Brands are familiar, but often expensive. A new online retailer¹ thinks it can offer shoppers big savings² by ditching branded goods altogether.

品牌产品为顾客熟识，但往往价格也很昂贵。一家全新的在线零售商认为，他们可以通过抛弃牌子货而为顾客节省大笔开销。

Brandless launched last month with a promise to sell only "brand-free" products for just $3 an item.

上个月营业的Brandless承诺，只销售每件3美元（约合人民币20元）的“无牌”产品。

Its product range includes kitchen knives, olive oil, toilet cleaner and facial moisturizer. The items come in simple packaging with a white label containing key product information.

Brandless的产品范围包括厨房刀具、橄榄油、马桶清洁剂和面部保湿品等。这些产品包装只有简单的白色标签，上面包含了产品关键信息。

American serial³ entrepreneur Tina Sharkey developed Brandless with co-founder Ido Leffler, raising about $50 million from investors⁴ before the website launched.

已经多次创业的美国企业家蒂娜?夏基与伊多?莱夫勒获得了约5000万美元投资，联合创办了这家网站。

Sharkey says they created Brandless to help shoppers avoid the hidden costs of buying a big brand. They even trademarked the term "BrandTax" to describe those costs.

夏基称，他们成立Brandless网站是为了帮助顾客省去购买大品牌的隐性成本。他们甚至创造了“品牌税”这个术语来形容该笔费用。

Brandless sources all its products from independent manufacturers and sends them directly to distribution centers. It focuses on natural and organic items at affordable⁵ prices.

Brandless从独立厂家进购所有产品，然后直接发货到配送中心。该网站主营价格低廉的天然有机产品。

It says it can pass on the savings it makes by not having any brick-and-mortar stores.

Brandless称，他们可以将开实体店的钱省下来让利给顾客。

Brandless shipped to 48 US states in the first week of operation, said Sharkey.

夏基表示，Brandless营业第一周即向美国48个州发货。

Sharkey estimates consumers will save an average of 40% when buying Brandless products compared to top household brands of a similar quality.

据她估计，与知名品牌相比，消费者在Brandless购买同品质的产品平均将节省40%的钱。

The unbranded concept has been tried before by Japanese retailer MUJI. The name is derived⁶ from the term "Mujirushi Ryohin," which translates as "no brand, quality goods."

日本零售商无印良品已经尝试过“去品牌”的概念，其名字就来源于日文“Mujirushi Ryohin”，意思是“无品牌的优质产品”。

MUJI is now a popular brand in its own right.

无印良品以其独特之处成为一个广受欢迎的品牌。

Whether or not Brandless becomes another big name, Sharkey insists the company is doing something different.

无论Brandless是否能成为另外一个大品牌，夏基都坚称他们做的事有所不同。

"Brands still have this false narrative⁷: cartoons and animated⁸ characters that represent them, or actors on television that are riding white horses on beaches, I mean, what is that?" she said. "People want the transparency of knowing who they're doing business with."

她说：“品牌产品仍然存在这种虚假描述：用卡通形象代表产品，或者在电视上播放演员在海滩上骑白马的画面，我想说，那是什么？人们希望清楚知道卖给他们产品的是谁。”