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Private label continues to gain unit sales in U.S. market

Shoppers aren't entirely staying home, but have tempered their grocery spending.

Private label continues to gain unit sales, share in U.S. market — Courtesy of PLMA

Store brands continued to strengthen their position in the marketplace during the first half of 2026, outperforming national brands in the industry's most important metric, unit sales, reports the Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA).

Over the six months ending June 14, store brand unit sales increased 0.2% while national brand unit sales declined 0.5%, vs the same period last year; a spread of 0.7%. Store brand unit market share rose to 23.8%, an all-time high, according to Circana, PLMA's exclusive data provider. Unit sales indicate the sum of products sold while dollar sales represent the total revenue generated by products.

Store brand unit sales are doing well in food and non-food categories across the store. For the 52-week period ending June 14, in 166 food categories where store brands are sold, 52% experienced private-label unit growth; in 164 non-food categories where the products are available, 39% recorded private-label unit growth.

American shoppers are not staying home entirely but have tempered their household grocery spending. Still, while the malaise has impacted all products, store brands managed to finish ahead of their national brand competitors in unit sales in five of Circana's six monthly reporting periods so far this year.

In dollar sales, store brands were flat year-to-date while national brands tacked on 2.2%. Store brand dollar share came in at 21.2%, just off its all-time high. Though important, dollar sales are viewed by some experts as a less significant measure of store brands health than unit sales due to the varying impact of tariff policies and national brand pricing practices.

“The disconnect between unit sales and dollar sales reflects, in part, fluctuating national brand pricing. While some brands are lowering prices to regain consumers who have shifted to private label, others are increasing prices to offset higher fuel, raw material, ingredient, and supply chain costs," says Peggy Davies, PLMA president.

"Unit sales remain the best measure of consumer choice, and Circana's midyear results—including a record 23.8% unit market share for store brands—underscore the continued strength and growing appeal of private label," she adds.

In related findings, a Zappi survey found consumers who say they only buy national brands dropped from 21% to 10% in less than a year, and more than 90% changed their shopping behavior because of rising costs.

"The era of growth driven by price increases is coming to an end," suggests Natali Kelly, Zappi's CMO. "For CPG leaders to transform their businesses, they will need to compete on value instead of price, innovating, and simplifying their product portfolios in the process. Nearly 70% of consumers would accept fewer options in exchange for lower prices."

"This isn't a post-pandemic correction. It's a structural reset and brands still betting on loyalty to absorb their next price increase may be the last to realize it." Kelly adds.