Insights from PLMA 2025: What the Private-Label Boom Means for Operators, Investors & the Middle Market

1. Store Brands Have Entered Their Maturity Phase – and Their Growth Curve

PLMA reported that U.S. store-brand dollar sales reached $271 billion in 2024, up 3.9%, compared with just 1% growth for national brands. Unit sales show a similar story. This is no longer a cyclical shift; it is a structural redefinition of consumer loyalty and retailer strategy.

The implications for middle-market companies:

• Retailers are expanding private-label assortments at a historic pace.
• Suppliers, co-manufacturers, and ingredient providers are being pulled into higher-expectation partnerships.
• Transaction interest is increasing across contract manufacturing, specialty ingredients, packaging, branded private label, and operational tech.

Private label is no longer a “value alternative.” It is a growth engine, and capital is moving accordingly.

2. Innovation and Operational Discipline Are Driving Competitive Separation

• Innovation is accelerating.Consumers expect health, wellness, premium experiences, sustainability, and transparency, even in private label. What was once a “follower model” is now increasingly a “fast-follower + selective leader” model.
• Operational alignment has become critical.Sessions on planning and ERP integration made a compelling point: fragmented spreadsheets, inaccurate lead times, and siloed workflows are constraining margins and capacity across the industry.

For companies preparing for capital raises, acquisitions, or strategic partnerships, the ability to demonstrate innovation capability and operational maturity is becoming a differentiator that buyers and investors scrutinize carefully.