This two-part series summarizes the Export Development Canada agri-food team’s top insights on private label opportunities for Canadian food and beverage manufacturers. Part 1 provides an overview of the private label landscape in key global markets and explains why we think it’s such a promising avenue for expanding Canadian exports. Part 2 outlines practical steps your company can take to land private label contracts with major international buyers.  

Grocery shoppers around the world are putting more private label products in their carts.

“No matter where you go in the world, private label growth is outpacing regular branded growth in the food and beverage category. That means, organically, there’s an opportunity for manufacturers,” says Ashley Kanary, Export Development Canada’s (EDC) global director of agri-food.

Kanary’s assertion is backstopped by research from EDC’s agri-food team that analyzed global sales data for 46 food and beverage product categories to calculate the market penetration and growth of private label brands.

The agri-food team’s analysis found that global retail sales of private label brands totalled US$517 billion* in 2025, representing 11% of total food and beverage sales.  Private label sales grew by 47% between 2018 to 2025 and continue to grow their overall share of total category sales.   

It’s not just about the numbers. In May, the EDC agri-food team attended the Private Label Manufacturers Association’s 2026 World of Private Label International Trade Show in Amsterdam—the industry’s largest event. After meeting with 13 global retailers, Tracy Shwetz, EDC’s global trade director for agri-food, sees Canada’s stock rising in key markets:

“European retailers are actively shifting sourcing strategies away from the United States (U.S.) due to tariff pressures and business uncertainty, resulting in significantly increased openness to Canadian suppliers. It’s a big change from past perceptions, when Canada was not a primary sourcing consideration. Now retailers are proactively asking us what Canadian companies can offer,” she says.

With major global retailers investing heavily in private label and scouting internationally for unique products, new export pathways are opening for Canadian agri-food companies to expand to new markets.

EDC can help you every step of the way, with market and sector knowledge, financing to scale up your facilities, insurance to protect your sales, and connections to international buyers hungry for Canadian food and beverage products. Understanding the top markets for private label brands is a great place to start.  

While retail environments, consumer profiles, shopping habits and taste preferences differ region by region, a few common factors are driving private label adoption globally: 

Product quality: Historically, private label goods competed on price, sometimes skimping on taste.  Today, private label products are increasingly matching national brands in quality, variety and nutritional value, which has improved their reputation and acceptance among consumers.

Effective research: Retailers are now very good at mining sales data for insights on consumer preferences, which allows them to tailor their private label products to meet specific customer needs.

Better marketing: As modern grocery retailers expand and discount stores grow in popularity, private label has become a way to build customer loyalty. Retailers are investing in better packaging, branding, loyalty programs and marketing to promote their store brands and differentiate themselves in a competitive marketplace.

Overall value: By offering unique, high-quality products at an affordable price, private label offers budget-conscious shoppers strong value for their money. With grocery budgets squeezed by food inflation and other rising costs, private label’s an attractive choice for many consumers. 

Incorporating private label agreements into your production lineup is a smart strategy to strengthen your overall business and accelerate your access to new markets.

• Market diversification: Working with global retailers reduces reliance on Canadian demand, opens the door to new customers and spreads risk across multiple geographies.
• Access to larger retail networks: Many global retailers have extensive private label programs, offering Canadian food and beverage manufacturers entry into high-volume markets.
• Alignment with global trends: Private labels are growing rapidly worldwide, especially in Western Europe, where private label generated US$280 billion in sales in 2025, representing 54% of global private label sales.  

Canada is a global leader in private label product development. Canadian shoppers were early adopters of private label products, so our supplier base is experienced, strong, diversified and capable of stocking international store shelves with unique private label goods. Additional advantages for Canadian agri-food companies include:

• Global reputation: The “Made in Canada” brand is powerful around the world. Our food and beverage manufacturers can leverage our reputation for quality and consistency to expand into global markets through private label deals.
• Safety and sustainability: Canada is known for high standards around food safety and sustainable practices—key issues for companies evaluating private label manufacturers.
• Innovation: Canadian food and beverage producers excel at innovation, feeding retailers’ appetite for unique products with better packaging, new flavours and nutritional enhancements that drive global food trends. 

Even though product sales are growing across all sections of the grocery store, some categories are growing faster than others. Similarly, not all regions are showing the same widespread adoption of private label. 

• Western Europe leads the global private label market: In 2025, the region generated US$280 billion in private label sales, accounting for 54% of global sales. Private label brands make up 26% of total food and beverage category sales in Western Europe, rising as high as 40% in some countries. Retailers such as Aldi, Carrefour and Tesco have strong store brands and promote private label as part of their core offerings.
• North America is the second-largest market for private label: Private label adoption grew rapidly in the United States and Canada from 2018 to 2025, when it generated US$134 billion in sales. Consumers across the region increasingly prioritize value for money, driving demand for store brands.
• Eastern Europe and Latin America (including Mexico) are fast-growing private label markets: Between 2018 and 2025, private label sales in these regions rose by 72% and 90%, respectively. The expansion of modern grocery retailers and the popularity of discount stores are fuelling this growth.
• Asia-Pacific showed the slowest growth for private label: Private label sales here only grew by 12% between 2018 and 2025. Consumers in Asia-Pacific tend to favour national brands, which are still perceived as higher quality. Nevertheless, major retailers are investing in product quality and variety to boost their private label brands.

“The strongest recurring private label product themes we hear in meetings with international retailers are commodities, bakery, oats, granola, maple and other breakfast-oriented products, suggesting a credible Canadian positioning in scalable staple categories,” Kanary says.

Additional categories with strong private label demand are:

• Centre of store: Canned goods, coffee, nut butters, jams, pet food, paper products, salty snack foods (potato chips, nuts) and soft drinks
• Dairy/frozen foods
• Protein
• Prepared salads/salad kits

“The global companies that are actively expanding their private label ranges tend to fall into two buckets,” says Shwetz. “The first are discount grocers, where private label is their core business model, and the other bucket is large grocers and club retailers, who are using private label to offer value for money and build loyalty,” she says.

North America: Scale and innovation accelerating growth

Large retailers in Canada and the U.S. are leveraging their scale and investing in innovation to expand private label offerings:

• Walmart: The world’s largest retailer announced a major overhaul of Great Value, its flagship private label brand, including redesigned packaging.
• Costco: Through its Kirkland brand, the big-box giant is seeing strong growth and extending its international reach, including in Mexico.
• Target: The U.S. retail chain continues to expand its portfolio of private brands, driving differentiation and customer loyalty.
• Kroger:  With ongoing investment in refreshing and expanding its private label portfolios, Kroger is seeing notable growth across several of its store brands.
• Trader Joe’s: Known for its heavy reliance on private label, Trader Joe’s continues to innovate its assortment and cater to evolving consumer tastes.

Asia-Pacific: Fast growth from a smaller base

Retailers in the Asia-Pacific region are rapidly expanding their private label presence, building on a smaller, but quickly growing, foundation:

• AEON: Japan’s largest retail company is increasing the contribution of private label products to overall sales, reflecting growing consumer demand.
• 7‑Eleven Japan: Renowned for its strength in food-to-go, 7‑Eleven Japan is consistently refreshing and innovating its range of private label products.

Australia: Major grocers step up investment

Australian retailers are making significant investments in their own brands, expanding both premium and value offerings:

• Woolworths: This large supermarket chain is investing heavily in its own brand lines, responding to consumer demand for quality and value.
• Coles: One of Australia’s leading retailers is expanding both its premium and value-tier private label ranges, catering to a diverse customer base.

EDC has relationships with 30 global retailers, including many of the top companies for private label. We help established Canadian agri-food exporters gain targeted access to these buyers by facilitating credible, demand-driven introductions—improving the quality of access—not just the volume.

Partner with us at your next trade show to connect with more global opportunities and accelerate market entry with a private label deal. 

EDC offers a broad range of additional solutions for Canadian exporters, including:

• Direct lending to help you scale up your production capacity and efficiency to meet new demand in global markets
• Trade credit insurance to protect your business against non‑payment and offer competitive terms to trusted foreign buyers
• Working capital guarantees to free up cash flow, access additional financing and increase borrowing capacity
• Market intelligence and advisory support to help you understand requirements and consumer preferences in your target market
• The EDC Business Connections Program introduces qualified Canadian agri-food businesses to credible global businesses looking for suppliers and partners, so you can access new opportunities.

Ready to take your food and beverage company global through private label deals? Contact EDC to learn how we can support your growth in international markets.