Price often plays a role for consumers when choosing a beverage brand, and many budget-conscious consumers seek out private-label brands for their value based on cost and quality. Although the private-label market has remained flat, retail sales for food and beverages topped $115.3 billion in 2014, a 2.6 percent increase versus 2013, according to New York based-Beverage Marketing Corporation’s (BMC) October report “Private Label Beverages & Contract Packaging in the U.S.”
The report notes that private label accounts for a major part of the milk, bottled water and single-cup coffee categories, with private label carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) and ready-to-drink (RTD) tea experiencing low single-digit growth.