Most consumers would choose brand-name beverages over generic or store-brand beverages, according to the September 2023 Consumer Food Insights Report. The report further indicates that consumers make this choice even when presented with a sizable price discount on generic or store brand names.

The survey-based report out of Purdue University’s Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability assesses food spending, consumer satisfaction and values, support of agricultural and food policies, and trust in information sources. Purdue experts conducted and evaluated the survey, which included 1,200 consumers across the U.S.

In contrast to beverage choices, most survey respondents said they were unwilling to pay a premium for brand-name meat or fruits and vegetables. The findings in the report’s “Brand Beliefs” section were based on new questions that yielded some interesting results, said the report’s lead author Joseph Balagtas, professor of agricultural economics and director of CFDAS at Purdue.

“When it comes to snack foods, consumer choice is price sensitive,” Balagtas said. “A majority of consumers tell us that brand-name products taste better. And even when generics are 15% cheaper, a majority choose the brand-name product. But if generics are 30% cheaper, a majority of consumers will choose the generic brand.”

To dig deeper into why consumers might or might not choose brand-name food, the survey included follow-up questions that gathered consumer beliefs about brand-name versus generic or store-brand foods.

“We find that taste is positively correlated with the decision to choose brand-name foods over cheaper substitutes,” Balagtas said. Consumers perceive brand-name beverages to taste better than generics and thus are more likely to purchase branded products even at a premium. But fewer consumers believe that brands are associated with better taste in the meat and fruit and vegetable aisles, and thus fewer are willing to pay a premium for those products.

“Across all food categories, most consumers do not believe that brand-name foods are more nutritious or made from better ingredients or safer than store brands,” Balagtas said. “Our finding that taste is the main driver of consumers’ valuation of brand names is consistent with results from our food values survey questions, where respondents consistently rank taste as the most important attribute when shopping for food.”