Private-label grocery purchasing has become a major part of U.S. shopping. Store brands accounted for 21.3% of U.S. consumer packaged goods (CPG) dollar sales in fiscal 2025, while shoppers continued to buy private-label staples such as eggs, milk, cheese, vegetables, and pasta. The figures below show the scale of the market, how purchasing changed from 2021 through 2025, which grocery departments and food categories led, and what shoppers reported about future buying.
Table of contents
- Market scale and purchasing share
- Growth from 2021 to 2025
- Department-level private-label shares
- Food categories leading dollar purchases
- Food categories leading unit purchases
- Shopper adoption and motivations
- What shoppers expect next
Market scale and purchasing share
U.S. store-brand dollar sales totaled $282.8 billion across all tracked retail channels in fiscal 2025. Store-brand unit sales totaled 68.7 billion. These measurements come from PLMA’s 2026 Private Label Report, which uses U.S. Circana Unify+ store-brand and private-label sales across tracked retail channels.
Store brands represented 21.3% of U.S. CPG dollar sales in fiscal 2025 and 23.5% of unit sales. For context, all-channel U.S. CPG dollar sales totaled $1.329 trillion in the same fiscal year. The difference between dollar share and unit share means store brands accounted for a larger portion of measured purchases by units than by dollars.
The year-over-year figures also show private-label momentum. Store-brand dollar sales grew 3.3% from fiscal 2024 to fiscal 2025, compared with 1.2% growth for national brands. Store-brand unit sales grew 0.6%, while national-brand unit sales declined 0.6%. Total U.S. CPG unit sales declined 0.4% over that period.
For meal planning, these figures put store brands in a broad market context: private-label purchasing is not limited to a small group of low-cost items. It spans the everyday grocery categories that commonly make up planned breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, and baking lists.
Growth from 2021 to 2025
Private-label purchasing expanded across both dollar and unit measures between 2021 and 2025. PLMA reported the following store-brand dollar shares of U.S. CPG sales:
| Fiscal year | Store-brand dollar share |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 19.1% |
| 2022 | 20.0% |
| 2023 | 20.4% |
| 2024 | 20.9% |
| 2025 | 21.3% |
Store-brand dollar volume was $218.0 billion in 2021 and $282.8 billion in 2025. Store-brand unit volume was 66.0 billion in 2021 and 68.7 billion in 2025. Store-brand unit share rose from 21.6% in 2021 to 23.5% in 2025.
The annual share figures show a continuous increase across each reported year: 19.1% in 2021, 20.0% in 2022, 20.4% in 2023, 20.9% in 2024, and 21.3% in 2025. The dollar-volume and unit-volume series provide a second view of that change. Dollar volume rose from $218.0 billion to $282.8 billion, while unit volume moved from 66.0 billion to 68.7 billion.
Because PLMA reports the figures across tracked U.S. retail channels, the series describes measured U.S. CPG store-brand purchasing rather than one individual retailer or one grocery chain. The periods are fiscal years, and the dollar figures are nominal unless the source states otherwise.
Department-level private-label shares
Store-brand strength varied by department in 2025. Refrigerated products had a 36.6% private-label dollar share, followed closely by General Merchandise at 36.0%. Frozen products reached 26.4%, while Health products reached 20.6%.
The two remaining reported departments were General Food at 18.2% and Beverage at 10.0%. These are department-level dollar shares, so they should not be read as the share of every item or every category within the department.
| Department | Private-label dollar share in 2025 |
|---|---|
| Refrigerated | 36.6% |
| General Merchandise | 36.0% |
| Frozen | 26.4% |
| Health | 20.6% |
| General Food | 18.2% |
| Beverage | 10.0% |
PLMA also reported selected unit shares. Refrigerated store brands held a 38.4% unit share in 2025, and General Food store brands held a 22.9% unit share. The refrigerated unit share was higher than its 36.6% dollar share, while the General Food unit share was higher than its 18.2% dollar share.
Food categories leading dollar purchases
The largest reported private-label food categories by 2025 U.S. dollar sales were natural cheese, fresh eggs, dairy milk, bottled water, and refrigerated meat. Private-label natural cheese generated $9.862 billion and held a 51.1% dollar share of its category. Fresh eggs generated $9.442 billion with a 67.0% share, and dairy milk generated $9.151 billion with a 55.5% share.
| Food category | Private-label dollar sales | Category dollar share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural cheese | $9.862 billion | 51.1% |
| Fresh eggs | $9.442 billion | 67.0% |
| Dairy milk | $9.151 billion | 55.5% |
| Bottled water | $8.289 billion | 31.2% |
| Refrigerated meat | $6.393 billion | 58.1% |
| Fresh bread and rolls | $4.551 billion | 25.4% |
| Frozen seafood | $4.540 billion | 65.0% |
| Salty snacks | $2.765 billion | 7.1% |
| Shortening and oil | $2.760 billion | 45.3% |
| Cookies | $2.732 billion | 20.7% |
Private-label bottled water generated $8.289 billion in sales and had a 31.2% dollar share. Refrigerated meat generated $6.393 billion with a 58.1% share. Fresh bread and rolls generated $4.551 billion with a 25.4% share, while frozen seafood generated $4.540 billion with a 65.0% share.
The remaining reported categories were smaller in dollar sales but varied considerably in private-label penetration. Shortening and oil generated $2.760 billion with a 45.3% share. Salty snacks generated $2.765 billion but had a 7.1% share. Cookies generated $2.732 billion with a 20.7% share. The category sales amounts and shares are 2025 U.S. measures from PLMA’s 2026 Private Label Report.
Food categories leading unit purchases
Unit purchasing highlights the everyday items appearing frequently in grocery baskets. Private-label bottled water sold 3.048 billion units in 2025, the largest reported unit total. Natural cheese sold 2.968 billion units, and dairy milk sold 2.945 billion units.
Fresh bread and rolls sold 1.907 billion private-label units, while fresh eggs sold 1.778 billion. Shelf-stable vegetables sold 1.613 billion units, and frozen plain vegetables sold 1.021 billion. The remaining reported categories included pasta at 728.1 million units, baking needs at 721.9 million, and sugar and sugar alternatives at 500.7 million.
| Food category | Private-label units sold | Category unit share |
|---|---|---|
| Bottled water | 3.048 billion | 36.0% |
| Natural cheese | 2.968 billion | 59.4% |
| Dairy milk | 2.945 billion | 63.4% |
| Fresh bread and rolls | 1.907 billion | 35.7% |
| Fresh eggs | 1.778 billion | 71.6% |
| Shelf-stable vegetables | 1.613 billion | 53.9% |
| Frozen plain vegetables | 1.021 billion | 67.5% |
| Pasta | 728.1 million | 40.6% |
| Baking needs | 721.9 million | 45.1% |
| Sugar and sugar alternatives | 500.7 million | 62.9% |
Fresh eggs had a 71.6% private-label unit share, the highest among the reported unit categories. Frozen plain vegetables had a 67.5% unit share, dairy milk had 63.4%, and sugar and sugar alternatives had 62.9%. Natural cheese had a 59.4% unit share, while shelf-stable vegetables had 53.9%.
Shopper adoption and motivations
FMI’s consumer survey provides a separate view of adoption. The nationally representative survey included 1,495 U.S. grocery shoppers ages 18 and older and was conducted March 13–18, 2026. FMI reported a maximum sampling error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points at 95% confidence.
In that survey, 92% of shoppers said their households currently had store-brand products at home. Forty-nine percent said they increased store-brand purchases over the past year, compared with 31% who increased national-brand purchases. The results are survey percentages, not transaction shares.
Among shoppers who were buying more store brands, 39% cited quality, up from 30% in 2023. Taste was cited by 37%, up from 26% in 2023. These responses indicate that the reported reasons extended beyond price, although the survey figures do not measure the relative importance of every possible motivation.
Store-brand selection also influenced where people shopped. Fifty-six percent said their primary store’s private-brand selection was very or extremely important to choosing that store. Among shoppers seeking health attributes in private-brand products, 78% said they found what they needed.
Adoption was higher among younger reported groups. Fifty-nine percent of Gen Z shoppers and 52% of Millennial shoppers said they increased store-brand purchases in the past year, compared with 49% overall. Among shoppers influenced by TikTok, 82% subsequently purchased a store-brand product.
What shoppers expect next
FMI reported additional 2026 measures about future private-brand purchasing. Forty-three percent of shoppers expected to buy somewhat or much more private-brand products in the future, while 2% expected to buy less. In separate 2026 omnichannel research, 49% reported buying more private brands than ever, and more than 70% viewed private brands as good value. The source for these findings is Private Brand Momentum in an Omnichannel Shopping Environment.
FMI also reported that private-brand dollar sales increased 2.8% for the 52 weeks ending March 22, 2026, compared with 2.6% for national brands. Private-brand unit sales increased 0.6% over the same period, compared with 0.2% for national brands. These are sales growth measures for that specific 52-week period, not fiscal-year totals.
Taken together, the 2025 PLMA market measures and the 2026 FMI survey and growth measures show private-label purchasing across several layers: a 21.3% U.S. CPG dollar share in fiscal 2025, strong category positions in staples such as eggs and milk, widespread household adoption, and reported intentions to continue increasing purchases. For meal planning, the most prominent measured private-label categories include dairy, eggs, cheese, bread, vegetables, pasta, baking ingredients, and frozen seafood.