Private Label Sales Grow In Q1

The sales momentum private label products experienced in 2024 continued into the first quarter of 2025, according to the Private Label Manufacturers Association, which shared data provided by Circana Unify+.

Store brand dollar sales were up 5%, and unit sales rose 0.9% during the first quarter ending March 23. Over the same period, national brand product sales were up 0.8% in dollars and down 1.1% in units. Figures are comparable to the first quarter of 2024. 

Store brand market share for the quarter was 21.5% for dollars and 23.7% for units.

Ten food and nonfood departments experienced store brand sales growth for 52 weeks ending March 23. Refrigerated products were up 11.5%, followed by Beverages (+4.7%) and Frozen (+3.5%). Nine store brand departments also increased in unit sales. Top gainers were Beverages (+4.6%), Pet Care (+3.8%), and Home Care (+3.5%).

For the same 52-week period, in dollar sales, refrigerated was the top category at $59.8 billion, followed by General Food ($52 billion), General Merchandise ($25.5 billion), and Frozen ($21.8 billion). In store brand unit sales, General Food set the pace at 19.8 billion, with Refrigerated (15 billion), Beverages (5 billion), General Merchandise (4.9 billion), and Frozen (4.6 billion) rounding out the top five.

The solid first quarter follows 2024 when private label sales hit a record high of $271 billion in sales, up $9 billion or 3.9% over 2023. Sales of national brand products in 2024 were up 1%. 

In the prior four years, annual store brand dollar sales increased by more than $51 billion, a 23.6% gain. Additionally, since 2021, store brand unit sales rose 2.3%, while national brands fell 6.8%.