Big brands, too expensive? Not mine
Why do French shoppers find big brands too expensive, yet stay loyal to the ones they usually buy?
For the first wave of the nabel consumer goods tracker, we talked with 259 people who do their household’s grocery shopping, every one of them by voice, in four days.
Get the full report30 pages, in French
259voice conversations
18 minmedian length
4 daysof fieldwork
They criticise the premium while still paying for it.
61%
find big brands too expensive compared with private labels, and one in two plans to buy fewer of them within three months.
There’s nothing special about them, they don’t cook any faster, they don’t save us any time. […] It’s just the same pasta in different packaging.
Man, 18–34, south-east France
77%
say the price of the big brand they buy most is justified, including 71% of those who find the price gap unjustified in general.
Whether it’s €7 or €10, I’ll still buy it […] because I know the result I’ll get the next morning, and so I don’t get any surprises, I stick with that one.
Woman, 35–54, Île-de-France
86%vs 80%
trust private labels and big brands, respectively. They already lead in dairy, savoury groceries and frozen food.
Well, it’s… we have no choice. That’s it. […] It’s an obligation, really. It’s not a choice, it’s an obligation.
Woman, 55+, north-west France
7 of 190
mention transparency when invited to say one thing to big brands. 111 of them talk about price.
Stop taking us for fools. […] They cheat on the ingredients, on “made in France”, which isn’t actually made in France.
Woman, 35–54, north-west France
259 conversations, one bubble each.
Click a red bubble to read what that person said.Tap a red bubble to read what that person said.
What they drop, what they keep, and why
The full report goes further. 30 pages, in French:
- 01Six findings on price, private labels, loyalty and trust
- 02Shoppers’ own words, transcribed from the voice conversations
- 03Three opportunities for brands, retailers and insights teams
- 04The questionnaire outline and the methodology
Methodology · Mainland France · 18–21 Sept 2026
259 respondents, all responsible, alone or jointly, for their household’s grocery shopping. 259 voice conversations led by the nabel agent.
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