Power of Private Label, 2005), “private label items made up 17 percent of total value
sales for the 12 months ending the first quarter of 2005, up from the 15 percent level
of the previousACNielsen report in 2003. Private label sales increased 5 percent, more
than double the 2 percent growth rate of manufacturer brands (Tarnowski, 2005). 2
What’ s more, private labels are still expected to grow although it is difficult to say
whether their worldwide shares will reach those of countries as Switzerland, Germany
or Great Britain, as well as it is difficult to say whether these high- share markets have
reached their peak. At any rate, the key fact is that the quantitative dimension of the
private label phenomenon is clearly absolutely impressive.
The second relevant stylized fact is that retailers are expanding their brands far
beyond the initial traditional focus on low price and low quality. In addition to the
increase in the share of private label sales, there is in fact also much evidence of a
growing trend towards the development of high quality private labels. 3
This trend confirms that private label positioning tends to change over time. Initially,
private labels are weak brands, characterized by a low brand loyalty and without any
innovative content, just a low price/lower quality alternative to manufacturers’ brands.
But over time, their positioning and role change drastically. Today, private labels are
increasingly able to provide the quality once exclusively associated with manufacturer
brands and their quality standards continue to evolve. More recently, retailers have
also begun to carry premium brands. According to a AcNielsen (2005), the growth of
premium private label products is a steady trend. Higher quality premium private
label, in fact, continue to entry and the price of private label products is now equal to
(or even higher than) leading manufacturer brands in several product categories.
2 Europe remains the main market for private labels sales, with a 23 percent share. The
top five store brands markets are all in Europe: Switzerland, at 45 percent; Germany,
at 30 percent; Great Britain, at 28 percent; Spain, at 26 percent; and Belgium, at 25
percent. The emerging markets of Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, and
South Africa collectively saw the highest private label growth rate of 11 percent, Latin
America and Asia Pacific also had small private label markets in terms of share, but
didn't show the same double- digit growth rates as in the other emerging markets.
North America had both a high share (16 percent), and a considerable growth rate (7
percent).
3 Increasingly, store brands offer quality at least as good as that of the so called ‘big
brands’. The perception that private label brands are a viable alternative to big- name
brands is well documented by ACNielsen (2005) according to which 68 percent of
consumers either slightly or strongly agreed with the statement "Private label brands
are a good alternative to major brands. For American consumers, store brands are
brands like any other brands. According to Private Label Manufacturing Association, a
recent study by The Gallup Organization indicates that 75 percent of consumers
defined store brands as "brands" and ascribed to them the same degree of positive
product qualities and characteristics - such as guarantee of satisfaction, packaging,
value, taste and performance - that they attribute to national brands. Moreover, more
than 90 percent of all consumers polled were familiar with store brands, and 83
percent said that they purchase these products on a regular basis.