Private Label
Private Label Sales Surpass National Brands for 30th Consecutive Month
Private Label Sales Growth Leads for 30th Straight Month
Private label sales growth continues to dominate the retail landscape, outperforming national brands for the 30th consecutive month. Shoppers are clearly choosing store brands more often, pushing sales and market share steadily higher.
Store Brands Outpace National Competitors
During Q1 2025, private label dollar sales rose 5%, while unit sales increased 0.9%, according to Circana. In contrast, national brands only saw a 0.8% bump in dollar sales and a 1.1% decline in units sold. This continued shift underscores private label sales growth as a lasting trend rather than a temporary spike.
Market Share and Category Standouts
Private label now holds 21.5% of total dollar share and 23.7% of unit share. Food categories especially fuel this growth. Over the past 52 weeks, Refrigerated items led with an 11.5% sales jump, followed by Beverages and Frozen foods. Beverages also saw the largest unit increase at 4.6%, along with Pet and Home Care items.
Historic Highs and Record Performance
PLMA’s 2025 Private Label Report confirms last year was the best ever for store brands. From January through December 2024, private label sales hit $271 billion. Market share reached record highs with 20.7% in dollars and 23.1% in units. Even more impressively, private labels grew nearly four times faster than national brands.
What’s Driving Consumer Choice?
Value, quality, and variety continue to fuel the private label surge. Consumers trust store brands and often prefer them over premium-priced national products. Retailers also boost these items with strategic placement and ongoing innovation, keeping demand high.