Sainsbury’s has launched a multimillion-pound campaign to drive sales of its own-brand products.

Called Switch & Save, the campaign will push its 15,000 own-brand products, which Sainsbury’s said will help slash 20 per cent off food bills.

A survey for Sainsbury’s revealed that more than half (51 per cent) of all consumers believe that big brands are losing their importance in today’s world. Nearly two thirds of shoppers say they are more likely to buy supermarket own-brand now than a year ago. And almost a third said they would never switch back to the big brands.

This new breed of shopper, dubbed by Sainsbury's the Darwinist consumer, has evolved as a result of the tough economic climate. Brand snobbery has become a thing of the past, with 73 per cent of people happy to buy own-brand products.

“The results of this survey clearly show how consumer perceptions of supermarket own-brand have shifted,” said Sainsbury’s brand director Judith Batchelar. “This new breed of Darwinist consumer is not only price-savvy, but has also recognised that own-brand doesn’t mean compromising on quality.”