Own-brand food is in need of a marketing boost

Retailers' own-brand foods are viewed by shoppers as cheaper and better value than manufacturers' brands, according to research by IGD.

However, IGD's Shopper Insight report said that store groups need to improve the way they communicate improvements in the quality and taste of their brands to shoppers.

The main reasons shoppers gave for favouring retailer brands were lower price (45 per cent) and better value (45 per cent), while 12 per cent buy them because they think they are better quality.

Improvements in taste (17 per cent), quality (15 per cent) and lower prices (13 per cent) are the main reasons shoppers said they would buy more retailer brands in the future.