Listen to the article
Dive Brief:
Private label product sales in the United States rose 3.3% last year compared with 2024 to a record $282.8 billion, according to Circana statistics released Tuesday by the Private Label Manufacturers Association.
Private label sales grew nearly three times as quickly in 2025 as sales of national brands, which rose 1.2%, PLMA said.
The data reflects strong and ongoing shopper and retailer interest in store-brand goods as affordability concerns continue to grip consumers.
Dive Insight:
Store-brand sales were up across multiple categories in 2025, building on a year-over-year gain of nearly 4% recorded in 2024.
The refrigerated department led all categories in store-brand dollar sales last year, recording an increase of over 6%. Beverages came in at No. 2, with a nearly 5% increase, followed by pet care (3.7%), beauty (2.8%), frozen (2.4%), general food (1.6%) and general merchandise (0.9%).
“Private label growth reflects a shift in consumer priorities, as retailer-owned brands increasingly compete — and win — on value, quality, health, and sustainability, not just price,” PLMA President Peggy Davies said in a statement.
Volumes were also up among private label goods in 2025, rising by approximately half a percent, or about 430 million units, to a record 68.7 billion, PLMA said. By contrast, national brand units declined by 0.6% last year, according to the trade group.
Pet care products led the way among private label products last year, as unit sales for the category rose 5.4%, followed by liquor (4.4%), beverages (2.3%), refrigerated (0.7%) and general food (0.2%).
Over the past five years, private label sales increased by more than 30%, and dollar share grew from 19.1% to 21.3%. Annual unit sales of store-brand products moved up over 4% during the same period, with unit share rising nearly 2 percentage points to 23.5%.
Private label goods have grown in appeal to consumers as inflation and other economic concerns have pervaded the economy, with even higher-income shoppers becoming more price sensitive. In an example of that, consumers with household incomes over $100,000 have become more likely to buy private label groceries despite feeling increasingly confident about their financial security, management consulting firm Alvarez & Marsal found in a survey last year.
