Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Clara covers consumer brands shaping tomorrow's retail landscape. Given this context, private label is enjoying continuous growth, ...

There’s a reshaping of consumer purchasing habits playing out in food grocery to the advantage of private label, leaving branded manufacturers with a tough nut to crack to recapture shopper loyalty.

For decades, private label was the afterthought in US grocery aisles – the packaged food products shoppers primarily bought when they had to, not when they wanted to. Cheaper? Sure. Good enough?