The Food Marketing Institute recently published Power of Private Brands, 2023 documenting support for private (house) brands among consumers.  The study showed that 95 percent of shoppers buy private label products at least occasionally and almost half purchase store brand items most or all of the time.  Approximately 60 percent of shoppers purchased more store brands in 2023.

 Inflation in grocery prices is a key motivator and consumers now regard similar-packed private brand products as equal in quality to national brands, especially among canned and packaged items.  Many consumers select grocery chains on the basis of availability of high-quality private brands.

The FMI report stated, “Price remains an important purchase driver, but shoppers’ decisions on private brands go beyond the dollar value”.  The report noted, “It will be important for the food industry to further drive trials of private brands, convert more shoppers as frequent buyers and understand changing notions of value among consumers”.