Boom in private label products. Turnover reached 26 billion euros. If they were all made by a single company, this would now be the fourth in terms of turnover in Italy. In 2024 the increase was 2.4% compared to 2023 and even 35.4% compared to 2019. Companies that obtain more than 80% of their turnover from private label products recorded an average annual growth of 8.5% over eight years, compared to 3.9% for the food industry overall.
The numbers (analysis by The European House – Ambrosetti on the occasion of Marca by BolognaFiere 2025) highlight how private labels have become a point of reference, with a market share that has reached 31.8% and which continues and will continue to grow, getting ever closer to other European countries where the sector covers over 50%.
Eight out of ten consumers today choose modern distribution for food shopping: 65% in supermarkets and hypermarkets, 16% in discount stores and the remainder in local markets or directly from the manufacturer. And the growth of private labels goes hand in hand with the strengthening of modern distribution. The sector generates a total added value of 208 billion euros, equal to 10% of GDP (27 billion euros of direct value and 181 billion euros of indirect supply chain) and supports over 3 million jobs, with a high percentage of female employment (65%) and a significant presence of young people under 30 (20%). Furthermore, 89% of employment contracts in the sector are permanent.
The increase in sales volumes of private label products has also been accompanied by a slowdown in prices, in deflation compared to the same period in 2023. Despite food inflation reaching peaks of 13.5%, the sector has in fact managed to contain prices, making products more accessible and to a wider audience. The sector then recovered around 14 thousand tonnes of food in 2024 only thanks to the collaboration with Banco Alimentare and it is estimated that there has been an overall saving for families of 19.8 billion euros since 2020, thanks to prices on average lower than branded products. Then there is the sustainability aspect: from 2013 to 2022, CO2 emissions per euro generated decreased by 30%.
Companies with more than 80% of revenue based on private label products averaged 8.5% annual growth between 2015 and 2023well above the 3.9% of the food industry as a whole. Furthermore, in the same period there was an employment growth of 5.5% per year, with an increase in added value of 9.3%. If private label products were owned by a single company, this would be the fourth largest Italian company in terms of turnover in Italy.