The trend: Private labels stole share from national brands throughout 2025, continuing gains from the last few years.

• Store brand unit sales grew 0.3% YoY in the first 10 months of the year, while national brands sales fell 0.7%, according to the Private Label Manufacturers Association, or PLMA.
• Store brands sales rose 3.7% YoY through the first 10 months of 2025, significantly outpacing the 1.1% growth of national brands.
• PLMA expects store brand revenues in the US will approach $280 billion by year-end, which would be a record high.

Why is this happening? The private-label boom began during the pandemic, when supply-chain disruptions and stockouts pushed shoppers to look beyond their preferred brands and try store-owned alternatives. The trend accelerated as inflation surged, prompting more consumers to trade down to lower-priced private label options.

• With tariffs pushing prices higher this year and a deepening cost-of-living crisis squeezing budgets, consumers are actively seeking ways to save, creating more openings for store brands.
• At the same time, retailers are rolling out more innovative, differentiated offerings that serve specialized needs—and they can typically bring new products to market faster than national brands.
• As private-label quality has improved, consumers increasingly see store brands as comparable to—or even better than—national brands.
• With shoppers laser-focused on price, grocers such as Albertsons are racing to expand their private-label assortments, with many rolling out niche offerings. Albertsons rolled out a line of ready-to-use herb blends under its O Organics brand that incorporate flavors associated with regions such as Asia (lemongrass, chives and cilantro) and the Mediterranean (oregano, dill, parsley and mint), and are refrigerated so they don’t quickly spoil.

Our take: Once consumers switch to private labels, national brands face an uphill battle to win them back. Many store brands deliver strong value by offering high-quality products at lower price points, resetting what shoppers expect for the money. As more consumers gravitate to private-label staples, national brands face a twin challenge: justifying their price premium and proving they offer truly distinctive products. That’s why manufacturers like Kraft Heinz are rolling out novel, limited-edition releases—like apple pie–flavored Kraft Mac & Cheese—to spark interest.

But those tactics are unlikely to move the market share needle. Retailers have every incentive to keep pushing store brands because they deliver higher margins and stronger loyalty. That dynamic makes private labels sticky, and the longer consumers stay switched, the harder it becomes for national brands to reclaim lost ground.

Go further: Read our Private Label Brands 2025 report.