Martin - disguised own brand hunt

LizzieS_2 · 26 September 2009 at 10:07PM

Any chance of taking this thread further to TV perhaps?

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=23002

I remember years ago, Osram admitted to making lightbulbs under the co-op brand. Their MD appeared on a major TV programme at the time (Nationwide?) and was quoted in a few daily papers. His theory was that the company made more profit from the co-op sales than from their osram brand, while still having the quality market for the same item.

The supermarkets have nothing to lose as they will gain new customers, same with the major brandmakers. Joe public would love to know which is the cheapest version of their favourite products.

Perhaps do something along the lines of this item from X supermarket tastes like Y major brand? (better than saying it is definately the actual maker as no-one can trust the sources of information as always being correct).

You could create a whole new supermarket war on lowering prices and everyone from suppliers to consumers will gain.

dmg24 · 26 September 2009 at 10:39PM

Even when two items are made by the same producer, it does not necessarily mean that they are identical. For instance, at one point* Boots crisps were made by Walkers, but they were not made to the same recipe.

My source of information - the boxes they arrived at the store in!

* I do not know if this is still the case.

LizzieS_2 · 26 September 2009 at 10:57PM

I agree dmg24. The thread contains a mix of people saying the same as you and others saying it is identical in every way (and I haven't read it all).

The ones who are claiming items are identical are the ones that need to be checked and made more public - that way everyone saves, suppliers & supermarkets get more publicity/sales, and more importantly more items get identified by Joe Public.