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Private label sales outperform branded booze in latest supermarket figures

02 August 2022 By Arabella Mileham

Supermarket private label wines – particularly sparkling wines – are outperforming brands, db can reveal from exclusive Kantar’s latest data, although the overall drinks market declined as a result of tough comparables.

Closeup side view of late 20’s couple choosing some red wine at local supermarket. The guy is holding on of the bottles and they’re both reading the label on the back. Big selection of unrecognizable red wines in front of them.

According to the most recent data from Kantar, the drinks market declined in the 12 weekends to 10 July 22, down 11.6% on last year’s figure to £3.345m, which likely impacted by the fact that pubs were still closed during that period last year.

However, private label is out-performing brands, particularly for sparkling wine, wine and spirits, with overall branded sales down 12.5%, compared to only 9.3% of private label.

Private label sparkling wine performed particularly strongly, falling just 0.1% in the 12 week period to £83,333 compared to the slightly larger branded sparkling subcategory, which well 18.7% to just under £100,000 (£99,443).

This means that overall sales of sparkling wine fell 11.1% in the 12 weeks to 10 July, compared to the same period last year, to £182,775, down from £205,645 in 2021.

Wine’s branded offer also fared less well than private label, but with less of a marked difference, down 10.3% versus 9.9% in the 12 week period. However, the difference was more marked in the four weeks to 10 July 22, with branded down 11.9%, compared to 5.3% in private label, as consumers moved towards branded.

This trend could also be seen in sparkling, with branded sparkling sales falling 24.9% versus 10.8%, and also in spirits, where branded sales were down 11.9% in the latest four weeks, compared to 11.3% in the 12 weeks, while private label were down 5.3% versus 9.3%.

However, it was beer that saw the largest overall fall – no doubt as a result of tough comparables given that it is being compared to a time when the pubs were still shut – falling 15%. Private label faring worse than branded, a dynamic also seen in cider, with private label cider falling -18% versus -11.3% across the branded category.

Private label RTDs were the only category to rise 8.3% to £20,142, compared to branded falling 17.5%, bringing total rtds falls of 11%, albeit off a smaller base.

The figures come as like-for-like grocery inflation hit 9.9% for the 4 weeks to July 2022.

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