No-name products and private labels at Aldi, Edeka & Co: Who is behind the cheaper products?

As in many product categories, food prices continue to rise. So it’s no wonder that some consumers resort to cheaper product variants such as own brands from supermarkets and discounters, which are usually stowed on the lower shelves in order to draw more attention to the higher-level branded products. But which manufacturers are behind these products and how good are they as an alternative product if you don’t want to pay high prices for branded items? CHIP and t-online explain how to answer exactly these questions.

How do you recognize the manufacturers behind no-name products?

The easiest trick in debunking the manufacturer is to find it on the packaging of the no-name product. The name is usually found near the best-before date or the gram and liter indication. Once you have found the information about the company, you can write it down and then search for it on the Internet. In many cases, the brand manufacturer should be found under the search. As an example, CHIP lists the rice pudding pack from Aldi’s own brand “Milsani”. TMA Handelsgesellschaft mbH with the address “An den Breiten” in 01454 Leppensdorf can be identified as the manufacturer on the packaging. An internet search reveals that the manufacturer is the Sachsenmilch dairy, which in turn belongs to the well-known brand giant “Müller”.

Profitable practice for retailers and manufacturers

Because of such an approach, consumers often do not have to fear any major losses in quality with no-name products. Branded products and no-name products usually differ only slightly if they come from the same manufacturer. The only difference in price is usually the packaging and the advertising material. This business is definitely worthwhile for the manufacturers, since they can keep the conveyor belts running in their plants in several work shifts and save a lot of money when purchasing raw materials. The own brands are also quite lucrative for negotiations on terms and conditions, so they can be used as leverage so that the manufacturer gets better shelf space in the supermarket. Overall, this approach is definitely advantageous for both sides – but supermarkets, discounters and manufacturers usually do not respond to press inquiries.

t-online points out that although the manufacturer of the original branded product is often behind the no-name product, this is not the case in 100% of cases. In addition, products sometimes come from the same manufacturer, but are made with slightly different recipes or with cheaper ingredients. In the case of dairy products, for example, this difference is often evident when using whole milk (branded product) and skimmed milk (no-name product). Manufacturers of dairy and animal products can be identified by the state veterinary registration number.

These brands stand behind cheap products

CHIP also gives a few other examples where there is a brand manufacturer behind the no-name product. The “Hochland” group is also behind the products processed cheese from “K-Classic” (Kaufland), the Allgäu processed cheese from “Ja!” (Rewe) and the “Hofburger” cheese cold cuts from Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd. In addition, the large dairy concern “Bauer” also produces yoghurt products under its own brands “Gutes Land” (Netto Marken-Discount), “Ja!” (Rewe), “K-Classic” (Kaufland) and “Good and Cheap” (Edeka), to name just a few.

E. Schmal/Redaktion finanzen.net

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