Private Label growth: where and how to counter it

This week we turn to retail as a topic initially looking at Private Label growth, where and how to counter it. We also see that FMCG purchasing, as expected, is down compared with last year but that longer term, levels continue to look very strong.

1. Whilst Private Label share was slightly down on average in Western Europe in 2020, there were still increases in many countries. PL thrives where brands do not invest, do not provide demonstrable value for money and do not work with all retailers including Discounters.
2. Like any brand it is the number of buyers that drives PL growth. Ensure you are advertising, innovating, driving physical availability and providing value for money to maximise choice at the shelf.
3. As expected, compared with the first lockdown in 2020, purchasing is down. But the key in planning is that levels remain much higher than historically and we expect this to be maintained as more people continue to work from home.