Like many people, Denise Van Outen says she “completely changed” her shopping habits when the cost-of-living crisis hit.
The actor and TV presenter admits she was once guilty of “snobbery when it comes to shopping” – but that’s now changed.
“There are now what they call ‘budget supermarkets’ and when they first came out, I remember I was a little bit of a shopping snob and I thought, ‘Oh I wouldn’t really shop in there’,” Essex-born Van Outen remembers.
“Now I will never hesitate to shop in what would be considered a budget supermarket and buy their own brand [products], and I’ve actually converted a few of my friends and family as well.”
Van Outen, 49, has been exploring how to save money on your weekly shop in a new documentary: Secrets Of The Supermarket Own Brands. It follows 2022’s Secrets Of The Middle Aisle, where she had a look at the eclectic items that can be found in the middle aisles of Aldi and Lidl.
With these shows, Van Outen has found her niche as a consumer champion, something she says is “important” to her.
“I come from a working-class family, and all my friends as well – a lot of them are struggling at the moment. So I feel really connected to the fact we really need to try and support people and help them – I do feel passionate about that.
“Most of us at the moment are trying to watch our spending,” she adds.
Own brand products are increasingly “dominating the shelves”, she notes, and the presenter found out “a few surprises” during her investigation.
“Pretty much 90% of the supermarket own brands come from the same factories as the known brands, which I think a lot of people wouldn’t be aware of,” she suggests.
“People would think they’d be compromising on quality [when buying own brands]. But actually, you’re not because a lot of the time there’s a slight tweak with the ingredients with certain produce, but generally you’re paying for the packaging and the big advertising campaigns [with known brands].”
At one point in the documentary, she gets members of the public to try two different ice creams: one that looks like it’s from a fancy brand, and another from a supermarket own brand. In reality, they’re the same ice cream – but without fail, the tasters think the branded item tastes better.
“I was standing there watching it, and I thought I’d be exactly the same,” Van Outen admits. “I’ve been guilty of it. It’s a snobbery when it comes to shopping – you think because sometimes things haven’t got fancy packaging, it’s not necessarily as good. But actually, the product inside is the same quality.”
So is there a secret to working out if an own brand is the same as the branded version?
“Have a look at the packaging – look at one of the known brands and look at the own brand,” Van Outen advises. “Look at the addresses on them… You’ll find that pretty much 90% of them are made in the same place. Which means if they’re made in the same place, there could be a slight tweak in the ingredients, but it could be something so minor your tastebuds wouldn’t even notice it.”
She’s now so committed to own brands, she’s also convinced her daughter Betsy, who she shares with former husband, actor Lee Mead.
“My daughter, for instance, she’s only 13 – she would normally go for a known make-up remover brand or a known body wash. Now she goes for the own brand, because she’s seen from what I’ve said to her: what’s the difference? Well, there isn’t any.
“So with her pocket money, if she’s buying anything she’ll go to the own brand now. Which I think is good, because she’s going to grow up shopping and being a bit more sensible, rather than spending money frivolously on something that’s just an advertising campaign, essentially.”
Van Outen has also filmed a Christmas episode on the topic – which she says is a particularly interesting time of year to consider our shopping habits.
“We might be buying because we’ve got guests coming over, and we want them to think we’re buying known brands because we think they’re better quality.
“It’s a little bit like showing off to your friends. When in fact you don’t need to – that to me was even more of an eye-opener,” she adds. “The amount of money people can save when they’re doing a Christmas shop, there’s a massive difference.”
Secrets Of The Supermarket Own Brands airs on Channel 4 on Monday, July 31 at 8pm.
