"of course there's little difference in many cases but some people would rather pay a little more now for a lot more choice in the future."
I agree with that in part. Pick Consumer Heallth Care products...lotions and potions. Paying a 'little more'(if fact, a lot more) stifles the choice. Take fish oil. They all gouge the same amount unless a product is on sale...hence their isn't any choice...a different name but the same damage to your bank balance. Why would someone change or try other brands if the money result is the same? Pills are about active ingredients and not taste...though the fish oil market is rife with meaning less odourless/tasteless marketing. It's fish oil...a very slight fish taste(when you burp) isn't worth a premium price...next we'll have tasteless garlic...lol
The if one bothers to read labels you find that Nature's Own and Cenovis are not a real choice. Nature's Own is very reasonably priced but Cenovis is premium...yet...sanfo aventis owns both. I didn't bother to compare Blackmore's owners with Nature' Way or Swisse(over rated, imo) etc. The obvious choice is to buy Coles brand @3c per capsule and leave the 7/10c per capsule gougers to go belly up for all I care. Coles is made in Australia(I gather with an imported product)...the others claimed Aust owned(so they're using an import, most likely).
Buying brand names to 'hold off' a 'total domination' of our shelves is label deep. If something is Produce of Australia AND Australian owned then that's hard to argue with and I would pay a premium, within reason, but not an outright gouge.
