"PLMA’s 2025 Private Label Report" details another year of record-setting sales results for the store brands industry. Shares of both units and dollars set new records, and annual store brand sales reached $271 billion, an increase of $9 billion from 2023. The annual report reveals store brand and national brand sales in departments as well as top unit and dollar sales for select categories.

Store brand sales last year increased 4x that of national brands, surging 3.9%, vs a gain of 1% for national brands. In unit sales, store brands advanced 2.3% while national brands fell 0.6%.

Click here to view "PLMA's 2025 Private Label Report."

What’s more, store brands continue to outpace national brands this year.

Store brand dollar sales in the U.S. gained 6.1%, while unit sales rose 2.1%, compared to national brands, which were up 1.8% in dollars and down 0.1% in units, from December 30, 2024, to Jan 26, 2025, vs. the same period a year ago, according to PLMA’s Circana Unify+ sales data.

Store brand market shares for January increased to 21.8% for dollars and 24.2% for units, reflecting the products' superior performance vs national brands.

PLMA has announced the winners of its first International Private Label Packaging Awards.

Conducted as part of PLMA’s prestigious Salute to Excellence Awards program, nine awards were presented in five categories: Best Packaging Design, Best Sustainable Packaging, Best Convenience Packaging, Best Performance Excellence and Best Innovation in Packaging.

The winners were chosen from 200 entries, spanning from individual products to entire ranges. Entries were evaluated by a panel of experts in design, sales, marketing, and sustainability. Products were judged based on aesthetics, consumer engagement, clarity of message, boldness, innovation and brand identity.

“The judging process was both dynamic and insightful, providing valuable perspectives on the evolving landscape of packaging,” PLMA President Peggy Davies said.

Special offers, discounts, or promotions are the top motivator (34%) for purchasing frozen products, followed by curiosity about new flavors (28%) and recommendations (28%), according to a study by The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association. The research, conducted in partnership with Morning Consult, surveyed 2,200 U.S. adults and analyzed behaviors and purchase motivators.

Meanwhile, in the dairy category, hormone-free and antibiotic-free attributes are in demand, with 62% of respondents highlighting their importance when selecting dairy products. In contrast, only 47% emphasized the importance of organic labeling.

Health benefits such as probiotics and high protein content are a leading motivator for trying new dairy products (33%), followed by discounts (29%) and personal recommendations (28%).

In other findings, over half (52%) of consumers explore new recipes to add variety, often finding inspiration from online recipe websites (42%) and social media platforms (40%).

Additionally, consumers expressed interest in grocery stores enhancing meal inspiration with sections featuring ready-to-eat ideas (71%) and themed recipe displays (62%).

Regenerative food production is a farming method that is said to rebuild soil health, increase carbon capture, improve water efficiency, and promote biodiversity.

Among other examples of groceries produced by this method, New Seasons Market sells private label hot dogs made with regeneratively raised, grass-fed beef from Carman Ranch, Wallowa, Ore.

“Right now, O Organics mandarin oranges are on my table every day. They are fresh little nuggets of flavor that just burst when you bite them.”

- Michael Conner, Own Brands Sales Manager, Albertsons, Intermountain Division, as quoted on LinkedIn about his favorite private label item. The post celebrated National Store Brands Month in January.

Private label sales rose 3.9% in 2024 to record $271 billion. Watch our news report on full-year sales data and departments to watch.

$388 billion

Projected U.S. online grocery sales by 2027, or nearly 25% market penetration, according to a report by FMI—The Food Industry Association and NielsenIQ (NIQ).

• Rouses Markets, Thibodaux, La., has its own brand of bayou dipping sauce, available in regular and spicy.
• Heinen’s, Warrensville Heights, Ohio, has a wide assortment of store brand hummus, including Pesto, Pine Nut, Everything and Chocolate.
• Stewart’s Shops, Saratoga Springs, N.Y., has teamed with craft brewer Paradox Brewery to reintroduce private label Mountain Brew beer. Five years after brewing its last batch, Mountain Brew is returning to Stewart’s this month with a new recipe and a taller 19.2-ounce can.