the retail world’s worst-kept secrets once you know where to look. Batteries might not seem exciting until you realize how much money disappears buying them throughout the year. The Kirkland brand has no advertising and no overhead, just packaging, which Costco doesn’t advertise, allowing them to sell essentially the same product at a significantly lower price point.
Basic Pantry Staples Like Flour and Sugar Are Literally Identical
Generic staple foods like salt, sugar, flour, vinegar, and baking soda contain only one ingredient, so there’s no difference in the formula from one brand to another. Staple products like these often come from the same manufacturers as the name brand, so they’re literally identical. Professional chefs make over 75 percent of their pantry staple purchases from store brands, while average consumers choose store brands only 60 percent of the time, according to a 2015 study. Here’s the thing: if trained chefs trust generic brands for their kitchens, maybe we should reconsider paying extra for fancy packaging on our baking supplies.
Kirkland Albacore Tuna Is Packed by Bumble Bee
The Bumblebee company manufactures Costco’s Kirkland albacore tuna behind the scenes. Kirkland Signature Albacore Tuna costs $0.10 less per ounce than Bumblebee Solid White Albacore at Walmart, even though they’re made by the same exact company. I know it sounds crazy, but you’re essentially paying a premium for the cartoon bee on the can rather than actual quality differences in what’s inside. The fish comes from the same ocean, gets processed in the same facility, and ends up tasting remarkably similar when you crack open either can.
Generic Frozen Vegetables Are Virtually the Same as Name Brands
Flour, sugar, milk and frozen vegetables and fruits are relatively unprocessed foods that are virtually identical to their more expensive cousins. Frozen veggies are often used in recipes like casseroles, stir fry, slow cooker meals, or smoothies where you’re not tasting the ingredient in isolation, making them an excellent choice for generics. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration enforces strict safety standards for all food products, regardless of brand. Frozen vegetables get picked, cleaned, and flash-frozen using basically the same process across manufacturers, so you’re mainly paying for branding and marketing when you reach for that colorful name-brand bag.
Store-Brand Products Save You Around 25 Percent Without Sacrificing Quality
In 2024, total sales of store brands reached $271 billion, an increase of $9 billion year-over-year and an all-time record. Those who opt for the store brand save an average of 25 percent on their purchases, according to Consumer Reports. In the Spain grocery market, 70 percent of the private label suppliers were national brand manufacturers, with 30 percent of private label products in categories other than the suppliers’ national brand. What does this all mean for your wallet? Major food companies produce store-brand versions alongside their premium lines, often cutting corners only on packaging and advertising rather than actual ingredients or quality control.
Shoppers saved over $40 billion annually by choosing store brands over name-brand counterparts according to recent industry data. In 2025, store brands increased 3.7 percent versus a gain of 1.1 percent for national brands, while in unit sales store brands rose 0.3 percent compared to a decline of 0.7 percent for national brands. Did you know that roughly half of American consumers now plan to continue buying private labels even if grocery prices drop? The quality gap has essentially disappeared in most categories, making it harder than ever to justify paying extra for a familiar logo when the product inside performs just as well.
