Store Brand Sales Up Across Major Retail Channels: PLMA

As national brands continue to struggle with lower growth year-to-year in supermarkets, drug chains and mass merchandisers, store brands’ sales in all major retail channels continue their upward trend, setting new records across the board for annual revenue, reported the Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA). When 2014 came to a close, store brands accounted for nearly $3 billion in incremental sales overall, an increase of 2.5 percent over the previous year and more than twice the percentage gain that was recorded by national brands.

Total sales of private label products in the United States were $115.3 billion (during the 52 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2014), according to the 2015 Private Label Yearbook, published by PLMA in partnership with New York-based Nielsen. As a result, store brand dollar share moved up across all outlets combined — consisting of supermarkets, drugstore chains, mass merchandisers, club stores and dollar store channels.

Over a three-year period, store brand sales across the combined retail outlets increased by $5.5 billion, moving store brand dollar market share from 17.3 percent to 17.7 percent, PLMA noted. The run-ups are much the same in the individual channels. Over that period, the annual sales volumes for store brands rose by $2.5 billion in supermarkets and $200 million in drug chains.

The 2015 Private Label Yearbook is published exclusively online, accessible for free by PLMA members. Retailers and wholesalers may access the data and analysis, including new updates every quarter.