PRIVATE BRANDS

Cash-strapped consumers continue to embrace private retail brands

By our News Team | 2022

There has been a 27% increase in positive price perception of in-house brands over the past year, industry expert says.

Private brands have grown significantly in the South African market, both in sales and customer confidence, with 98% of local customers buying private brand items, 64% of whom purchase them every time they shop.

Perceptions of the quality and value of the private label are shifting too. When compared with last year’s Private Brands survey by international retail specialist Daymon, there has been a 27% increase in positive price perception of private brands, a 10% increase in quality, and a 4% increase in the view of consumers that private brands better suit their needs.

Private brands

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In an article published on the Trade Intelligence website, Roelien Havenga, Director of Business Intelligence for Africa and Latin America at Daymon, says that private brands are no longer being seen as the low-cost option, but as a value brand. Two key factors driving this are increased affordability and increased quality.

From a retailers’ perspective, a private brand can be a key driver in getting customers into the store. The benefits to retailers are threefold:

1.Differentiation

Having a differentiated offer from competitors stocking the same national brand.

2.Loyalty 

This differentiation may lead to loyalty as customers know they can buy this brand only from this specific retailer.

3.Margin Management

As the private brand sits within the retailer, they can more easily determine the affordability and margin of the product.

“For South African customers surveyed, who mainly focus on price (62%), there are a few key factors to consider, primarily that their base decision is driven by price,” Havenga says.

“They prefer to buy the lowest price on the shelf and constantly look for promotions. [However], this is not necessarily [true] in all categories, especially where categories have a solid brand presence and high brand loyalty with well-known national brands. 

“Customers are increasingly brand agnostic, driven by better-priced and quality products outside of national brands, and it is here where private brands will continue to win.”

Read the full article here.

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