A new price comparison across major grocery retailers is putting hard numbers behind something many shoppers already suspect: store brands can deliver major savings on everyday essentials.
The NetCredit analysis examined 171 common grocery products across Walmart, Kroger and Target, comparing national name brands with their store-brand equivalents. The results show consistent price gaps across nearly every aisle, with some categories offering especially large discounts for shoppers willing to switch.
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Where the Biggest Savings Show Up
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Some of the biggest differences show up in the beverage aisle. Store-brand sports hydration drinks delivered the largest overall savings in the study, costing more than 70 percent less than leading name-brand versions at Walmart.
Fruity cereal loops followed closely, with shoppers saving nearly 70 percent on average when choosing store-brand versions instead of well-known national brands.
Everyday pantry staples also show strong savings. Ketchup, for example, was found to be about 67 percent more expensive when purchased as a name-brand product compared to a store-brand alternative across the three retailers studied.
Pasta and other basic dry goods also performed well, with store-brand spaghetti averaging close to 50 percent less than name-brand versions. These items, which are often bought repeatedly, create meaningful long-term savings.
Related: Shoppers Sound Off on the Groceries They’re Skipping Amid Price Hikes
Dairy and Frozen Foods Deliver Consistent Value
The dairy aisle continues the same trend. A gallon of store-brand milk costs significantly less than name-brand milk across all three retailers, with average savings of about 61 percent.
Frozen snacks also stood out. Store-brand ice cream sandwiches were among the strongest performers in the category, offering more than 50 percent savings compared to their branded counterparts.
Across categories, the pattern is consistent: the most recognizable products are rarely the cheapest option, even when the core ingredients are nearly identical.
The study also suggests that perceived quality may not be as big a barrier as it once was. Consumer research in recent years has found that most shoppers struggle to distinguish between store brands and name brands in blind taste tests, and many now report trusting store brands just as much as national labels.
The findings point to a simple shift in grocery shopping behavior. Savings are no longer limited to promotions or bulk buying. They are increasingly built into the choice between two nearly identical products sitting side by side on the same shelf.
Related: These 4 Grocery Items Saw the Biggest Price Increases Over the Past Year
