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I do understand that HEB made the decision to market and sell brand specific HEB products thus creating what I will call a monopoly. They did warn us.
Pushing out competitors means we as consumers have lesser choices. This leads me to believe that HEB benefits on multiple levels as the manufacturer, producer and deliverer of our consumables. Pushing out the competition allows for price fixing. One would think that by cutting out multiple levels of production should offer buyers additional savings. Instead since 2020, product packaging has gotten smaller and smaller while the price stays the same or goes up. Quality in my opinion has also decreased. Here are a few examples: 1) HEB Brand Half and Half. - to me has more milk than cream, texture and consistency has changed. 2) HEB Hill Country Fare Green Beans - quality is the same as other brands, however the amount does not match the can label amount. I opened a can of Del Monte French Style Green Beans and a can of the Hill County Fare - both same size cans. Del Monte's can filled almost to the top. HEB brand - about 1/2 the can was filled with green beans and mostly water. Before you shake your head, I do know that contents of cans can shift and settle. This argument doesn't hold due to cans are brought to the store the same way. 3) Kraft Cheddar Cheese compared to HEB's brand of Cheddar Cheese - taste for taste (I know this is subjective by person) but to me Kraft's taste is much better. Ingredients are different too Sorry don't know enough to say what's okay ingredients wise on this product to say if something is right or wrong.
Bottom line I don't like that my choices have been taken away. I'm not happy about the quality of HEB's product. Prices for HEB brand products are so high and I wish that HEB allow for other brands to come back to the store. I am a firm believer in capitalism but not to this extreme. Gouging comes to mind. Last thing... I especially don't like that HEB stores price fix based on zip code/location. I really wish our State Attorney General would do something about this... and have you seen the price of 1 lb of butter? Unreal right. Let that sink in.
Recommendation: When you have a choice, frequent a competitor grocery provider. It will be the only way for HEB to stop the EXTREME capitalizing. Good luck finding a grocery store competitor south of Waco Texas.
You should publicly expose your personal experience to create awareness. Look for an opportunity to report formal complaints to the attorney general so as to put down price fixing and any other related anti-competitive conduct. To evidence pricing disparities, always make sure you document them. Anytime possible, support local options that can help cut down reliance on HEB.