In a challenging retail environment where American consumers are carefully scrutinizing their grocery purchases, store brands well outperformed national brands in unit sales over the first nine months of the year by a full percentage point - up 0.2% for store brands vs down 0.8% for national brands.
Store brand unit sales increased in five of the nine reporting periods so far this year, according to Circana, PLMA's exclusive provider of sales data, and outpaced national brands in seven of the nine. As a result of its steady yearlong results, store brand unit share has risen to 23.6%, a new record.
Store brands were also in the black in dollar sales for the nine-month period ending September 9, ahead by 0.1% while national brands were up 2%. Store brand dollar share came in at 21%.
In product departments monitored for PLMA by Circana, Beverages was the leader in store brand dollar sales gains over the 52 weeks ending September 6, increasing by 5%, followed by Pet Care, + 2.9%; Frozen +2.4%; Auto, +2.2%; General Food and General Merchandise, both +1.9%; Beauty, +0.7%, and Household Essentials, +0.4%. In departmental store brand unit sales gains, Pet Care was first in line, up 3.8%, then Beverages, +1.9%, and Refrigerated, +1.8%.