NEW YORK — A strong majority of U.S. supermarket shoppers will continue purchasing store-brand products after the recession is over, according to a poll conducted this month by GfK Custom Research North America for the Private Label Manufacturers Association.

According to the research, 91% of shoppers will keep buying store-brand products after the recession ends. Conversely, only 8% said they will stop buying these products.

The quality of store-brand products is a big factor in convincing shoppers to keep buying them. The poll found that nine of every 10 shoppers agree that the store-brand products they buy are just as good as, or better than, national-brand products. This positive experience makes shoppers eager for an even greater assortment of store brand products from which to choose.

Nearly half of consumers polled said they wanted their supermarket to carry a greater assortment of private labels.

Among other results:

• Nearly three-fourths (74%) say the recession is an important factor in their decision-making.

• Well into the recession, shoppers are still switching to store brands. The poll found that 35% of shoppers are trying store-brand products in categories where they had previously only purchased national-brand items.

• More than three of every 10 shoppers say they are now buying more store-brand products than they were a year ago.

Called “Store Brands and the Recession,” the study is based on GfK’s nationwide poll of nearly 800 main household grocery shoppers. This research was co-sponsored by Marketing Management Inc., Fort Worth, Texas, a sales and marketing company that specializes in store brands.

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