You're standing in front of a shelf in a popular discont. On the left side a well-known branded product, on the right is much cheaper equivalent with the logo of the store. A dilemma, which in 2025, in a time of inactive felt inflation, became the everyday life of millions of Poles. You scope for your own brand, wondering if saving will affect quality. What if I told you that many of these “cheap” products are the same giants whose branded goods you avoid due to price? It is 1 of the best protected and at the same time the most open secrets of the commercial industry.
The fact is that the line between branded product and own brand present is thinner than ever. This is no longer a simple communicative of “better” and “worse”. It is simply a complicated economical game in which both manufacturers, trade networks and we – consumers – play key roles. In this article, we will look behind the scenes and uncover who truly fills the packaging with the logo of Ladybugs, Lidel or Aldi. Prepare for surprise due to the fact that the list of known names is long and can forever change your approach to regular shopping.
A story of inexpensive quality. Why did own brands dominate the market?
A decade ago, supermarket logo products associated with the lowest shelf and quality compromise. Today, the situation is very different. In 2025 own brands are a powerful section of the market, accounting for over 20% of retail value in Poland, and in any categories, specified as dairy or economical chemistry, dominate in buying carts. What changed?
First of all, retail networks understood that own brand is not only a price, but a powerful tool to build loyalty. alternatively of competing only at cost, they began investing in quality, packaging and full product lines – from basic (economy) to premium (e.g. Deluxe in Lidl or Go Active in Ladybug). Secondly, our approach has changed. The increase in consumer awareness made us start reading labels and analyzing compositions, discovering that ‘cheap’ does not always mean ‘worse’. economical crises and rising costs of surviving have only accelerated this process, making brands of their own choice not by coercion but by reason.
Giants in the shadows. Who truly produces for Ladybug and Lidel?
Let's cut to the chase. Who physically produces the cheese you buy under the brand name “Pilos” or “Milk Valley”? The answer is simpler than you think: frequently the same producers who supply products under their well-known, nationwide brands. For renowned companies, production for discounts is pure business – it allows maximum capacity utilisation, guarantees constant, mass collection and reduces marketing costs. Here are any examples that may surprise you:
- Dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt): The biggest Polish dairy cooperatives, specified as Milkvita (producing, among others, for Ladybug) or Mlekpol (known from the Laciate brand). Buying agrarian cheese brand Pilos (Lidl), there is simply a good chance that it comes from OSM plants in Łowicz.
- Drinks and preparations: The king of this category is Maspex Wadowice. This giant, the owner of brands specified as Tymbark, Kubus, Łowicz or Kotlin, is 1 of the key suppliers of juices, nectars and jams for the largest networks in Poland.
- Smokes and meat: Meat products frequently come from tycoons specified as Animex (owner of the brands Krakus, Morlina) or Turkey. By checking the code on the package, you can discover that the sausages with the discount logo left the same mill as the branded ones.
- Sweets: Chocolates, cakes and waffles for their own brands frequently produce companies specified as Colian (owner of Goplana, Tomorrows, Grześków) or Town.
How do we find out? The easiest way is to look for information about the maker on the packaging. Sometimes a full name is given, and sometimes only the address of the production plant. In the case of products of animal origin (meat, dairy, eggs) the key veterinary recognition number – an oval stamp with a code that allows to accurately identify the plant in the authoritative bases of the Main Veterinary Inspectorate.
Two production lines, same factory. Is the product identical?
That's the key question. Is self-branded juice the same as Tymbark, only in a different box? The answer is: It depends.. There are 3 main scenarios:
- Same product: Sometimes the product is 100% the same, and only different in packaging and price. This is the simplest model for the manufacturer, maximising profits from the existing production line.
- Modified expression product: It's the most common model. The commercial network orders a product with circumstantial parameters, e.g. with a somewhat lower sugar content, a different kind of fat or a cheaper replacement of 1 of the ingredients to accomplish the mark price. However, the product is inactive being produced in the same factory, while maintaining the same technological regimes and quality standards.
- Dedicated product: The renowned maker creates a completely fresh recipe specifically for the network, utilizing its know-how, technology and laboratory facilities.
Regardless of the scenario, 1 remains unchanged: renowned maker company this product with his reputation. He cannot afford to release a dangerous or abnormally low quality product, even if his logo is not on it. It's a silent warrant we frequently don't realize.
He played for the throne in 2025. How will our own brands change our purchases?
The future belongs to our own brands. In 2025 their evolution accelerated. We observe a clear trend towards specialization – there are bio, vegan, gluten-free or premium lines that do not halt and sometimes exceed brand products. Networks, with immense amounts of data about our purchases, are able to make products perfectly tailored to our needs, faster than conventional manufacturers.
For us consumers, this means 1 thing: greater choice and wiser saving. The story of "cheap bull" goes to the lame. The own brand becomes synonymous with smart acquisition – access to good quality products, manufactured by proven manufacturers, but without a marketing charge included in the price. Next time, standing in front of the store shelf, don't just look at the logo. Look at the composition and the manufacturer. The fact you discover there may be worth more than the difference in price.
Continued here:
Do you buy inexpensive products in a discont? You'll be amazed who the real maker is!
