Best maple creme cookies and sparkling lemonade?
has done enough studying to know that store brands aren't just knock-offs anymore. You can get cheap, quality private label products in place of national brands (oftentimes, we recommend it), but the grocery stores are wising up. They're tired of playing copycat. In some cases, store brands are the only brands you're going to see for certain products.
Two cases in points: maple-flavored cream sandwich cookies and French sparkling lemonade. We've been to many a store and have yet to find national brands carrying these products (at least in the Chicago area, where we are). But both types of products are sold at Safeway company stores and at Trader Joe's locations. Typically Store Brand Scorecard pits four brands of a type of food or drink against each other. In these rare cases, there were no national brand equivalents and in fact, no other store brand varieties.
With fall starting to set in, now seemed like a great time to try these unique cookie treats, and with summer not too faint of a memory, wash 'em down with a cool, refreshing drink, to see which store brand is the best brand for your money. All products were purchased Sept. 18 in the Chicago area. Prices are subject to change.
