How to Sell to Supermarkets: Your Own Brand or Private Label

Published by

David Argüello

CEO of Hurus AI · LinkedIn

Private label made up 50% of consumer goods spending in Spain in 2025, 0.9 points more than the year before, according to D/A Retail's March 2026 market report. To enter retail, a manufacturer has to decide how much production goes to private label and how much to its own brand.

The market in figures

The D/A Retail report compiles the following, with data from NIQ, Worldpanel and Kantar:

• Household spending on consumer goods (2025): €131,000 million, 5.8% more. Volume +2.5%, average price +3.2%.
• Channels (2025, value growth): ecommerce +17.7% (7.3% share), small supermarkets +9.1%, large supermarkets +7.6%, hypermarkets +1.2%.
• Short assortment: 38.9% share, +1.4 points.
• Share by retailer: Mercadona 27%, Carrefour 9%, Lidl 6.9%, DIA 3.8%, Aldi 2%. Regional chains, 18.5%.
• Consumer: 44% switch stores in search of deals.

The data come from different sources and the years don't always match. Check the original report before citing them.

What the manufacturer decides

• How much of production goes to private label. It gives volume and stability. In exchange, the chain takes the margin and the relationship with the consumer.
• How much goes to your own brand. It requires investment in brand and rotation, and more conversation with the buyer.
• Which channel to go after first. Hypermarket, supermarket, regional chain, discount or ecommerce. Not all of them fit your format.

How to get the first meeting with a buyer

• Identify the person who decides by category. Not the general suppliers inbox.
• Arrive with a reason. A gap in their assortment, a format they don't carry, a supply condition you solve.
• Watch the timing. Chains plan their assortment well in advance. Ask when their review window is.
• Start with the regional chains. With an 18.5% combined share, they tend to be a more accessible way in. This is a working hypothesis, not a data point.

What to avoid

• Sending the full catalog as a first message.
• Talking price before you understand what problem you solve for the buyer.
• Dropping the conversation after a first "no": sometimes it means "not now."

At Hurus, we help open those conversations: ultratargeting to know who to write to, buying-moment detection to know when, and human outreach with judgment.

Frequently asked questions

How much does private label weigh?

50% of total consumer goods spending in Spain in 2025, 0.9 points more than the year before, according to D/A Retail's March 2026 market report. For the manufacturer, it means deciding how much production goes to private label and how much to its own brand.

Which channels are growing the most?

In 2025, according to the same report, ecommerce grew 17.7% in value and small supermarkets 9.1%. Hypermarkets grew 1.2%. Short assortment reached a 38.9% share. The channel you choose must fit your format and your margin.

How do you get the first meeting with a buyer?

With a specific reason: a gap in their assortment, a format they don't carry, a supply condition you solve. Identify the person who decides by category and write to them with that detail. Mass catalog mailings get ignored. A short opening with context does start a conversation.

Source: D/A Retail, Food and Beverage Market Report 2026, March 31, 2026.

Full guide: B2B prospecting for food and beverage manufacturers: 2026 guide

Last reviewed: October 18, 2026.