Imitation is the sincerest form of competition

Kellogg's Special K Fruit Crisps and President's Choice Crispy Snacks, No Frills, Vancouver, BC

Before President's Choice, grocery store house brand products were pretty horrible. Cheap and generally tasteless. But Dave Nicol and Loblaw's changed that with the introduction of President's Choice in the mid 1980s.

But if you are competing for the consumer's attention, and wallet, on the crowded shelves of today's grocery stores you have to ensure that the consumer knows what you are offering.

As a result it is not surprising that many of the private label products from firms such as Loblaw's and Shoppers Drug Mart closely resemble the national brands that they are competing with.