October 30, 2025

4 MIN READ

Private labels are no longer the quiet players on the shelf.

They’ve become strategic brands in their own right, trusted by consumers and shaping how retailers compete. In the U.S., they now account for over $270 billion in annual sales and nearly 21% of the grocery market, while in Europe their share exceeds 40%, reaching more than 50% in countries like Switzerland and Spain.

These numbers tell an important story: the balance between private labels and national brands is changing fast. Understanding that shift, and how it affects innovation, loyalty, and value, has never been more relevant.

That’s why, together with Global Retail Brands Magazine, we’ve released a new special edition: “Private Label and National Brands: Decoding Food Retail.”

Building on our previous collaborations, “Everything You Need to Know About EVOO” (2023) and “Exploring Origin” (2024), this issue explores how both sides of the retail game are evolving. From sourcing and design to consumer trust and brand strategy, it offers insights from 20 international experts who analyze what’s driving growth in this fast-changing landscape.

A closer look at a changing market

The growth of private labels marks one of the most significant transformations in modern food retail. Once seen primarily as cost-saving options, private labels have matured into brands with their own purpose, identity, and emotional appeal. Their flexibility allows retailers to innovate faster, align with consumer data, and adapt to shifting preferences, from health and wellness to responsibly produced products.

At the same time, national brands are evolving. They are refining their messaging, embracing transparency, and finding new ways to connect with audiences through authenticity and shared values. These brands, which once defined the market through tradition and scale, are now building their strength on meaning, on why they exist, not just what they sell.

This evolution has created a new type of balance. Retailers are learning that the most successful products are not built on competition alone, but on complementarity, finding ways for private label and branded products to coexist, meet different needs, and elevate the overall customer experience.

Key insights and takeaways

The new edition of “Private Label and National Brands: Decoding Food Retail” dives into the strategies, innovations, and global case studies shaping this transition. It addresses key questions that every retailer, supplier, and brand owner is now facing:

• How are private labels using design and packaging to signal quality and build loyalty?
• What role does consumer trust play when both price and purpose drive choice?
• How are producers and retailers redefining sourcing and supply chains to ensure resilience and traceability?
• What lessons can be learned from international markets that are already far along this transformation?

By examining these themes, the publication offers a global perspective on navigating complexity with strategy, highlighting how collaboration and shared intelligence can drive progress across the industry.

The power of collaboration

For Certified Origins, this project reflects a long-term belief: that the future of food retail will be written together.

As a private-label food partner, we see firsthand how cooperation among retailers, suppliers, and consumers leads to better outcomes for businesses and the planet.

Our collaboration with Global Retail Brands continues that philosophy. Our goal has always been to connect data, knowledge, and experience to promote transparency and responsible growth.

As Phillip Russo, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Global Retail Brands, writes:
“In today’s rapidly evolving retail landscape, businesses face a complex web of challenges, from balancing private labels and national brands to navigating supply chain disruptions, tariffs, and global trade uncertainties. That’s why we partnered with Certified Origins and a select group of industry innovators to explore how retailers can strike the right balance for success.”

Join the conversation

The digital edition of “Private Label and National Brands: Decoding Food Retail” is now live, and print copies will be available at the PLMA Show in Chicago.

If you’re attending, stop by Booth F-2613!

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