Store Brands Winning Big in Food & Beverages
Overview. With store brands growing in nearly every category, food and beverages will occupy a prominent place on the 2025 Trade Show floor. Store brands are sold in 99% of all food categories and enjoyed record sales of $145 billion in 2024, up 4.8% over the previous year. Store brand dollar sales increased in 78% of the 169 edible categories and unit sales were ahead in 69% of the sections. No wonder that thousands of buyers and visitors walking the North, South, and Sky Halls will be eager to taste, drink and experience the latest trends and innovation in store brand edibles.
Refrigerated & General Food Lead in Departmental Growth. The food business is dominated by three large departments and store brands are setting all-time highs in each of them. Refrigerated, the largest, grew 7.5% in store brands last year with $57.7 billion in sales, accounting for a 36.4% share. Second-in-size General Food was up 4.3% in store brands for $51.7 billion and an 18% share; and Frozen gained 3.3% in store brands for $21.6 billion and a 25.9% share. The story in Beverages was much the same: Store brand sales in the department improved 4% to $14.4 billion and posted a 9.9% share.
Some key edible categories and trends include:
Healthy Food & Snacks is becoming a mainstay in the American diet as nibbling throughout the day is rapidly replacing the traditional three-meal regimen, a trend especially favored by millennials and Gen Zers. Whether it’s protein-packed, low-sugar, plant-based, free-from or minimally processed, the overall healthy snack category is expected to reach more than $152 billion by 2030 as the country's youngest shoppers assert themselves fully in the marketplace.
Children’s Food & Snacks has likewise exploded with health and socially conscious parents seeking nutritious yet pleasing snacks and meals for their offspring. Store brand snacks including chips made with organic seaweed, brain-boosting veggies molded into toddler-sized puffs, organic snack bars, and clean-label drinks bursting with tropical flavors are just a few of the popular products trending with parents and kids, too.
Foodservice & Restaurant quality meals continue to be a growing category as consumers look for convenience with fast, fresh prepared, deli and upscale meal options. An uncertain economy has shoppers forgoing fast food or casual dining and satisfying their needs at their supermarket and convenience stores bypassing the skyrocketing restaurant prices. Pandemic era habits remain in force as shoppers opt to focus on meal planning, shopping and cooking at home.
Specialty & Ethnic Foods continue to expand on retail shelves as buyers keep in step with the globalization of American tastes and changing demographics. Products with international flavors and ingredients like Korean style barbecue snack mix, Thai red curry sauce, plant-based pastas, and organic frozen entrees, as well as specialty items including mushroom and truffle flavored pesto and specialty desserts are some of the wide assortment of products offered to meet shoppers’ interest.
Pet Food & Treats has seen significant growth in store brands over the past several years, fueled by sharply increasing pet ownership and innovative product development. Store brand dollar share in the overall Pet Care Department has moved up to 16.5%. Retailers in the sector have introduced an array of items like fresh and refrigerated meals, hip and joint treats for aging pets, pet-friendly bone broth, eco-conscious chews, supplements with wellness attributes as well as plant-based, cultured and organic treats for dogs, cats and other creatures big and small.
Beverages promoting overall health and wellness to all generations of consumers are trending in 2025, including those that provide functional ingredients with a plethora of benefits and elevated flavors. From fermented dairy beverages and energy boosters to RTD coffee and infused waters, retailers are looking for all types of innovative, health-forward drinkables for their store brands program.
Wines & Spirits – including alcohol-free – is growing in popularity among adult consumers and increasingly in demand not only at traditional retail outlets but also club and warehouse stores, discounters and convenience stores.