PLMA: Store Brands Reached Record Highs in 2009

SUPERMARKET NEWS STAFF

NEW YORK — Private labels reached an all-time unit share high of 23.7% in supermarkets last year, driven by a 6.4% increase in store-brand unit sales and a 1.7% decline in that of national brands, according to the Private Label Manufacturers Association’s 2010 Private Label Yearbook.

Private labels accounted for 90% of all gains in supermarkets, adding 2.9% in new sales while national brands were flat (0.1%), according to PLMA. Overall store-brand sales in the food channel reached a record $55.5 billion.

“The statistics document the amazing increases in store-brand popularity,” said Brian Sharoff, president of PLMA, in a statement. “But as most market researchers know, the growth of store brands is by no means a recessionary phenomenon. Its success began years before the current downturn and is rooted in increasing assortment, quality ingredients, innovative product concepts and retailer commitment.”