Supermarkets mimicking brands is nothing new. Sometimes there’s a fuss, as with Colin the Caterpillar’s doppelgänger Cuthbert at Aldi, the cake-based equivalent of a knock-off Hèrmes handbag. Sometimes there’s a moral issue, such as the ruckus over Lidl’s Way to Go chocolate bar, with its spookily similar branding to the Fairtrade bar from Tony’s Chocolonely. Lidl says it has high sourcing standards too, but critics have questioned if aping an ethical scheme is a step too far.
Mostly, though, copycats are just a way for the supermarkets to discreetly, or blatantly, let us know which brands their own-label product has been formulated to replace in your kitchen cupboard. Infuriating for those big brands, sure, but helpful for shoppers navigating the aisles. And many of the supermarket dupes can be just as good, or even better, than the original, at a fraction of the price.