Interest in private labels continues to grow

Consumers in Europe bought more private label products last year than in the year before. In the 17 countries surveyed, private labels achieved a share of 38.5 per cent of the European food market in 2023, generating sales worth 340 bn euros. The figures are given by the international private label association PLMA in its most recently published private label yearbook.

“In 2023, concerns over high inflation prompted consumers to switch to private labels,” reports the PLMA. Retailers sold two per cent more private label products overall, with Portugal (+9 per cent), the Czech Republic (+8 per cent), Poland (+6 per cent) and Spain (+5 per cent) well above the average. Only in the Netherlands and Belgium (both -1 per cent) as well as in Hungary (-8 per cent) did fewer people opt for private labels.

The share of pet food in the European private label business remains high. The share by volume for Hungary is reported as 71.8 per cent, followed by Norway (69.2 per cent) and Portugal (68.2 per cent). By comparison, overall private label business by volume in Hungary has a share of 35.7 per cent, while in Norway the figure is 24.6 per cent and in Portugal 55.2 per cent.