Private Label Sales Reached Another Record in 2025

Private label sales in the United States reached a new high in 2025, continuing a multi-year pattern of growth that has become a consistent feature of the retail landscape.

According to data released by the Private Label Manufacturers Association, using Circana measurement, U.S. shoppers spent $282.8 billion on store-brand products last year. That represents a 3.3 percent increase over 2024. Over the same period, national brand dollar sales grew 1.2 percent. Over the past five years, private label dollar sales have increased by more than 30 percent, with dollar share rising from 19.1 percent to 21.3 percent.

These figures provide important context for suppliers and sellers operating in large mass retail environments, including Walmart, where private label has long played a meaningful role alongside national brands.

Unit growth provides additional clarity

Revenue growth alone can be influenced by pricing. Unit movement helps clarify whether consumer behavior is changing.

PLMA reports that private label unit sales increased by 434.3 million units in 2025, reaching a record 68.7 billion units sold. During the same period, national brand unit volumes declined 0.6 percent.

This combination suggests that private label growth is being supported by increased adoption and repeat purchase, not solely by price effects. For suppliers, unit performance is often a more relevant indicator of shelf productivity than dollar growth alone.

Growth is spread across multiple categories

Private label performance in 2025 was not limited to a narrow set of entry-level categories.

Refrigerated foods led store-brand dollar growth at 6.1 percent, followed by beverages at 4.8 percent. Pet care, beauty, frozen, and general food all posted gains. General merchandise also recorded modest growth.

Pet care is worth noting. Private label unit sales in the category increased 5.4 percent, the strongest unit growth among major departments. This is a category where shoppers tend to place importance on trust, consistency, and perceived quality. While the data does not indicate wholesale substitution, it does suggest growing comfort with retailer-owned brands in higher-consideration categories.

Private label appeal is broadening

Private label growth is also being supported by a wider range of shoppers.

Research cited by PLMA from management consulting firm Alvarez & Marsal indicates that households earning more than $100,000 annually are increasingly purchasing private label groceries, even as many report improved confidence in their financial situation.

This does not suggest that higher-income shoppers are abandoning national brands. It does indicate that private label is no longer viewed solely as a budget-only option, which expands its relevance across more trips and baskets.

Considerations for Walmart suppliers

The data does not point to any formal change in Walmart strategy or category management rules. It does, however, offer a few considerations suppliers may want to keep in mind as they plan for line reviews, modular discussions, and assortment planning.

First, private label continues to perform across a broader set of categories than in the past. That makes category roles and differentiation clearer topics of discussion.

Second, unit productivity matters. When private label units are growing and national brand units are flat or declining, conversations tend to focus more heavily on velocity, incrementality, and clarity of value.

Third, execution remains important. As store brands compete on quality and availability, consistency in supply, in-stock performance, and on-shelf execution can meaningfully influence how products are evaluated over time.

These are not new concepts, but the data reinforces their importance.

What the data does not suggest

Private label’s continued growth does not imply that national brands are being deprioritized or displaced wholesale. National brands remain essential to assortment balance, innovation, and shopper engagement, particularly in categories where brand equity plays a central role.

The 2025 results should be viewed as confirmation of a long-running trend rather than evidence of a sudden shift.

Putting the record in perspective

Private label’s latest record underscores how established store brands have become in the U.S. retail ecosystem. Growth is steady, unit-supported, and spread across categories and income levels.

For Walmart suppliers and sellers, the value in this data is not in predicting change, but in understanding context. Knowing how private label is performing helps frame assortment discussions, clarify competitive sets, and support more informed planning.

The numbers do not signal a new playbook. They do offer a clearer view of the environment suppliers are operating in today.

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