The Best Grocery Store Brands You've Never Heard Of

Grocery stores producing their very own snacks, canned goods, produce, and more via their own private labels has become relatively commonplace over the years. Not only does it give retailers the chance to generate more revenue, but since these in-house brands often come with a lower price tag than traditional brand-name items, it also gives consumers a way to save while shopping. While some of the most well-recognized of these private labels are arguably Great Value by Walmart, Kirkland by Costco, or Good & Gather by Target, there are plenty of other private labels attached to smaller grocery chains that are far too often overlooked. 

Waiting in the aisles of various regional grocers across the nation are plenty of low key, privately labeled products that deserve their chance in the spotlight (or should we say, their chance on your plate) for superior flavor, a lower price point, or notable high-quality ingredients. Whether you're searching for an organic bread, a house-ground fresh meat, or a lower-sugar juice option, the grocery items produced by some of these in-house brands are worth making a separate stop for on errand day. Prepare to have your pantry elevated with some of the best grocery store brands you've probably never heard of.

Over 100 years ago, brothers John and Walter Wegman opened up a roadside produce stand in Rochester, New York — and it grew into something so much more. That simple fruit-and-veggie stand eventually became Wegmans, a beloved regional chain situated in the eastern United States. From its baked-daily assortment of artisan breads to its vast collection of cheeses and rainbow array of produce, Wegmans puts out hundreds of products sourced from a collection of high-quality brands for its loyal consumer base.

And included among these superior brands is one of its very own, its self-titled Wegmans Organic. The grocer's in-house brand features over 4,000 products grown, harvested, and prepared sustainably using clean ingredients and no GMOs. From the fresh produce grown on the company's very own New York farm and orchard to its all-natural peanut butter, canned garbanzo beans, and more, Wegmans has you covered in the way of quality. Each of its branded products features the official USDA organic-certified label. You don't have to be a big brand to be a quality one — and Wegmans is proving it in strides.

Fareway is a Midwestern grocery store chain with locations in Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, and South Dakota. While it is considered a full-service grocer, the company is best known for its epic meat counter, which features both in-store and online departments so that those out of reach of one of its locations can use delivery to gain access to its high-quality steaks, pork chops, or hamballs.

And among the chain's filet mignons, Wagyu steaks, slabs of bison, chicken grillers, brat sausages, and peppered bacon strips lies one of its most popular meat products sealed up with its very own signature label: Fareway's Our Own ground beef. Though this is the only branded item produced by Fareway, it is a standout. After Fareway's butchers finish cutting their USDA choice steaks for the day, the trimmings are saved and ground up to create a ground beef mixture that will only be sold that same day. This, of course, guarantees a freshness you will not often encounter in other brands of grocery store ground beef — so Fareway's branded, in-house creation is worth a try if you're searching for that perfectly juicy slab of meat to serve as the base for your homemade burgers or meatballs.

People in the southeastern United States have a gem of a grocer in Publix Super Markets. With its friendly atmosphere full of smiling employees, a celebrated bakery department, a deli offering mouth-watering sub sandwiches, and full-scale grocery department, Publix has something for everyone — including, as it so happens, an impressive selection of organic products.

And many of these cleaner items come from the company's very own in-house brand, GreenWise, which features a vast array of popular products made with wholesome, nutritious ingredients. Want a can of black beans but prefer them be lower sodium and harvested sustainably? GreenWise can help with that. Searching for a breakfast cereal for your kids that is free from artificial flavors and funky preservatives you can't even pronounce? Skip the larger brand name options and head to the spot where the GreenWise cereals are displayed. No matter what organic commodities you're seeking for your pantry, Publix's brand will almost certainly have something to fit the bill — if you're willing to forego your standard name brand option and give it a try, that is.

As many parents (or just adult juice-lovers) know, finding a great-tasting and nutritionally acceptable juice brand can be a difficult undertaking. Many products are chock-full of added sugars, artificial flavors, or questionable preservatives — ingredients that many modern consumers generally prefer to avoid. That's what makes this next grocery store brand on our list so great. It not only focuses exclusively on juices but also on creating blends that are just a little bit healthier than your average store-bought formula might be.

Cue Nature's Nectar, an in-house beverage-focused brand from the discount-retail powerhouse Aldi. Its offerings include juice pouches containing 25% less sugar compared with other store-bought pouch options, grape juice with zero added sugars, and raspberry lemonade free from preservatives and not made from concentrate. The Nature's Nectar juice line gets positive reviews from consumers for its refreshing tastes, unique flavors, and more health-forward formulas at reasonable prices. When it comes to the refreshments table at your next event, pencil in a trip to Aldi and see what Nature's Nectar has in store. You might just find a winner among beverages that your guests will be unable to stop raving about. 

ShopRite is a grocery store cooperative operating in the eastern United States. It began as a group of eight separate small grocers in the 1940s that decided to come together and form the Wakefern Food Corp. Cooperative, unifying under the ShopRite banner and working together to increase profits across store locations. Today, the ShopRite cooperative is 50 grocers strong and is considered the biggest combined employer in the state of New Jersey — an impressive feat, to say the least. 

But despite the impressive size of the ShopRite team, you may not have anticipated that a private brand could come from a cooperative involving separate stores. You'd be wrong, however. The ShopRite club not only has an in-house brand to its name but a noteworthy one at that. Wholesome Pantry Organic by the ShopRite cooperative offers cupboard favorites — every one of which features the USDA certified organic label. Its delectable oils, sauces, granola, snacking nuts, juice, kombucha beverages, cheese, milk, and meat are raised, harvested, or baked using natural methods and ingredients only — no junk included. We have to hand it to ShopRite; its policy of teamwork has certainly paid off. 

H-E-B is a full-service grocery chain found in Texas that also has several dozen international locations to its name in Mexico. A large amount of the company's inventory comes from its collection of in-house brands, such as its H-E-B standard grocery line, its cookware-centered H-E-B Kitchen & Table brand, or Mia's Mirror, which offers customers an array of stylish accessories. But there is another private grocery brand (an extension of its standard H-E-B) to be found in the franchise's aisles that offers a slightly higher-quality collection of products for the more health-conscious consumer. 

H-E-B Select Ingredients is a branch off of the company's standard line that features snacks, vitamins, lunch meats, and other necessary pantry staples that are all free from problematic ingredients such as high-fructose corn syrup, artificial colors and dyes, and over 175 synthetic ingredients (such as benzoic acid, bleached flours, or sucralose, to name a few). Another pro when it comes to Select Ingredients' high-quality pita chips, cereals, or sliced turkey? The more affordable price tag — an often uncommon attribute in regard to products featuring cleaner ingredients. If you're lucky enough to live near an H-E-B, don't pass up the opportunity to give its products a go if the perfect balance between quality and cost-effectiveness is what you seek. 

There's lots to love about the Midwest, otherwise known as America's heartland. Winter sports, fried walleye sandwiches, cheese curds ... oh, and Meijer stores, of course. Meijer is a retail chain that's 276 locations strong and sprinkled across six states: Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Kentucky. Though known best for its groceries, Meijer also offers pharmacy services, sporting goods equipment, hardware, school supplies, toys, and electronics. There's not much you can't find at a Meijer store, quite frankly ... except, perhaps, food from its private brand that contains synthetic preservatives, fillers, or chemicals.

True Goodness by Meijer is a lesser-known yet high-quality food brand focusing on organic ingredients and better-health formulas. Its products range from dairy items to sweet treats to produce to canned goods to pet food. All of them are USDA organic-approved. Much of the brand's packaging features guarantees regarding each product's healthier additives or the sustainable methods behind its manufacturing. Take, for example, its organic tomato paste, which reads "steam peeled, vine to can in 24 hours," or its skipjack tuna, which includes a line and pole caught disclaimer to ensure eco-friendly fishing methods. Whichever product from True Goodness you go with, Meijer will bring caliber to your plate.

The next time you find yourself in Hawaii, soaking up the sun and brilliant sandy shorelines, pencil in a trip to one of the islands' most celebrated and exclusive grocers: Foodland Super Market. With 34 stores found in the cities of Honolulu, Kaneohe, Pearl City, and others, Foodland spreads exciting flavors, tastes, and satisfaction throughout the Hawaiian islands via its numerous celebrated grocery products. But we aren't just talking about those products produced by the most famous of name brands; we're also referring to Foodland's very own grocery creations.

Maika'i by Foodland is an in-house grocery brand aptly named for the Hawaiian flavors that inspire its numerous products and recipes. Whether it's the baked sriracha mochi snacking bites, a bag of tropical-fruit coated cashews, or a can of refreshing pure coconut water, the Maika'i brand litters Foodland's aisles with pre-packaged snacks, ready-made meals, sauces, IPAs, and more that embody the spirit of the islands they help feed. We didn't think a trip to Hawaii could sound more appealing, but Foodland has managed to do the impossible with its Maika'i brand. We're booking our tickets now. 

"Food your belly wants at a price you can stomach" reads the clever catchphrase on the Safeway website presenting its Open Nature brand. Produced by Safeway's parent company, Albertsons Companies Inc., Open Nature (which can be found in the aisles of any Albertsons banner store) focuses exclusively on creating products that are free from controversial ingredients such as ethanol, hydrogenated fats, or invert sugar. Its cauliflower crust pizzas and real fruit popsicles offer a dietary safe haven of sorts — not only for shoppers with allergies, but also for those simply striving to fill their bodies with more natural ingredients.

But another advantage offered by the Open Nature brand is its extensive line of creative and mouthwatering plant-based products. From its plant-based protein powder to its sliced mozzarella cheese alternative to its pea-based ground beef slabs, Albertsons Companies produces meat and animal-byproduct alternatives that are, quite frankly, delicious enough to make any vegan swoon. If veganism is your thing — or if you simply prefer sticking to a more plant-based diet — make sure you work some Open Nature into your meal planning this week.

Save A Lot is a discount grocery chain with over 750 stores located on the eastern half of the United States. The company's overall model (as its name suggests) centers around savings — more specifically, the guarantee that consumers will save on their grocery bill when stepping into one of its locations. One of the ways in which Save A Lot delivers on this promise is by providing shoppers with multiple discounted in-house brands ... and one of them specifically is worth a mention.

Kiggins by Save A Lot is a breakfast-centered in-house brand that puts out cereals, pre-packaged pastries, and granola bars similar in both taste and appearance to products made popular by larger name brands. Toaster Tarts, for example, mimic the ever-popular Pop-Tarts, and the company's Fruity Ringers display a striking likeness to Kellogg's Froot Loops. The Kiggins variants, however, come with a much smaller price tag than the originals, a fact that Save A Lot capitalized on during an ad campaign titled, "A Lot Alike." In this string of ads, photos of popular brand-name items were placed up against pictures of the company's in-house brand items and marked with the words: "Tastes Alike. Saves A Lot." A clever and intriguing suggestion, to be sure ... one that makes us want to head to our nearest Save A Lot and test out this money-saving claim for ourselves.

Raley's Supermarkets is a string of family-owned grocery stores located in Sacramento, California, and its self-proclaimed goal is making better food more accessible to consumers from all walks of life. Over the years, the company has acquired other stores under its banner and crafted one very high-quality in-house brand you've probably never heard of ... but should.

Nob Hill Trading Co. by Raley's is a brand that manages to bring an effortless, expensive feel to the table — without it actually being pricy. From its aged, grated Romano to its creamy, spiced vodka-infused pasta sauce to its Italian spiced blend of olives with peppers and herbs, Nob Hill promises a taste of the finer things at an affordable price. In this way, the company delivers on its promise through its very own label — and this alone feels inspiring enough to warrant giving Nob Hill Trading Co. a try. Who knows? You might just find you prefer its tasty creations to some of the bigger brands in the business.