Do you agree that house brands should keep prices low at all times? Discuss and support your position, by including researched evidence. All references should be cited using the APA format with the URLs provided.

Supermarkets have grown their portfolio of house brands by leaps and bounds in recent years, and more consumers are turning to them as inflation shrinks what they can buy with the same amount of money. These products marketed under a brand belonging to the respective supermarkets include NTUC FairPrice's Pasar and FairPrice brands, Dairy Farm International (parent company of Cold Storage and Giant) Retail Group's Meadows brand and Sheng Siong's Tasty Bites, Heritage Farm and Happy Family brands. FairPrice, the first in Singapore to introduce house brands in 1985, has expanded its range of house brand products by 25 per cent over the last two years. Dairy Farm International has also grown Meadows' product range by more than 10 times in the last two years. Even online retailer RedMart has increased its variety of house brand products by over 40 per cent in the same period. But are supermarkets able to match the quality of other brands while offering lower prices? SG Budget Babe writer Dawn Cher, 32, who has used "quite a few" house brands since her early 20s recalled how the house brand facial cotton she used, for example, would "disintegrate" before she was done removing her make-up. "The quality definitely does not match up," she added. When it comes to marketing and branding of house brands, FairPrice also "(does) not over-invest". For its own flavoured and UHT full-cream fresh milk, for instance, it opted for "standard packaging from the supplier". word-of- When the products were launched, FairPrice established "some (brand) communication to get the initial awareness up". After that, it relied mouth recommendations from consumers who had tried the milk, said Marcus Wong, FairPrice Group senior director. "That allows us to not have to continue spending marketing dollars on driving the sales and awareness," he added FairPrice's house brand sales have grown by 20 per cent over the past three years. But house brands may not necessarily be the cheapest products on the shelves. This is because supermarkets have responded to changing customer needs and expanded their house brand range beyond the essentials. Some products cater for segments of shoppers with more specific or sophisticated tastes. Take, for example, FairPrice's organic extra virgin coconut oil. Ultimately, consumers looking to stretch their dollar can still do so by choosing house brands of everyday items such as toilet paper, biscuits, rice and dishwashing liquid. As supermarkets' house brands evolve and expand, if the result is a wider range to choose from, "it's still a win for us". Adapted for Academic Use from: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/ - 4 Aug 2022 (retrieved on 9Apr 2023)