-    Wegmans Food Markets’ “Seasoning Shak’rs” are shakable herbs and spices. Flavors include Cajun, Garlic Parmesan and Everything Bagel.

-    D&W Fresh Market’s Finest Reserve gourmet pizza sauces are imported from Italy. Varieties include Spicy Arrabbiata and Classic Napoli.

-    Costco has introduced Kirkland Signature™ Sonoma County Cabernet wine at select locations.

Shoppers are cooling off this summer with limited-time summer ice cream flavors. Kroger, for instance, has launched four limited-time selections:

- Italian Style Summer Fizz (blood orange sherbet with candy clusters)
- Fireside Nights (toasted marshmallow ice cream with s’mores bits and an orange swirl)
- Sandy Shores (coconut ice cream with sweet and salty pretzel crunch)
- Poolside Tan Lines (a blend of vanilla bean, chocolate, and coffee ice creams).
 

For the six months ending June 15, dollar sales of private label products increased 4.4% vs the same period a year ago, vs only a 1.1% gain for national brands, according to just-released six-month data from Circana and PLMA.

Private label dollar share of the market is 21.2%, which represents total store brand sales of $128 billion halfway through the year.

In unit sales, store brands posted a 0.4% increase while national brands fell 0.6%.

Private label unit share is at 23.2%. This represents growth over the last few years. Unit share was 20.5% two years ago and rose to 22.9% last year.

The biggest climbers in dollar sales for the 12 weeks ending June 15 were Refrigerated Foods (+10.6%), Frozen Foods (+ 2%) Beverages (+4 %), Pet Care (+2%) and Beauty (+ 1.6%).

In unit sales, store brands were up in eight of the nine departments over the past 52 weeks.

“I am excited to see a national grocer making it easier and more accessible for everyone to explore new, adventurous flavors and recipes, celebrating the joy of culinary exploration and fine eating.”

- Chef and TV personality Antonia Lofaso said of Albertsons’ new Chef’s Counter store brand line of marinated meats. Lofaso serves as the brand’s first ambassador. 

Pizza mashups are creating excitement in the frozen food aisle. Take cheeseburger pizza from Lowes Foods. It’s made with a mozzarella-cheddar cheese blend, hamburger meat, fire roasted tomatoes and uncured bacon - on a French fry crust!

Through mid-May, store brands held a sizable lead over national brands in YTD dollar and unit sales gains. Compared to the same period a year ago, store brand dollar sales were ahead by 4.7% and unit sales were up 0.7%, according to PLMA’s Circana Unify+ data. By comparison, national brand dollar sales rose 1.1% and unit sales fell 0.7%. Store brand market shares through mid-May were robust at 21.2% for dollars and 23.3% for units.

In the Beverages department, store brands performed particularly well. For the 52 weeks ending May 18, dollar sales in the section increased by 4.9% to $14.7 billion and unit sales moved up 4.6% to 5 billion. Store brands in the Beverages department now account for double-digit market shares in both dollar and unit sales.

Natural cheese is the #1 edible category for store brand dollar sales, generating $9.8 billion for the 52 weeks ending March 23, 2025, vs. the same period the prior year, a 3.2% increase, according to PLMA’s Circana Unify+ data.

Dairy milk is the No. 2 category for store brand dollar sales, reaching $9.3 billion in sales for the same period, a 2.5% rise.

In other dairy categories, store brand yogurt sales jumped 14.3% to $1.2 billion; and butter/butter blends increased 10% to $2.5 billion.

Alkaline water has a higher pH than tap water and has several potential health advantages, including improved hydration and better acid-base balance.  Among the many private label brands of alkaline water: BP’s Epic Goods, Aldi’s PurAqua and Safeway’s Signature Select Refreshe.

“As American shoppers become more discerning, retailers are responding by enhancing the quality of their private label ranges, striving to match the standards set by their European counterparts.”
-    Hannah Cleland, Senior Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, a data and analytics company.