Millions of shoppers saving by opting for cheaper brands

Almost three out of four of those sampled now opt for standard supermarket-own labels, up from just a quarter in August 2008, according to research.

MSE investigations have shown that dropping one brand level can save you up to 33% from the price of your typical shop. On a £100 weekly spend, that's a £1,700 annual saving (see the Cheap Supermarket Shopping guide).

Supermarkets tend to have four brand levels, ranked below from cheapest to most expensive:

• Supermarket value or basics – the mega-cheap products in basic packaging.

• Supermarket-own – the standard supermarket brands.

• Mainstream brands – such as Kellogg's or Flora.

• Supermarket premium brands – often the most expensive, eg, Finest and Taste the Difference.

There is often little difference between mainstream brands and supermarket-own produce.

While dropping one brand level on your regular shop can save you 33%, typically, not everyone sticks religiously to that system. Downshifting is about trying a new brand to see if you like it.

Even if you only eventually drop one level on half of your shop, in the long-run, you'll save just under 17%, which is £850 on a £100-a-week shop.

It's not just downshifting which is on the rise. The research from price comparison site uSwitch.com also reveals 74% regularly use money-off coupons, compared with only 26% last year.

Archna Luthra, MoneySavingExpert.com consumer products analyst, says: "As well as downshifting to save hundreds, shoppers should snap up discounts, codes and vouchers. New online customers can currently get £10 off at Tesco.com or 15% off Ocado."

Further reading/Key links

Cheap shopping: www.moneysavingexpert.com/supermarketshopping