[Eric]

I think it matters which "house brand" you choose. In Canada, one of the major grocery chains, Loblaws, has its own brands called President's Choice. They are cheaper than brand names, and are often rated better by consumer groups. But a lot of others are just junk. If it doesn't really matter, for example in the case of ketchup, which you are just going to dump on your fries, what the brand is as long as it is red, and tastes vaguely like tomatoes.