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In a context marked by inflation and constant price increases, private label brands have been favored, reaching a historical share of 43.7% in 2023, a record figure achieved in particular by the Lidl, Mercadona, Aldi and Dia chains.
Lidl is the leader in terms of sales of its private label, since last year the German chain’s own brand accounted for 82.1% of sales by value. It is closely followed by Mercadona, with 74.8%. Aldi and Grupo Dia also have higher sales for their private label than for the manufacturer’s brand, obtaining 69.3% and 68.7%, respectively.
Overall, private label has gained almost five points in market share in two years, driven by rising prices. César Valencoso, director of Consumer Insights at Kantar Worldpanel, explained that private label prices have risen more than those of manufacturers and that all retailers in Spain have raised their own brand “without exception and all aligned” by the competition in the food sector. “Almost half of them have already stopped raising prices and we presume that this will not happen in the future. What is to be expected is that some of them will start to slow down their private label, so their growth will slow down,” he explained.
It will continue to rise but stabilize and slow down
The consulting firm Kantar Worldpanel forecasts that by 2024 there will be a new cycle marked by stability with stable volume, moderate growth of the retail brand and the recovery of trends that were already occurring before the pandemic. “This year will probably be one of transition, where we believe we will be moving from a situation of crisis to one of more normality, which will obviously continue to have its challenges,” he said.
Among the trends that will occur this year, he also speaks of the transfer of sales volumes from the specialist to the dynamic channel, the decrease in food waste or the progressive consolidation of prepared options and delivery. Of the total volume lost by mass consumption, 14.5% is due to the continuous transfer of sales from the specialist and small retail channel to the dynamic channel, a long-standing trend that is expected to continue in 2024 and beyond.
As such, major operators are expected to invest more in key levers, such as advertising, promotion and innovation, which should gain momentum in 2024, especially as an opportunity for brands to differentiate themselves and generate growth.