Which Store Brands Offer The Best Quality?

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Trader Joe’s store brands are the highest quality among 68 store chains, according to Consumer Reports.

Only Trader Joe’s earned the magazine’s highest rating — excellent — for its generic brands. The chain also earned the second-highest score (97) for overall satisfaction.

The ratings for store brand quality are based on how survey participants rated them on a scale from “completely satisfied” to “completely dissatisfied.”

The rest of the best

Only a half-dozen chains earned Consumer Reports’ second-highest rating — good — for house brands.

They include Wegmans, which the magazine named the best supermarket overall in the country (score of 100), and the second-best overall, Publix, which tied with Trader’s Joe’s (97).

  • Wegmans
  • Publix
  • Costco
  • Raley’s
  • Whole Foods Market
  • Harris Teeter

The worst

Most of the 68 chains’ store brands received an average rating for quality. No brands received the lowest rating, unacceptable, but about a dozen received the second-lowest rating, poor. Those getting a poor rating include:

  • Food Lion
  • Weis
  • Giant
  • Stop & Shop
  • Acme
  • Pick ‘n Save
  • Tops Markets
  • Shaw’s
  • Pathmark
  • A&P
  • Walmart Supercenter
  • Waldbaum’s

For more ways to save on off brands, check out “12 Items You Should Buy Generic (And 4 You Shouldn’t)” and “Definitely Buy These 15 Things At A Dollar Store.”

What’s your favorite store brand? Let us know why in a comment below or on our Facebook page.

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