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Gen Z's affinity for store brands creates an opportunity for grocers

The finding: Gen Z’s share of private label spending will overtake that of baby boomers by 2026, according to a Numerator report. That shift isn’t just about tightening budgets but reflects growing shopper affinity for store brands, driven by improvements in quality and variety as well as more attractive packaging.

By the numbers: By 2026, 18.4% of Gen Z spending on consumer packaged goods and general merchandise will go toward private labels, per Numerator—a shade above the 18.3% share boomers are expected to allocate.

Not only are Gen Zers buying more private label products—they’re also more inclined to take store brands into account when deciding where to shop.

  • Retailers with robust private label selections—like Trader Joe’s, Costco, and Walmart—are winning over those shoppers with an array of products that are high quality and trendy, not to mention cheaper than their name-brand competition.
  • Roughly one-third of Gen Z private label spending (30%) goes toward premium products, an indication that more customers are choosing to buy store brands on their own merit rather than as generic versions of national brands.

Our take: Gen Z’s affinity for private labels is part of a broader behavioral shift—one that retailers are making the most of. To encourage loyalty among this notoriously fickle cohort, companies will need to stay on top of emerging food trends, foster exclusivity and a sense of urgency with limited-edition releases, and make sure they satisfy Gen Zers’ desire for attractive packaging, transparent labeling, and sustainability.

Go further: Read our report on Private Label Brands 2025.

This content is part of EMARKETER’s subscription Briefings, where we pair daily updates with data and analysis from forecasts and research reports. Our Briefings prepare you to start your day informed, to provide critical insights in an important meeting, and to understand the context of what’s happening in your industry. Non-clients can click here to get a demo of our full platform and coverage.

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