Just over half of supermarket shoppers say Coles and Woolworths stock the brands they want, although this percentage has declined over the past two years, according to Roy Morgan.

The researcher says 56 per cent of Woolworths shoppers say the supermarket carries the brands they want, seven per cent below the store’s peak in October 2011.

Coles has fallen even further over the period, down nine per cent since June 2011.

Less than half of IGA’s customers at 48 per cent say the chain stocks the brands they want, considerably ahead of those shopping at Aldi (29 per cent).

Geoffrey Smith, GM consumer products at Roy Morgan Research, said that over the last few years, an increasing number of well known brands have been replaced on supermarket shelves with store’s own home brand, and it appears shoppers are noticing this.

“With packaging and quality of inhouse products now increasingly on par with traditional brands, the line between retailer and marketer is blurring,” said Smith.

“Aldi stores carry products that are mostly home brands with a sprinkling of market leading brands in selected categories. Their shoppers have always been more likely to seek out their favourite brands in addition to their Aldi purchases. The surprise is that Coles, Woolworths and IGA stores, with their much larger product range, are not perceived by more of their customers as having the brands they want.

“As retailers and marketers continue to review and justify each brand’s shelf space, the need to understand customer preferences and potential opportunities has never been greater,” he said.