NEW YORK — Once stigmatized as a second-rate alternative, store brands are taking on their name-brand counterparts with splashier packaging and a growing number of organic, all-natural and higher-end products.
The push is part of a broader expansion of store brands into every corner of the supermarket; shoppers can now find cheaper versions of Greek yogurt, organic frozen pizzas, gelato and even specialty chocolates.
At Target, shopper Charles Rawls said he didn't even realize that Archer Farms was the big-box retailer's in-house brand when he first started buying the snacks a few years ago. Rawls tried them only because he noticed they cost less.
"The packaging is very colorful and there are nice big pictures of the food," said Rawls, a 34-year-old Philadelphia resident who works as a marketing manager for a bank. "There's not a connotation of a lack of quality."
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Associated Press
