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If you’re keeping an eye on your grocery spending, now is a great time to consider supermarket own-brand products. A new price survey from the Consumentenbond, the Dutch consumers’ association, shows that big-name brands have become even more expensive over the past year, while budget and store brands have actually become cheaper. This has made the price gap between them even wider.
What the survey found
The survey found that major brands, or A-brands, increased in price by an average of 2 percent over the past year. In contrast, budget brands, including supermarket own labels, became 6 percent cheaper. Looking back over three years, the difference is even bigger: A-brand products are now 16 percent more expensive, while budget brands have only gone up by 2 percent.
The association notes that price increases for big brands are starting to slow down a bit, but this isn’t happening everywhere. Out of 100 A-brand products they looked at, about two-thirds became more expensive, while 22 actually got cheaper.
Winners and losers on the shelf
Some well-known brands saw big price jumps. For example, a bag of Unox Chinese tomato soup is now 36 percent more expensive, and a bar of Verkade extra-dark chocolate went up by 28 percent. Brands like Milka, Wasa, and Tony’s Chocolonely also became much pricier. However, not all prices increased: some products, like drinks from Coca-Cola and Raak, actually got cheaper.
Prices for budget ranges changed a lot too. Cheaper options for coffee and chocolate often became more expensive over the past year, but prices for rice, pasta, and canned vegetables often dropped, sometimes by a lot. For example, the association points out that a one-kilogram bag of Albert Heijn own-brand macaroni fell from 1.25 euros to just 72 cents. Big brands didn’t have any similar price drops.
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Why the gap is widening
One reason for these changes is global commodity prices. Coffee and cocoa have gotten more expensive in recent years because of droughts and poor harvests, which has pushed up the cost of chocolate and coffee products. For big brands, these higher costs have led to tough price negotiations between supermarkets and manufacturers. Sometimes, these disputes even left shelves empty of certain A-brands when talks failed.
Where it’s cheapest
The Consumentenbond also looked at big-brand prices in 11 supermarket chains. Nettorama was the cheapest for A-brands, while Spar was the most expensive. However, the survey didn’t include temporary promotions and discounts, which can make a big difference to what shoppers actually pay.
What it means for you
For households, the main message is simple. As the price gap between big brands and budget options grows, switching to own-brand or budget products, especially for basics like pasta, rice, and tinned vegetables, can save you more money than before. Sticking with some A-brands, especially chocolate and certain tinned goods, will cost you more. This is a small but helpful way to save, especially as the overall cost of living stays high and things like health premiums, energy charges, and rents are set to rise in 2027. To save money, compare unit prices on the shelf and don’t assume that a familiar brand always offers the best value.