PLMA News

First-Half 2025 Private Label Report: Sales Rise 4.4% in All Retail Outlets

NEW YORK (July 22, 2025) - For the six months ending June 15, private label dollar sales increased 4.4% in all outlets vs the same period last year, compared to an only 1.1% gain for national brands, according to Circana data provided exclusively to PLMA. In unit sales, store brands posted a 0.4% increase, while national brands fell 0.6%.

“It’s exciting to see store brands continue on a strong trajectory this year,” said PLMA President Peggy Davies. “Shoppers are clearly recognizing the unbeatable combination of quality, value, and innovation that store brands bring to the table.”

Overall, store brand market share for the first half of the year increased to 21.2% for dollars and 23.2% for units, both all-time highs.

Looking at departments, store brand dollar sales for the 52 weeks ending June 15 increased in seven of nine sections, led by Refrigerated, which was up 13%, followed by Beverages, (+4.8%), Frozen (+3.8%), General Food (+2.5%), Pet Care (+2%), Home Care (+1.4%), and Beauty (+1.1%). General Merchandise (-0.4%) and Health (-0.1%) were down.

In unit sales, store brands were ahead in all but one department, with Beverages (+4.2%) showing the way, followed by Home Care (+3.4%), Pet Care (+3.3%), Frozen (+2.1%), Refrigerated (+1.3%), General Food (+1.2%), Beauty (+0.4%), and Health (+0.3%). Only General Merchandise (-2.5%) was off.

PLMA projects total store brand sales for 2025 will approach $277 billion; in 2024, the figure was $271 billion, a record.

“Now is the time to lean in,” Davies said, adding that PLMA strongly encourages participation in PLMA’s Private Label Trade Show in November, as well as its online and in-person programs - like PLMA Live! presents Lunch and Learn, the Executive Education curriculum, and its unique Mastering Enterprise Sales program. Registration is now open for Executive Education and Mastering Enterprise Sales. Registration will open soon for PLMA's Meet the Retailers online speaker series. In October, speakers include Subject Matter Experts from AWG, Misfits Market and Thrive Market, with more to come.

“And with Store Brands Month coming again this January and the 2026 Leadership Conference in Bentonville on the horizon, the opportunities to connect, learn, and lead have never been more essential,” Davies said.

CLICK HERE to watch the PLMA Live! news report about First Half 2025 sales trends.

About PLMA

The Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA) is a non-profit trade organization founded in 1979 to promote the store brands industry. With executive offices in New York and International Council offices in Amsterdam, PLMA represents more than 5,200 member companies worldwide. In addition to the Annual Private Label Trade Show in Chicago and World of Private Label International Trade Show in Amsterdam, PLMA provides annual conferences, executive education and professional development opportunities. An advocate for the industry, PLMA created Store Brands Month, a nationwide collaboration of retailers, wholesalers, and private label suppliers, promoting store brand products to the country's grocery shoppers. The month-long event focuses on increasing consumer attention to the quality, value and innovation of store brand products across all categories within brick and mortar and online retail formats. For more information, visit plma.com, plmainternational.com, and follow PLMA:

PLMA's 2023 Trade Show to Hail 'The Store Brands Phenomenon'

The largest event for store brands in North America is set for November 12-14 in Chicago

NEW YORK (April 24, 2023) - At a time when store brands have grown to become a $230 billion industry in the U.S., PLMA has announced a fitting theme for its 2023 Private Label Trade Show: “The Store Brands Phenomenon.”

The show will be held November 12-14 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Chicago.

"'The Store Brands Phenomenon' theme is appropriate in many ways," said PLMA President Peggy Davies. "Hailed as dynamic, innovative and pervasive, store brands offer boundless opportunities for retailers, manufacturers and trade suppliers."

The growth of store brands has been strong and steady. By the end of 2022, PLMA calculates that annual store brand sales had increased by 40% over a five-year period. Last year's double-digit gains continued through the first quarter of 2023, according to Circana. Sales and dollar and unit market shares are at all-time highs.

They are the shopper’s best friend, offering innovation, performance and quality. Store brands accounted for nearly one-third of all new sales flowing into U.S. retailing last year.

And there's more to come. Every day, store brand products are moving into new categories, new chains, new channels, and new platforms.

“Store brands are a powerful retailer component that provides important points of differentiation, competitive advantage and builds consumer loyalty," added Davies.

The 2023 Private Label Trade Show will reflect this expansion. PLMA expects that over 1,500 companies will be exhibiting and 5,000 individuals attending.

"For more than 40 years, PLMA has provided supermarkets, supercenters, drug chains, wholesale clubs, dollar and specialty stores, mass merchandisers, importers and exporters, and e-commerce retailers an exclusive venue to discover the latest food and non-food products, ingredients, flavors, fragrances, and packaging,” Davies said.

For more information on "The Store Brands Phenomenon" trade show, contact PLMA at +1 212 972-3131, email info@plma.com or click here for more information.

About PLMA

Store Brand Beverage Numbers Deserve a Toast!

Featured in PLMA’s e-Scanner March 25, 2023 newsletter, created by Tom Prendergast, Director, Research Services

Throughout store brands' steady double-digit gains of 2022, which has continued through the first two months of this year, fully 16 of the 17 departments tracked by IRI showed store brand improvement.

One department demonstrated particularly strong sales performance -- Beverages -- a section once considered impenetrable for store brands due to the powerhouse national brands that inhabit it.

But that dominance may be changing. In this extremely competitive department, store brands have been growing at a faster pace than brands for the past 4, 12 and 52 weeks, reported IRI Unify exclusively to PLMA.

The numbers deserve a toast. Total private label beverage sales in 2022 were $12 billion and dollar sales grew by 19.3%. Double digit growth continued into the new year as dollar sales over the past four weeks totaled 18.6%, only a slight dip from the 20% sales growth in the past three months.

The Beverages department is the third largest of the 17 tracked by IRI when it comes to national brand and store brand dollar sales ($130B) and second largest in unit sales with over 40 billion in sales.

The largest category in beverages is bottled water. The category has sales of $6.8 billion in 2022 and dollar sales growth of 23.1%. While dollar sales did slow, from 21.3% over 12 weeks to 20.3% in the past four weeks, it remains the largest dollar sales category in the department.

Water is not the only growth category in this department. When you take a closer look at other areas you see while not everyone is showing growth but the ones gaining sales are especially strong.

For instance, carbonated beverages have increased from 15.8%-dollar sales growth last year to 32.4% in February and 28.9% over the past three months. This growth is also reflected in unit sales, as sales for carbonated beverages grew 4% in the past 4 weeks and 1.2% over the past 12 weeks. While unit sales did dip 2.5% last year, like dollar sales, sales of units of carbonated beverages continued to advance.

Two other growing categories over this period were refrigerated tea/coffee and tea bags. Refrigerated tea/coffee grew from 8.2% in dollar sales last year to 10.7% in the past four weeks. Tea bags had even more dramatic results, as dollar sales went from 5% in 2022 to 12.3% in the past three months to 17.5% in the past four weeks.

Other categories also stood out. These include bottled juices (10%), coffee (15.4%) and ready to drink tea/coffee (15.8%); all had double digit growth in 2022. In the past four weeks, while growth has slowed, it remains positive, ranging from 66.8% for ready to drink tea and coffee to 13.9% for coffee and 10.2% for bottled juices.

Unit sales improvements were also striking. Ready to drink tea/coffee saw units rise from 10.4% in 2022 to 84% over the past 3 months and 75.7% in the past 4 weeks. Coffee unit sales were up 2.8% last year but kept most of that growth in the past four weeks with a 2.5%-unit sales growth.

After decades of being a bottom shelf afterthought in a strong national branded department, store brands are evolving to become a presence if not a player in many parts of the huge Beverages sector.

To find out more IRI Unify data is available to all PLMA members and can be found at plma.com where these statistics and sales of 317 categories and 967 subcategories can be found.

PLMA Announces 2023 Private Label Hall of Fame Inductees

NEW YORK (March 23, 2023) - The Private Label Hall of Fame Class of 2023 was inducted last night during PLMA’s Annual Meeting & Leadership Conference in Orlando.

Presented by PLMA and Store Brands magazine, the Private Label Hall of Fame was created in 2006 to recognize the men and women who have made significant contributions to the growth and development of the global private brand industry.

This year, the Hall of Fame honors 16 individuals in four categories: Next Gen Private Label Leader, Private Brand Innovator, Private Brand Champion, and Lifetime Achievement.

“We proudly celebrate the outstanding achievements of these proven leaders and innovators,” said PLMA President Peggy Davies. “Their hard work and dedication are instrumental to the success of the store brands business.”

Private Label Hall of Fame Class of 2023

Next Gen Private Label Leader:

Anthony Cera III, Own Brands Manager, Perishables, SpartanNash
Colleen Kangas, President, Purcell International
Angela LePore, Senior Manager, Private Brands Product Development, Simmons Pet Food, Inc.
Kristin Provost, Senior Manager, Category Insights, Topco Associates, LLC

Private Brand Innovator:
Alicia Cook, Category Director, Save A Lot
Casey Creegan, Manager of Merchandising, Love’s Travel Stops
Roger Scommegna, CEO, Flying Blue Imports
Guido Tremolini, President/Co-Owner, G.S. Gelato

Private Brand Champion:

Shane Brown, Director, Own Brand Sourcing, Giant Eagle, Inc.
Jill Clark, VP, Sales and Marketing, Dutch Gold Honey, Inc.
Andrea Collaro, Senior Director, Owned Brands, Brand Management/Product Development, Walgreens Co.
Kristie Nicolosi, CEO, The Kingswood Company

Lifetime Achievement:

Brenda Lord, Vice President, Private Brands, CVS Health
Nancy Ragozzino, President, Ragozzino Foods, Inc.
Andy Russick, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Pacific Coast Producers
Jill Sando, Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer, Target

“The 16 honorees represent the best of the best from across the world of private label and showcase the depth of talent the industry has to offer,” said Store Brands magazine Executive Editor & Associate Publisher Greg Sleter. “This august group of retailers and suppliers have had a major impact on the private label business and will continue to do so in the years ahead.”

Profiles on all inductees will be featured in the May/June issue of Store Brands magazine, featured on StoreBrands.com, and posted in a special section of plma.com.

About PLMA

The Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA) is a non-profit trade organization founded in 1979 to promote the store brands industry. With executive offices in New York and International Council offices in Amsterdam, PLMA represents more than 4,000 member companies worldwide. In addition to the Annual Private Label Trade Show in Chicago and its World of Private Label Trade Show in Amsterdam, PLMA provides annual conferences, executive education and professional development opportunities. Follow PLMA on plma.com, plmainternational.com, Twitter and LinkedIn.

"How Private Label Packaging Strategies Influence Shoppers Intent to Purchase"

Step Into the ‘Store Brands Marketplace’ at PLMA’s 2025 Private Label Trade Show

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: press@plma.com

Step Into the ‘Store Brands Marketplace’ at PLMA’s 2025 Private Label Trade Show

Registration is open for PLMA’s Annual Private Label Trade Show, Nov. 16-18, Chicago

NEW YORK (July 17, 2025) - Registration is open for PLMA’s 2025 “Store Brands Marketplace” Private Label Trade Show, Nov. 16-18 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Chicago.

CLICK HERE or visit plma.com for information about the Show.

The Show is set to be the largest event of its kind, bringing together thousands of innovative store brand products and solutions under one roof. From food and beverages to health, beauty, and household goods, the Show spans a wide range of categories - including wine & spirits, refrigerated and frozen foods, sustainable packaging, functional beverages, self-care and wellness, snack items, baby products, pet care, kitchenware, convenience foods and grab-and-go items, and much more.

Some 2,000 exhibitors from 65 countries are expected to participate, making this a must-attend event for anyone involved in the private label industry.

This year’s theme - “Store Brands Marketplace” - reflects an industry that is increasingly collaborative, innovative, and global.

“The Private Label Trade Show will be an incredible hub of new products, ideas, innovation and connections,” said PLMA President Peggy Davies. “This is the premier event for the private label industry, uniting professionals from across the U.S. and around the globe to shape the future of store brands.”

The Show draws a broad range of retail formats, including major supermarkets, supercenters, drug chains, wholesale clubs, dollar stores, specialty stores, mass merchandisers, online retailers, and convenience stores/travel stops.

The well-organized exhibition is divided into separate halls for food and beverage, and home and health. Exhibitors will showcase products with multi-generational appeal, such as sustainable packaging for Gen Z, functional beverages for Baby Boomers, ethnic-inspired offerings, as well as vegan, organic, and specialty products.

Attendees can gain high-value insights on vital industry developments during Sunday’s opening seminars, Monday’s keynote breakfast, and a retail trends breakfast that kicks off on the second day of the Show on Tuesday.

What’s more, attendees can experience product and packaging innovations first-hand by visiting the valuable on-site displays:

PLMA’s Idea Supermarket®, featuring the latest product and packaging trends from around the globe.
New Product Expo, a showcase of select product and packaging innovations from companies exhibiting at the show.
PLMA's 2025 Salute to Excellence Award® Winners, an exhibit of retailer food and non-food product innovations chosen as best private label product in their categories by industry and consumer judges.

To make the most of their time at the event, attendees can use the mobile-friendly Show Navigator - an essential tool offering an interactive map, a detailed exhibitor listing, information on PLMA's New Product Expo, Idea Supermarket and much more.

“Store Brands Marketplace” reflects an industry coming together to engage in mutually beneficial commerce; discover new store brand products, packaging, and marketing concepts; learn from industry experts; and attend valuable networking events.

About PLMA

What Not to Miss at PLMA’s Annual Private Label Trade Show

Visitors will step into the “‘Store Brands Marketplace” at PLMA’s 2025 Private Label Trade Show, Nov. 16-18 in Chicago.

Click here for registration information.

Some 2,000 exhibitors from 65 countries are expected to participate, making this a must-attend event for anyone involved in the private label industry. This year’s theme - “Store Brands Marketplace” - reflects an industry that is increasingly collaborative, innovative, and global.

Attendees can gain high-value insights into vital industry developments during Sunday’s opening seminars, Monday’s keynote breakfast, and a retail trends breakfast that kicks off on the second day of the Show on Tuesday.

What’s more, attendees can experience product and packaging innovations first-hand by visiting the valuable on-site displays:

PLMA’s Idea Supermarket®, featuring the latest product and packaging trends from around the globe.
New Product Expo, a showcase of select product and packaging innovations from companies exhibiting at the show.
PLMA's 2025 Salute to Excellence Award® Winners, an exhibit of retailer food and non-food product innovations chosen as best private label product in their categories by industry and consumer judges.

“Store Brands Marketplace” reflects an industry coming together to engage in mutually beneficial commerce; discover new store brand products, packaging, and marketing concepts; learn from industry experts; and attend valuable networking events.

5 Things to Know About Private Label Trade Show

PLMA is gearing up for its 2025 “Store Brands Marketplace” Private Label Trade Show, Nov. 16-18 at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Chicago. More than 1,800 exhibitors from 60+ countries are expected to participate.

Click here for registration information.

Here are five things to know about the Show:

The exhibit floor will be filled with thousands of the latest products, including food, beverages, wine and spirits, ingredients, authentic international foods and nonfoods, refrigerated and frozen foods, foodservice items, sustainable packaging, snack foods, beauty products, pet products, self-care, baby care, health and wellness, household goods, kitchenware, general merchandise, convenience foods and grab-and-go items and much more. Exhibitors will showcase products with multi-generational appeal, such as sustainable packaging for Gen Z, functional beverages for Baby Boomers, ethnic-inspired offerings, as well as vegan, organic, and specialty products.
Attendees will have access to exclusive insights through opening seminars, plus a keynote breakfast on both show days.
PLMA’s Idea Supermarket®, a special display featuring the latest product and packaging trends from around the globe.
New Product Expo, a showcase of select product and packaging innovations from companies exhibiting at the show.
PLMA 2025 Salute to Excellence Awards®, a display of retailer food and non-food product innovations chosen best private label product in their categories by industry and consumer judges.

It’s truly a global event. Hundreds of exhibitors from Europe, Latin America and Asia will be showcased. Aisles and aisles of the show floor will be filled with international suppliers exhibiting food and nonfood product offerings throughout the North, South and Sky Halls. Gourmet and specialty food, ethnic products, authentic flavors and unique ingredients from their country of origin will be displayed for buyers seeking to satisfy the changing wants, needs and tastes of today’s global consumer.

International Salute to Excellence Award Winners Revealed

Body scrub bars from Hema in the Netherlands and monkfish fillets from Musgrave Retail Partners in Ireland are among 91 winners of 2025 PLMA International Salute to Excellence Awards for outstanding private label innovation.

More than 500 new private label items from 65 retailers in 25 countries were nominated. An international panel of expert judges evaluated and selected the winners.

"Top-shelf quality, absolutely delicious. I want more!" one judge said of Musgrave’s monkfish, sold under the SuperValu Signature Tastes brand. "Tasty and convenient, perfect for any occasion.”

In all, products introduced by 36 retailers from 18 countries won prizes. The most award-winning private labels (20) were introduced in Germany, followed by Italy with 11. Denmark, Poland and The Netherlands share third place in the ranking with seven winners each, and Portugal was fourth with six.

Retailers in the Czech Republic, Ireland, Spain and – the first non-European country in the ranking – South Africa round out the Top 5 with five Salute-winning items per country. Combined, the 10 countries representing the Top 5 account for 78 Salute-winners. The other awards were divided between retailers from Belgium, Latvia, Norway, South Korea, Türkiye, Sweden, Thailand and Ukraine.

The top three retailers - Dirk Rossmann and REWE Group from Germany, and Biedronka/Jeronimo Martins Polska from Poland - won 10, 8, and 6 awards, respectively.

One judge commented on how packaging design is increasingly creative and consumer-focused.
“I saw several appealing examples of refillable packaging in non-food,” the judge said. “From a packaging perspective, they need to seize every opportunity to reduce packaging, use recyclable material and design refill options. That really caters to shoppers needs.”

Click here to view all the winners.

Key Takeaways from PLMA’s International Trade Show

PLMA is celebrating the success of its annual “World of Private Label” International Trade Show, which ran May 20-21 at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre.

More than 32,000 industry professionals from over 120 countries attended the event.

The Show floor featured 3,160 exhibiting companies from 75 countries, covering nine Food Halls and five Non-Food Halls. There were 71 national and regional pavilions representing 41 countries, including new pavilions from Bulgaria, Canada, Morocco, Scotland, and Ukraine.

“It’s encouraging to witness the energy and inspiration shared between retailers and manufacturers as they continue to shape a dynamic private brand community,” said PLMA President Peggy Davies. “These companies are clearly future-ready, serving consumers who are not only price-conscious but increasingly focused on finding real value. This spirit of collaboration and innovation was on full display at this year’s trade show in Amsterdam.”

Products in the spotlight included fresh, frozen, and refrigerated foods; dry groceries; beverages; and non-food categories such as cosmetics, health and beauty, household and kitchenware, garden supplies, housewares and more.

Among the trends on trade show floor:

• Sustainable Claims: 44% overall (49% in Food and 23% in Non-Food)
• Foods that cater to certain dietary needs & lifestyles (e.g. vegan, plant-based, vegetarian, halal, kosher, Free From, including organic options): 55%
• Vegan, Plant-Based, and Vegetarian: 29% in Food, 8% in Non-Food
• Organic: 34% in Food, 10% in Non-Food

A highlight of the show was the Idea Supermarket, an innovation, trends and new product development area. This section showcased private label ranges from over 60 supermarkets, hypermarkets, discounters, specialty stores, and drugstores worldwide.

Plus, the New Product Expo showcased nearly 400 new products and packaging innovations from exhibitors. This year’s trends included flavored nuts like sour cream onion cashews; sustainable packaging; functional foods like A2 milk; and Asian food items, like trendy onigiri soy wraps in various colors.

Additionally, the area included a display of all retail products that won a 2025 International PLMA Salute to Excellence Award for private label innovation.