The Big Brands Hiding Behind Your Favorite Store-Brand Products

Have you ever picked up a store-brand product and wondered if it’s just as good as the big name-brand version sitting next to it? You might be surprised to learn that in many cases, the two are made by the exact same company. This guide reveals some of the well-known grocery store brands that are secretly produced by major manufacturers.

Why Do Big Brands Make Store-Brand Products?

It might seem strange for a company like Duracell or Starbucks to produce a competing product for a grocery store, but it makes perfect business sense. This practice, known as private-label manufacturing, is a win-win situation.

For the big-name companies, it’s a way to maximize their operations. They can use their existing factories and equipment to run extra production shifts, making use of what would otherwise be idle time. This increases their efficiency and revenue. It also allows them to reach a different segment of the market: budget-conscious shoppers who might not typically buy their premium-priced products.

For the grocery stores, partnering with a major manufacturer guarantees a high-quality product without the massive expense of building their own factories. They can offer these items at a lower price because they don’t have the same advertising and marketing costs as the name brands. This builds customer loyalty and trust in their store-brand line.

Unpacking the Labels: Famous Store Brands and Their Makers

The connection between a store brand and its manufacturer is often a closely guarded secret, but some partnerships are well-known or have been confirmed over the years. Here are some of the most prominent examples you can find on your next shopping trip.

Costco’s Kirkland Signature: A Powerhouse of Partnerships

Costco’s Kirkland Signature brand is legendary for its quality, and that’s because Costco partners with some of the best manufacturers in the world to produce its items.

• Kirkland Signature Batteries: This is one of the most famous examples. For years, Kirkland Signature batteries have been manufactured by Duracell. If you look closely at the packaging or the batteries themselves, you can often find clues that point to their origin. You get the power and reliability of a top-tier battery at a fraction of the price.
• Kirkland Signature Coffee: That bag of Kirkland Signature House Blend, Espresso Blend, or Decaf House Blend you love? It’s roasted by Starbucks. The packaging often states “Custom Roasted by Starbucks,” making it a transparent and popular partnership.
• Kirkland Signature Diapers: Parents have long trusted Kirkland Signature diapers for their quality and value. These diapers are made by Kimberly-Clark, the same company that produces the popular Huggies brand. While the design might differ slightly, the underlying technology and quality are comparable.
• Kirkland Signature Jelly Beans: If you’re a fan of gourmet jelly beans, you’re in luck. The Kirkland Signature brand of jelly beans is made by the Jelly Belly Candy Company. You get the same iconic flavors and quality you expect from the name brand in a much larger container.

Trader Joe’s: The Delicious Mysteries

Trader Joe’s is famously secretive about its suppliers, but investigative shoppers and industry experts have connected many of its beloved products to major brands. While Trader Joe’s doesn’t confirm these, the evidence is often compelling.

• Pita Chips: The Trader Joe’s brand of pita chips is widely believed to be made by Stacy’s, which is owned by PepsiCo. The taste, texture, and ingredient list are remarkably similar.
• Organic Soups: Many of Trader Joe’s organic boxed soups, like their Creamy Tomato Soup, are reportedly produced by Pacific Foods, a well-regarded company known for its high-quality organic broths and soups.
• Hummus: While suppliers can change, some of Trader Joe’s popular hummus varieties have been linked to Tribe Mediterranean Foods, a major producer of hummus in the United States.

Walmart’s Great Value: Everyday Low Prices, Familiar Quality

As one of the world’s largest retailers, Walmart leverages its massive scale to contract with a wide range of manufacturers for its Great Value and Equate brands.

• Great Value Milk: Like most grocery chains, Walmart doesn’t run its own dairy farms. Instead, its milk is sourced and processed by major regional dairies. In the past, this has included companies like Dean Foods. The supplier can vary by region, but it’s always a large-scale, reputable dairy processor.
• Great Value Canned Vegetables: The canned corn, green beans, and peas under the Great Value label are often processed and canned by the same companies that produce name-brand goods. Companies like Del Monte or Seneca Foods sometimes use their facilities to package products for store brands.
• Equate Health and Beauty: The Equate brand is Walmart’s answer to name-brand health products. Many of its over-the-counter medications are made by Perrigo, a leading manufacturer of private-label pharmaceuticals. Their products are required to have the same active ingredients and meet the same FDA standards as their name-brand counterparts like Tylenol or Advil.

How to Spot the Clues Yourself

While some partnerships are public knowledge, others require a bit of detective work. Here are a few tips to help you identify the potential manufacturer of a store-brand product:

• Look at the Address: Check the fine print for “Distributed by” or “Manufactured for.” Sometimes, the address listed for the store brand is in the same city, or even on the same street, as a major name-brand factory.
• Check for Plant Codes: Some products, especially dairy items, are stamped with a plant code. You can look up these codes online to find out exactly where the product was processed.
• “Compare To” Language: For health and beauty products, the packaging will often say “Compare to the active ingredients in [Name Brand].” This is a clear signal that the product is designed to be a direct equivalent.
• Identical Appearance: Sometimes, the product itself is the biggest clue. If a store-brand snack cracker or cereal looks and tastes identical to a name-brand version, there’s a good chance it came from the same production line.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a store-brand product identical to the name-brand version? Not always. A manufacturer might use a slightly different recipe or lower-cost ingredients for the store-brand version to meet a specific price point. However, in many cases, especially with basic items like batteries or canned goods, the products are virtually identical.

Why are store brands cheaper if they’re made by the same company? The price difference comes down to marketing and branding. Name brands spend millions of dollars on advertising, celebrity endorsements, and premium packaging. Store brands have almost none of these costs, and the savings are passed directly to the consumer.

Do these manufacturing partnerships ever change? Yes, they do. Retailers are always negotiating for the best quality and price, so the company that makes a store-brand product this year might not be the same one that makes it next year. However, popular and successful partnerships often last for a very long time.