Store brands are no longer the alternative. They are the big brand. In our 2026 study, 93% of U.S. shoppers bought store brands in the past three months, and replacement intent has jumped from 21% to 32% in a single year. The question for retailers and the brands that sell to them is no longer whether shoppers buy store brands. It is who buys, why they buy, and what will win more of the basket.
The 2026 Store Brands Pulse Report answers that with 141 slides of shopper insight, built on original research with 1,384 U.S. consumers and designed to be used, not just read. Every section ends in a clear business implication or suggested action, so you can move from insight to decision quickly.
The report was created by PDG Insights, a research and strategy firm that combines deep retail, consumer behavior and diverse-consumer expertise. Unlike studies that stop at the general population, this one reports Hispanic and Black/African American shoppers alongside the total market, so you see where diverse consumers think and shop differently, and where they lead.
What's inside
A. Executive Summary (4 slides). The key findings and what they mean for your business: adoption and momentum, value and quality proof, distinctive products and discovery, and implications for testing.
B. The Store Brand Opportunity (6 slides). The size and growth of the category, why growth is structural rather than cyclical, where the department opportunities sit, how store brands balance financial discipline with brand power, and the three strategic decisions that separate winners: breadth, depth and audience.
C. The Consumer Perspective (15 slides). The 2026 update, year-over-year trends from 2025, and new insights on perceptions of quality and value, purchase drivers, barriers, innovation, discovery and the departments where shoppers buy store brands. Results are shown for Gen Pop, Hispanic and Black/AA consumers side by side.
D. Consumers by Age (8 slides). Preference, behavior, drivers and categories for each generation, from the heavily engaged Adopters (35 to 44) to the Value Seekers (65+) and the Social Discoverers (18 to 24).
E. Consumers by Income (8 slides). How adoption, price sensitivity and retailer loyalty change from under $25K to $150K and above, and which groups are most open to switching.
F. Households with Kids (7 slides). Why parents prefer, buy and switch more than households without kids, and what earns their trust, from reviews to ingredient information.
G. Consumers by Region (7 slides). Where regional differences matter, and where they do not, so you can tailor messages without rebuilding strategy.
H. Retailer Shopper Profiles (81 slides). The heart of the report. Twenty retailers, four slides each, comparing each retailer's shoppers with the total market:
Summary: what makes this retailer's shoppers distinct, with a "what to know" takeaway
Attitudes and behavior: preference, switching, value, quality perception and retailer trust, with gaps versus total
Purchase drivers and discovery: why they buy, what would encourage more, the barriers, and how they find new products
Categories purchased: department-by-department purchase and index scores, so you can spot where a retailer's shoppers over- and under-index
Retailers profiled: BJ's, Costco, Sam's Club, CVS, Walgreens, Aldi, Albertsons, Ahold Delhaize, Giant Eagle, H-E-B, Kroger group, ShopRite / PriceRite, Sprouts, Meijer, Publix, Wegmans, Whole Foods, Amazon, Target / Super Target and Walmart / Supercenter.
I. Contact and Methodology (2 slides). Full transparency on how the research was done: fieldwork September 22 to October 12, 2026, a 15-minute online survey, census-balanced on age, income, gender and region, with Gen Pop, Hispanic/Latino and Black/African American samples.
How you will use it
Prepare for buyer meetings. See what shoppers value at each retailer before you walk in, and back your pitch with shopper-level facts on store brands.
Find category opportunities. Spot the departments where a retailer's shoppers over-index and raise them with the buyer.
Tailor your story. Compare attitudes and behavior by age, income, kids and region.
Go further. Request custom reporting by category, by retailer or custom demos, delivered within 3 to 5 business days, or schedule an executive in-person briefing to walk your team through the findings.
Who it's for
Retailers and their private label teams, CPG and manufacturing partners that supply store brands, category and shopper insights leaders, sales teams preparing for retail buyer meetings, and consultants and agencies who advise any of the above.
Not ready yet? Download the free topline to see key findings and a complete retailer profile of BJ's.