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Store Brands: A Fresh Start

After exchanging a holiday gift at my local Target, I opted to stroll the periphery to check out the store's new layout. I heard that fresh groceries were recently added, and wanted to see for myself how Target cut in the assortment. The section was more impressive that I expected with its vast frozens and refrigerated aisles and open market-concept in produce. While dozens of national brands are

After exchanging a holiday gift at my local Target, I opted to stroll the periphery to check out the store's new layout.

I heard that fresh groceries were recently added, and wanted to see for myself how Target cut in the assortment.

The section was more impressive that I expected with its vast frozens and refrigerated aisles and open market-concept in produce.

While dozens of national brands are available, Target's Market Pantry store brand is the star. The red banner logo is omnipresent throughout the section, showing up on everything from fruit snacks and apple juice to fresh items like reduced-sodium lunchmeat. Target's premium store-brand Archer Farms is well represented as well.

Target added more fresh groceries so that shoppers could do everything from pick up a fresh snack to complete their food shopping during errand running.

My shopping experience went exactly according to Target's plan. I quickly moved over my toy selection to make room for about a dozen Market Pantry items, including eggs, milk, frozen boneless skinless chicken tenderloins, frozen grilled chicken breast strips and frozen broccoli.

It was the first time I tried Market Pantry in several of these categories and I was pleased with the quality of everything I bought.

I'm not alone in my opinions about store brands. Consumers who buy private label are overwhelmingly happy with their decision, with 80% reporting store brands are either “equal to” or “better than” national brands, according to a new Private Label Manufacturers Association survey, conducted by GfK/Roper for publication in Supermarket News.

Discerning shoppers have noticed an improvement in the store brands they buy. About half (49%) of consumers say grocery private-label products they now buy have improved either “greatly” or “somewhat” as compared to a few years ago, a 10-point rise from last year, according to the study.

And 55% of the more affluent shoppers, those with household incomes over $75,000, feel the same.

What's more, one-third report that they're buying more store brands than a year ago.

So while the recession prompted many consumers to give store brands a try, creative store merchandising concepts like Target's, innovative new products and improved packaging keep these items in shopping baskets week after week.