Best raisin bran? We rank the house brands

Piet Levy
Updated
raisin bran test
raisin bran test

Seems Store Brand Scorecard isn't the only one doing its thing. Consumer Reports has a new study in its October edition (out now) that estimates consumers who spend $100 a week on groceries can save up to $1,500 a year buying store brands.

But the question we always pose is "Are the savings worth it?" The report seems to indicate yes. Out of 21 store versus national brand taste tests staged for this study, 11 resulted in a tie, and in three instances, the store brand beat out the national brand. Other interesting tidbits you can use to impress your classmates:

  • 84% of Americans bought store brands last year.

  • 93% of store brand buyers said they would continue buying store brands after the economy recovers.

  • Store brand products sold in the U.S. netted a record $55.5 billion in sales last year.

Looking through the report, one finding stood out. Consumer Reports listed a dozen of the highest-rated store brand products from previous reports. Among the products: Great Value brand Raisin Bran, available at Walmart, described as "very good." Sounds like a ranking Store Brand Scorecard should verify.

Advertisement