NEW YORK — More than one-third (37%) of those who turned to private labels during the economic downturn will continue to purchase them once the economy recovers, according to BrandSpark's 2010 Best New Products Awards American Grocery Shopper Study. It was conducted between Oct. 12 and Dec. 8 with more than 50,000 grocery shoppers.

The poll found that the majority of shoppers "completely agree" or "agree" that "private labels are usually extremely good value for the money" (66%) and "private labels are just as good as brand name products" (59%).

"Private label's strength is holding," said Robert Levy, president of BrandSparks while presenting the findings here Tuesday. "It's not just about price. People have a very strong sense of agreement that they provide good value for the money."

But they're not for everyone. Thirty-six percent of shoppers consider themselves loyal to national brands. BrandSpark gauged shoppers’ opinions about 135 new products. Respondents indicated how likely they were to recommend each of the brands to their friends.

Those scoring most favorably were Yoplait Smoothie, Johnson’s Baby Bubble Bath & Wash and Olay Professional Pro-X Intensive Wrinkle Protocol. These items and 39 others earned the right to bear the 2010 Best New Product designation, which includes the Better Homes and Gardens logo.

A portion of the survey sample was sourced from the magazine's online shopper panels.

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