Dollar store brands

[bcla]

I've been trying to save money at Dollar Tree, and of course they seem to have a lot of stuff labeled as imported/marketed by Greenbrier International. However, I noticed some ice cream cones priced at the usual $1 for a package of 12. The name on the box is unfamiliar, but is in Hermitage, Pennsylvania - just like the Joy Cone Company. So I buy it, and the internal packaging is identical to what I've seen from Joy Cone.

I've seen this kind of marketing before. When I used to wear contact lenses, there were these so-called "house brands" for a major contact lens maker, but where the brands had these weird names and the packaging listed some strange company name with the identical address. My eye doc told me they were identical and that she could confidently prescribe the major brand name if I wanted to shop elsewhere. They were BioMedics 38, but I was sold the UltraFlex 38 brand. Heck - during the fitting the sample sense carried the brand name, and once I got a replacement when I tore a lens.

http://www.reddit.com/r/optometry/comments/2esp3o/americas_best_contact_and_glasses_uses_sneaky/

 

[cabanafrau]

Grocery store brands have been known to be made by the major companies for years. Most forced air furnace and air conditioning units are made by less than a handful of companies.

 

[bcla]

Grocery store brands have been known to be made by the major companies for years. Most forced air furnace and air conditioning units are made by less than a handful of companies.

I know house brands are one thing, but they're generally pretty clear about being marketed by the retailer and with little explanation of the supplier. I'm also familiar with some companies that have a portfolio of different brands. However, in this case I'm noticing a specific brand that looks like it was created just for dollar stores. It doesn't even look like a different product. I think they might call it "differentiated marketing" using what sounds like a different brand name to protect the major brand.

 

[barkley]

I know house brands are one thing, but they're generally pretty clear about being marketed by the retailer and with little explanation of the supplier. I'm also familiar with some companies that have a portfolio of different brands. However, in this case I'm noticing a specific brand that looks like it was created just for dollar stores. It doesn't even look like a different product. I think they might call it "differentiated marketing" using what sounds like a different brand name to protect the major brand.

I know what you're talking about-identical items but can be wildly different pricing b/c of how it's packaged for a particular retailer. it's like schwan's products-for years people paid much higher prices for 'schwan's' frozen pizzas when they were the same pizzas being sold for much less w/different packaging by red baron. companies have done it for years-I worked in the 80's for a high end napa valley "inn and spa" where we sold edibles and other products at outrageous prices just b/c they had labeling specific to the inn-those of us that worked there knew that the stuff was manufactured and sold to the local grocery stores under a different packaging and sold for a fraction of the cost. same thing w/furniture-during college I worked for a smallish regional chain of furniture stores, and people would come in wanting to buy something reasonably priced but similar or "like" the 'exclusive breuners' bedroom or dining room set they had seen at the high priced local breuners. no problem for us-while breuners had an exclusive contract w/certain furniture companies that wouldn't allow those companies to sell the identical items to other stores w/in a so many mile radius of a breuner's store we had stores outside that radius. we would call one up and tell them which item the customer had their heart set on, find out what it was being marketed/branded as outside of breuners-and the customer could buy it through our other store at a fraction of the cost-IDENTICAL FURNITURE.


I like using the dollar stores as well-but it just surprises me how many actual brand name items (same packaging/same size) for a fraction of the price I would have to pay elsewhere (prime examples-spick and span as well as awesome orange brand spray cleaner). granted they have bulk buying power but so does walmart but they can't come close to only charging $1 per unit.

 

[bcla]

I like using the dollar stores as well-but it just surprises me how many actual brand name items (same packaging/same size) for a fraction of the price I would have to pay elsewhere (prime examples-spick and span as well as awesome orange brand spray cleaner). granted they have bulk buying power but so does walmart but they can't come close to only charging $1 per unit.

It's certainly kind of fun seeing what they have. Some of the stuff is even well know brands where the $1 price is simply better than anywhere else. We saw a 3-pack of Pop Rocks at a museum store (not sure why they had it) for $3.99. Same item was at Dollar Tree for guess how much? Their selection of Pez dispensers is limited (and somehow they're only packaged with one pack of candy) but for a dollar that's not bad. The ice cream cone was just odd though. I looked at the label and could pretty much tell it was just a brand-name with a different label. They even made up a company name just to hide it.

I know I've gotten in trouble for mentioning the W word, but frankly some items are sold at about $1 or even less - like theater-style box candy.

 

[Jaya]

I frequently shop at Dollar Tree and usually can get stuff there for cheaper than WM. I have found on occasion, that I'll buy, say, a can of corn for $1 at Dollar Tree and go next door to WM, where it'll be 88 cents. Go figure. I've finally been able to figure out what is a good buy and what isn't.

 

[kidshop]

The frozen soft pretzels at dollar tree are made by j&j, says so right in the box. Can't beat $1 for 6!

 

[bcla]

I bought another box and had a look at the label (have it with me now). It says "SAFE-T PACIFIC CONE COMPANY, HERMITAGE, PENNSYLVANIA 16148". The brand is "George & Tom". So I found this regarding the "company":

http://www.companies-pennsylvania.com/safe-t-pacific-cone-company-18dzo/

And this really sheds light on the name. The company was a once-proud local maker (based in Redwood City, California) of ice cream cones and a distributor of drinking straws. I remember these from my childhood.

http://scoopy.anastrophe.com

Richardson Foods Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Quaker Oats Company, sold the assets of its Safe-T Pacific Division to Joy Cone Company​

So apparently Joy Cone bought the name and used it basically as a shell to nominally hide the parent company for different distribution channels. I also found a listing for the cones I bought from the closeout retailer BigLots and the chain Fresh and Easy. So it's not an exclusive brand just for Dollar Tree.

http://www.biglots.com/p/george-and-toms-ice-cream-cones
http://shop.freshandeasy.com/george-tom-s-ice-cream-sugar-cones-12-count-5-oz.html