Own-Brand vs Name Brand in NZ: What Prices Across 44 Packaged Staples Show
Own-brand products are the quiet workhorses of the supermarket shelf: Pams at Pak'nSave and New World, and Woolworths, Essentials and Macro at Woolworths. The usual advice is that they're "20 to 40 per cent cheaper" than the name brands. Is that true, and does it hold for everything? We compared the prices of 44 packaged grocery product types (pantry, household, drinks, health and body, pet, baby and snack lines) across Pak'nSave, New World and Woolworths to find out.
How we measured it
For each product type we collected every matching product from the three chains and worked out each one's lowest unit price, per kilogram, per litre or per item, depending on what the product type is usually sold by. Unit price matters because own-brand products are often sold in different pack sizes from the brands next to them, and a shelf-price comparison would mislead.
We classed a product as own-brand if its name or brand begins with Pams, Woolworths, Essentials, Macro or Value, and everything else as "branded". That's an approximation, so a few products may be misclassified. We then compared own-brand and branded products only in the 25 product types that have at least three of each. Prices are from each chain's Auckland reference store as at 18 October 2026.
Why fresh food isn't in here. We left out meat, seafood, fruit and vegetables, eggs and chilled dairy on purpose. In those categories a unit-price comparison isn't like-for-like. Our first pass put a one-litre own-brand ice cream against five-litre party tubs, a premium own-brand bacon against bacon hocks, and own-brand lamb cuts against lamb's fry, and produced "differences" of 100% or more that said nothing about brands. Packaged, standardised products such as flour, canned tomatoes and cat litter are where the comparison is meaningful.
Typical own-brand vs typical name brand
If you take the middle (median) unit price of the own-brand products and of the branded ones in each product type, own-brand came out cheaper in 25 of 25 product types, with a median saving of 53%. That is higher than the "20 to 40 per cent" rule of thumb, but it flatters own-brand: the "typical" branded product includes premium, organic and specialty lines, while own-brand ranges are mostly basic ones. It is a comparison of two different mixes of products, not of the same item under two labels.
Cheapest own-brand vs cheapest name brand
The like-for-like version asks what you'd save if you already shop smart on the name-brand side. Comparing the lowest unit price among own-brand products with the lowest among branded ones, own-brand was cheaper in 23 of 25 product types, and the median saving was 24%. That sits at the lower end of the usual "20 to 40 per cent" claim: real, but about half what the "typical" comparison suggests.
Where own-brand saves the most
| Product | Cheapest own-brand | Cheapest branded | Own-brand is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato Sauce | $2.56/kg | $6.12/kg | 58% less |
| Peanut Butter | $4.89/kg | $9.94/kg | 51% less |
| Tea | $0.03 each | $0.06 each | 48% less |
| Canned Tomatoes | $2.07/kg | $3.98/kg | 48% less |
| Jam | $6.64/kg | $10.64/kg | 38% less |
| Cat Litter | $0.66/L | $1.05/L | 37% less |
| Flour | $1.26/kg | $1.96/kg | 36% less |
| Soft Drinks | $0.86/L | $1.33/L | 35% less |
Pantry staples dominate the top of the list: tomato sauce, peanut butter, canned tomatoes, jam and flour. These are simple, heavily commoditised products where the brand adds little beyond the label, and where own-brand ranges are well established.
Where the gap is smallest
| Product | Cheapest own-brand | Cheapest branded | Own-brand is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dog Food | $3.22/kg | $3.00/kg | 8% more |
| Breakfast Cereal | $6.78/kg | $6.66/kg | 2% more |
| Nappies | $0.28 each | $0.28 each | about the same |
| Crackers | $10.90/kg | $11.07/kg | 2% less |
| Sugar | $2.02/kg | $2.27/kg | 11% less |
| Bin Liners | $0.07 each | $0.08 each | 13% less |
At the other end, dog food, breakfast cereal, nappies and crackers show little or no saving from the cheapest own-brand option, and sugar and bin liners only about 11 to 13 per cent. In dog food and breakfast cereal the cheapest branded product was actually a touch cheaper per kilo, and in nappies the cheapest own-brand and branded options cost the same per nappy. In these categories the cheap end of the name-brand range is competitive, so the "own-brand is always cheaper" shortcut doesn't hold.
Who has the best-value product?
In 26 of the 44 packaged product types where we could rank products by unit price, the single best-value product was an own-brand one. That's more than half, even though own-brand products are usually a small minority of what's on the shelf in any category. It means own-brand is a reasonable default for packaged staples when you don't want to compare. It also means that in the other 18 product types a name brand was the best deal, so a blanket "always buy own-brand" rule would have missed it.
How to use this
- Default to own-brand for pantry staples. Flour, canned tomatoes, peanut butter, jam and tomato sauce showed the biggest and most consistent savings.
- Check before you switch in dog food, cereal, nappies and crackers. The cheapest name-brand option is already close to the own-brand price.
- Compare the cheapest with the cheapest. Most of the headline "own-brand saves 30 to 50 per cent" figures are measured against average, premium-heavy name-brand ranges. If you already buy a budget name brand, expect a smaller saving.
- Use unit prices, especially for fresh food. Pack sizes differ, and for meat, produce and eggs the unit price on the shelf label is a better guide than the brand on the pack.
- Swap one item at a time. A saving only counts if your household actually eats it.
Limits of this analysis
The own-brand classification is based on names and brands, so some products may be counted on the wrong side. The comparison is of unit price, which depends on how each product's size is recorded, and not every product has one. Product types with few own-brand products (some have only three) can swing on a single item. It's a snapshot of Auckland reference stores, and specials move prices week to week. And it says nothing about quality or taste, which is a personal call. For the wider picture on who's cheapest, see the October 2026 price comparison, and for general advice our guide to own-brand products in NZ.
Frequently asked questions
Are supermarket own-brand products cheaper in NZ?
For packaged groceries, almost always. Across 25 product types, the cheapest own-brand product beat the cheapest name-brand one in 23, with a median saving of about 24% per unit. Comparing typical products rather than the cheapest, the gap is larger, about 53%, but that mixes basic own-brand lines with premium name brands.
Which products save the most with own-brand?
Pantry staples. In our comparison the biggest gaps were in tomato sauce, peanut butter, tea, canned tomatoes, jam, cat litter, flour and soft drinks.
Is own-brand ever not cheaper than the name brand?
Yes. For dog food and breakfast cereal the cheapest name-brand product was slightly cheaper per kilo than the cheapest own-brand one, and for nappies they cost the same per nappy. Crackers were within a few per cent.
What counts as own-brand in this comparison?
A product whose name or brand begins with Pams, Woolworths, Essentials, Macro or Value. That is an approximation, so a few products may be misclassified. We only compared packaged groceries; meat, seafood, produce, eggs and chilled dairy are left out because unit prices there aren't like-for-like.