Supermarkets’ own-brand products are finding increasing appeal with shoppers, accounting for more than a half of all grocery sales, new research shows.

Own-brands accounted for 54% of supermarket grocery sales in the 12 months to June 21, driven in part by a surge in popularity of ‘premium’ branded goods. Sales of these items increased by 5.2% on the previous year, far outstripping the overall growth rate of 1.4% in the supermarkets.

54%

Own-brand products’ share of supermarket grocery sales in the 12 months to June 21

The findings come from the Nielsen Homescan FMCG survey, which monitors consumer spend in some 14,500 household across Britain.

Commenting on the findings, Nielsen UK head of retailer and business insight Mike Watkins said: “The perception of own-brand products has improved dramatically in recent years. As with manufacturer brands, retailers have, over time, successfully built equity into their own-brand products by investing in product innovation, further developing ranges and increasing marketing activity.”

Research from Nielsen’s Global Survey shows that 71% of British people feel that supermarkets have improved the quality of their own-brand products, and a half saying they would buy more if there was a greater range of products available.

When asked whether own-brand goods were as appealing as branded items, 60% of British shoppers said they felt they were, compared with 34% when the survey was carried out in 2010.