We’ve heard of blind taste tests between competitive products. Oftentimes, consumers can’t tell the difference between a national brand and its private-label equivalent. However, in recent years, retailers have taken it to a whole new level. These days, consumers might find it difficult to pick out a private label product on-shelf because of the way it’s packaged and marketed.

Retailers are getting more sophisticated, says Richard Haffner, head of beverages global research at Euromonitor International, Chicago. Private label has been prevalent in Canada and Europe for a long time. Until the Millennium, the United States’ private label sector was lagging behind, he explains.