The first store brand products appeared in European retail in the 19th century. British retailer Sainsbury's sold goods under its own name as early as 1869. The model was straightforward: a retailer contracts a manufacturer to produce a product, sells it under the store's name, and captures the margin that would otherwise go to a branded supplier.
The shift in the 1970s and 1980s
Private label got a serious push during the economic pressures of the 1970s. Retailers in the US and UK introduced generic no-frills products with plain packaging, explicitly positioned as cheaper alternatives. By the 1980s, chains like Kroger and Tesco started moving away from generic positioning and investing in own-brand quality and design. The goal changed from cheap to credible.
Where private label stands now
By the 2010s, retailers like Trader Joe's and Aldi had built entire business models around private label, with some categories showing store brand penetration above 80%. The term itself shifted in professional usage. Category managers and brand teams now use private label and own brand interchangeably, though some retailers prefer the latter for its less clinical sound.
The freelance reality
Private label projects tend to be well-scoped and repeatable. A retailer launching a new own-brand line needs packaging design, copy, nutritional layout, and sometimes a naming brief. Freelancers who understand the positioning logic behind store brands, not just the aesthetics, get briefed more accurately and produce better first drafts.