Supermarket own-brand shopping in Spain is at an all-time high and quality is now as big a draw as price
New research shows nearly 60% of people in Spain have increased their own-brand shopping in three years, with quality now the driving factor as much as cost
Something has quietly shifted in how people in Spain shop. For years, reaching for the supermarket's own version of a product rather than a named brand was seen as a purely financial decision, a way to stretch the budget a little further. That's still part of it, but it's no longer the whole story.A new study from Aldi, based on a survey of 1,586 people and published this week, finds that 57.7% of shoppers in Spain say they've increased their purchases of supermarket own-brand products over the past three years. Crucially, the reason isn't solely price. Nearly 80% of those surveyed say they perceive quality to have improved significantly, and 72.6% believe competitive pricing doesn't mean compromising on what's in the packet.
Aldi itself was named Spain's best supermarket by shoppers last year, which gives the company a particular platform to be talking about own-brand trends. Its Head of Market and Customer Research, Hugo Liria, says the direction of travel is clear. "The outlook is that own-brand products will continue to grow. Currently, the fastest-growing supermarkets are those with the strongest presence of these types of products," he said.
When asked why they choose own-brand products, 69.9% of shoppers cited good value for money as the main reason, followed by low prices at 52.8% and the search for promotions and offers at 31.8%. It's a telling mix, showing that while cost still matters, it's the overall sense of getting a good deal rather than simply buying cheap that's driving the trend.
The numbers back that up. Own-brand products now account for 53.8% of household purchase volume in Spain, excluding fresh produce. The average household buys own-brand items around 104 times a year, spending roughly €25 a week, which adds up to €1,306 annually, 3.8% more than last year.
Once people try an own-brand product and like it, they tend to go further. The study found that 92.4% of consumers added another own-brand item to their basket after a positive first experience, and 83.1% went on to try own-brand products in other categories too.
Cleaning and household products are where own brands have the strongest foothold, representing 69.2% of purchase volume in that category. Packaged food sits at 52.7% and personal care products at 43.1%, with both growing year on year.
Spain is also leading Europe on this trend. According to data from market research firm Circana, Spain recorded the fastest growth rate for own-brand products across the continent, ahead of the Netherlands, the UK, Germany and France. It now holds the second highest own-brand market share in Europe at 52%, behind only the Netherlands at 55%.
Image: Gustavo Fring/Pexels
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