Low Price and Quality Beat Brand Across Categories

Low price and quality beat out a product's brand in purchasing decisions of U.S. consumers across the categories food, personal care and apparel. In a recent survey by Statista Consumer Insights published in the Statista Consumer Reality Update 2026, between 43 percent and 61 percent of respondents said that low price and quality were important factors in their purchasing decisions for these categories. Only 27 percent to 40 percent said brand was an important factor.

Brand consciousness was highest for cosmetics, followed by apparel and food. Low price was most important to consumers in both the apparel and food categories, while quality mattered most for clothing, shoes and accessories.

While not all three aspects were surveyed for electronics, the results nevertheless hint at the fact that this category functions differently. For PC/laptops, smartphones and TV/hi-fi sets, brand led low price by a large margin. While 25 percent to 51 percent in the U.S. said brand was important for these categories, only 21 percent to 33 percent said the same about low price. Interestingly, the categories of cars follows the first logic, with low price and quality leading at 46 percent and 44 percent, respectively, followed by preferred make at just 22 percent.