A millennial take on private label

They say millennials trust private brand products more than any other age group. As a millennial myself, I would absolutely agree. The generations of my mother and my grandmother all believe that name brand products are where consumers can get the most out of their money in terms of quality.

Although I agree that there are recognizable differences in some products in terms of quality and durability between private label products and “name brand” products, when it comes to food I am personally all about the private brands, especially Costco’s Kirkland Signature products and everything Trader Joe’s.

According to Cadent Consulting Group’s 2018 report, “The Branding of Private Label,” 46 percent of shoppers (and 54 percent of Millennials) said their choice of retailer is influenced by the store brand. Forty-eight percent of shoppers (60 percent of Millennials) said they believe their retailer’s store brand is better than others.

Why I trust private brands is not a question I really have had to ask myself before. While reflecting, I realized that a lot of the Kirkland Signature products that I depend on are as a result of using them growing up. My mom would always try products that were cheaper, just to see if they were as tasty or efficient as the name brands. If the products were great, we kept buying them and if they were duds, we would never buy them again.

As I look through my pantry, I find countless private brand food products -- ranging from seasoning all the way to ice cream bars. My top must-have private label items from Costco and Trader Joe’s are:

Costco Kirkland Signature:

• Vanilla Almond Chocolate Dipped Ice Cream Bars

• Frozen Three Berry Blend

• Organic Mixed Frozen Vegetables

• 2018 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc Wine

• Greek Yogurt

• Sparkling Water Variety Pack

Trader Joe’s:

• Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds

• Everything But the Bagel Seasoning

• Pound Plus Milk Chocolate with Almonds

• Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

• Organic Sriracha and Roasted Garlic BBQ Sauce

• Pumpkin Pancake and Waffle Mix (seasonal -- unfortunately)

Trader Joe’s and Costco are not the only companies that I purchase private label products from. I enjoy trying new products, especially when they are at a reduced price. A majority of the private label products that I try end up being just as good, and occasionally sometimes better than the name brand products.

Successful retailers and suppliers will have to plan how to leverage my love of private label products, and those of all millenials, into sustained sales growth into the future.