Supermarket copycats: Designed to mislead customers

Stores have been accused of fooling shoppers by making their products look like bestsellers.

12:03 13 April 2013

Consumer champion Which? has condemned tactics being used by supermarkets in order to boost their sales. Based on the survey they conducted, it was found that some products from Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco bear an uncanny resemblance to some famous names, which manufacturers have spent millions of pounds on developing.

The research also revealed that one in five shoppers accidentally bought a supermarket version thinking it was a well-known brand. Of these, 38per cent said they were annoyed while another 30per cent felt that they were misled or fooled.

“Retailers should make sure that people are under no illusions about what they are buying and not leave so many consumers feeling that they have been misled,” said a Which? spokeswoman.

It seems there is very little that can be done about this.

British Brands group director John Noble is quoted in many media reports, saying: “Currently in the UK there is little to stop a competitor packaging its product to look like a familiar brand, whether or not the product’s performance is in any way similar.”