Canada Consumer Attitudes towards Private Label Food and Drink Market Report 2021

Consumer Reports Consumer Attitudes Private Label Canada

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Report Summary

“Store brands have been deeply integrated into Canadians’ grocery baskets for a long time. COVID-19 has only served to deepen their importance. Beyond the pandemic, private label will continue to play an important role in Canada’s grocery landscape, serving as a way to deliver value to customers, a means to differentiate and ultimately drive in-store traffic.”

– Joel Gregoire, Associate Director Food & Drink

This Report looks at the following areas:

The impact of COVID-19 on consumer behavior in the private label market.
Private label’s role relative to national brands.
The perceived importance of private label versus national brands at the category level.
Drivers of private label purchase to help prioritize messaging/positioning.

Overview
- What you need to know
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Definition
Executive Summary
- Top takeaways
- Market overview
- Impact of COVID-19 on private label
  - Figure 1: Short-, medium- and longer-term impact of COVID-19 on private label, February 2021
- Opportunities
- Younger shoppers’ perception of store brands differs from older shoppers
- Store brands drive traffic
- Having a good experience with one store brand product can resonate across categories
- Challenges
- National brands’ best defence can be found in their brand equity
- Store brands have evolved beyond being ‘rip-offs’ to name brands
The Market – Key Takeaways
- COVID-19 widens the divide between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’
- Store brands can help make home more entertaining in a dark time
- Private label allows retailers greater control of their brand narratives
Market Factors
- COVID-19 widens the divide between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’
- What brands ‘stand for’ matters more than ever
  - Figure 2: Percent of Canadians who agree it’s ‘very important’ that a company acts morally/ethically, by age, December 2019
- Mental and emotional wellbeing takes on heightened importance during the pandemic
  - Figure 3: Importance of eating healthy for one’s physical and emotional wellbeing, (% any agree), September 2020
Market Opportunities
- Private label can help make home more entertaining in a dark time
- - Figure 4: PC President’s Choice Barbecue Chicken Steamed Buns (Canada), January 2021
  - Figure 5: Irresistibles Falafel Bowl with Spiced Rice & Quinoa (Canada), January 2021
- - Figure 6: Kirkland Signature Premium Strawberry Margarita (Canada), January 2021
  - Figure 7: Panache Sweet Chili & Sour Cream Flavour kettle-Cooked Potato Chips (Canada), December 2020
- - Figure 8: Great Value Poutine-Style & Bacon Breakfast Bowl (Canada), December 2020
  - Figure 9: PC President’s Choice East Cook! Cod in Miso & Yuzu Butter Sauce (Canada), January 2021
- Private label allows retailers greater control of their brand narratives
- A more sophisticated store brand shopper heightens the need for transparency
- Investment in brand equity and innovation is national brands’ best defence against store brands
The Consumer – Key Takeaways
- Private label’s popularity is driven by the perception that it has improved over time
- COVID-19 has bolstered private label purchasing
- Nearly all Canadians purchase private label products
- Value is store brands’ biggest selling feature
Attitudes toward Private Label
- Private label’s popularity is driven by the perception that it has improved over time
  - Figure 10: “The quality and variety of store brands have improved over time” and “Store brands are just a rip-off of national brands” (% agree), December 2020
- - Figure 11: “Store brands are just a rip off of national brands” (% agree), by age, December 2020
- - Figure 12: Great Value Gluten Free Fusilli Pasta (Canada), July 2019
  - Figure 13: Great Value Organic Side Dishes Rotini Pasta (Canada), December 2019
- Private label is its own best ally (or worst enemy) in promoting products across categories
  - Figure 14: Attitudes toward the impact of a store brand’s reputation across food and non-food categories (% agree), December 2020
- - Figure 15: Compliments Buffalo Cauliflower Bites (Canada), January 2021
  - Figure 16: PC President’s Choice Cajun Seafood Bake (Canada), January 2020
- - Figure 17: PC President’s Choice Beefless Strips (Canada), December 2020
- Store brands help drive traffic
  - Figure 18: Attitudes around store brands driving traffic and openness to store carrying mostly store brands (% agree), December 2020
- - Figure 19: “I’m willing to shop in grocery stores where the product assortment is mostly or entirely made up of store brands” (% agree), by age, December 2020
- Private label helps shoppers save where they want to
  - Figure 20: Attitudes on price, quality and tiering, December 2020
- - Figure 21: No Name Strawberry Jam with Pectin (Canada), January 2021, PC Blue Menu Twice the Fruit (Canada), November 2017, PC Black Label British Columbia Strawberry Fruit Spread (Canada), June 2015
  - Figure 22: “I’m willing to compromise on quality when it comes to store brand products if I can save money” (% agree), by age, December 2020
- - Figure 23: “I’m willing to compromise on quality when it comes to store brand products if I can save money” (% agree), by age and household income, December 2020
COVID-19’s Impact on Private Label
- COVID-19 has bolstered private label purchasing
  - Figure 24: Change in store brand purchasing behaviour since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, December 2020
- - Figure 25: Purchasing more store brand products since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, by age, December 2020
- Habit and price represent store brands’ main appeal during the pandemic
  - Figure 26: Reasons for buying more or the same amount of store brand products since the start of COVID-19, December 2020
- - Figure 27: Reasons for buying more or the same amount of store brand products since the start of COVID-19, December 2020
- - Figure 28: Select reasons for buying more or the same amount of store brand products since the start of COVID-19, 18-34s vs over-35s, December 2020
- - Figure 29: Reasons related to habit and grocery spend as reasons for buying more versus the same amount of store brand products since the start of COVID-19, December 2020
- - Figure 30: Welcome to the Haulerverse, November 12, 2020
- Other reasons also impact store brand purchases
  - Figure 31: Reasons related to safety, trial and uniqueness as reasons for buying more versus the same amount of store brand products since the start of COVID-19, December 2020
- Store brands are a vehicle for culinary exploration
Private Label Usage and Penetration
- Nearly all Canadians purchase private label products
  - Figure 32: Percent of grocery shoppers who purchase store brand products by category, December 2020
- - Figure 33: Percent of grocery shoppers who purchase store brand products by category (select), men vs women, December 2020
- - Figure 34: Percent of grocery shoppers who purchase store brand products by category (select), 18-44s vs over-45s, December 2020
- - Figure 35: Percent of grocery shoppers who purchase store brand products by category (select), by parental status, December 2020
- - Figure 36: Percent of grocery shoppers who purchase store brand products by category (Select), Quebec vs overall, December 2020
- Name brands remain the primary go-to for store brand shoppers
  - Figure 37: Percent of grocery shoppers who purchase store brands vs national brands, December 2020
- - Figure 38: Percent of grocery shoppers who purchase store brands, by category and age, December 2020
- Ample room for store brands to grow by winning over ‘flexible’ shoppers
  - Figure 39: Percent of grocery shoppers who are more or equally likely to buy store brands, by category, December 2020
- - Figure 40: Percentage of grocery shoppers who are equally likely to buy store brands and national brands by category, men vs women, December 2020
- - Figure 41: Percent of grocery shoppers who are more likely to buy national brands by category, men vs women, December 2020
  - Figure 42: Percent of grocery shoppers who are more likely to buy store brands by category, men vs women, December 2020
Reasons for Choosing Store Brands over National Brands
- Value is store brands’ biggest selling feature
  - Figure 43: Reasons for purchasing store brands over national brands, ranked first to third, December 2020
- Younger shoppers show greater interest in innovative store brand offerings
  - Figure 44: Reasons for purchasing store brands over national brands, by age, December 2020
- - Figure 45: Reasons for purchasing store brands over national brands (any rank), by household income, December 2020
- - Figure 46: Reasons for purchasing store brands over national brands (any rank), South Asians & Chinese Canadians vs overall, December 2020
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
- Data sources
- Consumer survey data
- Consumer qualitative research
- Mintel Trend Drivers
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations

About the report

This market report provides in-depth analysis and insight supported by a range of data. At the same time, introductory and top-level content is provided to give you an overview of the issues covered.

Market

Mintel provides a range of market information, frequently through the category level, including market size and forecasting, complete with market drivers that illustrate the forces that shape a category or market.

Consumer

Mintel’s proprietary consumer research provides our analysts with the attitudinal and behavioral data used to provide valuable insight to topical issues.

Brand/Company

Mintel provides overviews of the top brands and manufacturers, and uses consumer research to explore attitudes and reactions to brands, as well as insight into what will resonate with consumers.

Data

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Canada Consumer Attitudes towards Private Label Food and Drink Market Report 2021

Report Summary

Table of Contents

Overview

Executive Summary

The Market – Key Takeaways

Market Factors

Market Opportunities

The Consumer – Key Takeaways

Attitudes toward Private Label

COVID-19’s Impact on Private Label

Private Label Usage and Penetration

Reasons for Choosing Store Brands over National Brands

Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations

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