Editing Private label

{{Short description|Brand made by one firm, offered by another}}
[[File:Bayer Aspirin and store-brand generic on Canadian drugstore shelf.jpg|thumb|Two brands of [[aspirin]]. Left: a [[national brand]] made by [[Bayer]]. Right: a private-label brand. Note the price difference and similar boxes.]]
A '''private label''', also called a '''private brand''' or '''private-label brand''', is a [[brand]] owned by a company, offered by that company alongside and competing with brands from other businesses.<ref name="Investopedia_definition">{{Cite web | first=Marshall | last=Hargrave | title=How Private Brands Matter | url=https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/private-brand.asp | website=[[Investopedia]] | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220328163920/https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/private-brand.asp | archive-date=28 March 2022 | url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Harvp|Fitzell|1982|p=9}}: "Any time a product is packaged under a label owned by a retailer, it can be called private label."</ref> A private-label brand is almost always offered exclusively by the firm that owns it. However, in rare instances, the brand is [[License#Trademark and brand licensing|licensed]] to another company.<ref>{{Harvp|Fitzell|1982|p=4}}.</ref> The term often describes [[Product (business)|products]], but can also encompass [[Service (business)|services]].

The most common definition of a private label product is one that is [[Outsourcing|outsourced]]: company A makes a product for company B, which company B then offers under their brand name.<ref>{{Cite web | first=Stella | last=Morrison | title=How Private Labeling Works | url=https://www.business.com/articles/private-labeling-details/ | website=business.com | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220502080909/https://www.business.com/articles/private-labeling-details/ | archive-date=2 May 2022 | url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | author=MBA Skool Team | title=Private Label Meaning & Definition | url=https://www.mbaskool.com/business-concepts/marketing-and-strategy-terms/10716-private-label.html | website=MBA Skool | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200918200522/https://www.mbaskool.com/business-concepts/marketing-and-strategy-terms/10716-private-label.html | archive-date=18 September 2020 | url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | first=Rasha | last=Mahmoud | title=Private Label: Definition, Example, Pros & Cons | url=https://www.retaildogma.com/private-label/ | website=Retail Dogma | date=31 May 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220502081438/https://www.retaildogma.com/private-label/ | archive-date=2 May 2022 | url-status=live}}</ref> However, it can also define products made in retailer-owned firms.<ref>{{Cite web | title=What is Private Labeling? | url=https://www.ecommerceceo.com/learn/private-labeling/ | website=Ecommerce CEO | publisher=Orbit Local LLC | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220304223721/https://www.ecommerceceo.com/learn/private-labeling/ | archive-date=4 March 2022 | url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Fitzell_(1982)_p10" /> For example, in 2018, [[Kroger|The Kroger Company]] had 60% of its private brands produced by [[Third-party source|third parties]]; the remaining 40% was manufactured internally by plants owned by Kroger.<ref name="Aylward_(2018)" /> Private-label producers are usually anonymous, sometimes [[Non-disclosure agreement|by contract]]. In other cases, they are allowed to mention their role publicly.<ref name="Hirsh_(2022)" /><ref name="Dixon_(2017)" />

==Etymology==
The term ''private label'' originated in [[retail]],<ref name="History_of_Private_Labels" /> but has since been used in other industries as well. Probably the best-known private-label brands are '''store brands''', which are managed by [[supermarket]] and [[grocery store]] chains. Examples are [[Simple Truth (brand)|Simple Truth]] by Kroger and [[Great Value]] by [[Wal-Mart]].<ref name="Biscotti_(2019)" /> Store brands compete with [[national brand]]s or name brands, like [[Coca-Cola]] or [[Lay's]].<ref name="Chron_(2022)" /><ref name="Hamm_(2012)" /><ref name="The_Dinner_Daily_(2015)" />

The term ''private-label product'' overlaps with the term ''[[white-label product]]''. They are sometimes used interchangeably but don't mean the same thing. A private-label product is created exclusively for a client, who sets specific demands on what the product or service must contain.<ref>{{Cite web | first=Rob | last=Starr | title=White Label vs. Private Label Products: What's the Difference? | url=https://smallbiztrends.com/2019/10/white-label-vs-private-label.html | website=Small Business Trends | date=7 April 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510065930/https://smallbiztrends.com/2019/10/white-label-vs-private-label.html | archive-date=10 May 2021 | url-status=live}}</ref> A white-label product is not created exclusively for one company, and although white-label manufacturers might offer customizations to their products, these are usually limited.<ref>{{Cite web | title=White Label vs Private Label – What's the Difference? | url=https://www.thatcompany.com/white-label-marketing/white-label-vs-private-label | website=That Company | date=11 April 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200526025805/https://www.thatcompany.com/white-label-marketing/white-label-vs-private-label | archive-date=26 May 2020 | quote=In a white label relationship, while the provider or manufacturer may offer a range of customizations to fit specific needs, they specify the design, parts, ingredients, or offerings.}}</ref> The specifications of a private-label product are set out by the client, whereas a white-label product is more generic and already designed.<ref>{{Cite web | first=Brittany | last=Henneberry | title=What is Private Label Branding? Private Label Definition and How it Works | url=https://www.thomasnet.com/articles/custom-manufacturing-fabricating/what-is-private-label-branding/ | website=Thomasnet.com | publisher=Thomas Publishing Company | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220503182031/https://www.thomasnet.com/articles/custom-manufacturing-fabricating/what-is-private-label-branding/ | archive-date=3 May 2022 | url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | first=Matt | last=Ellis | title=Beginner's Guide to Private Labeling and White Labeling | url=https://www.ecomdash.com/beginners-guide-private-labeling-white-labeling/ | website=Ecomdash | date=11 March 2021 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210414110431/https://www.ecomdash.com/beginners-guide-private-labeling-white-labeling/ | archive-date=14 April 2021 | url-status=live}}</ref>

==Store brands==
[[File:Lidl private label.jpg|thumb|νώμα (''noma'', "remembrance, memory"), a private-label trademark of [[Lidl]] for its Greek branch. Around 80% of the products in a Lidl store are private labels.<ref>{{Cite web | first=Mark | last=Hamstra | date=6 January 2023 | title=Lidl rolls out private label produce | website=Supermarket News | url=https://www.supermarketnews.com/private-label/lidl-rolls-out-private-label-produce | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230606002047/https://www.supermarketnews.com/private-label/lidl-rolls-out-private-label-produce | archive-date=6 June 2023 | url-status=live}}</ref>]]
[[File:Private label products in Swedish Hemköp store.jpg|thumb|Shelves in a Swedish grocery store showing both private label and international brands.]]
In the [[supermarket]] and [[grocery store]] industry, the term ''private label/brand'' is almost always used, even if the same product is sold non-exclusively to multiple [[retail]]ers with different packaging (''white label/brand'').

A '''store brand''', also called a '''house brand'''<ref>{{Dictionary.com|house brand}}</ref> or, in [[British English]], an '''own brand''',<ref>{{Cite Collins Dictionary|Own brand definition}}</ref> is a private-label brand [[trademark]]ed and managed by a [[retail]]er.<ref name="Investopedia_definition" /> This brand is almost always offered exclusively at the [[chain store]] that owns it; in rare instances, however, the brand is [[License#Trademark and brand licensing|licensed]] to another company.<ref>{{Cite book | first=Philip B. | last=Fitzell | title=Private Labels: Store Brands & Generic Products | date=1982 | publisher=AVI Publishing Company | location=Westport, Connecticut | isbn=978-0-87055-415-5 | page=4 | url=https://archive.org/details/privatelabelssto00fitz/}}</ref> Examples of store brands are [[Simple Truth (brand)|Simple Truth]] by [[Kroger]], [[Great Value]] by [[Wal-Mart]], [[Dollar General#Private brands|Clover Valley]] by [[Dollar General]], [[Market Pantry]] by [[Target Corporation|Target]], and Specially Selected by [[Aldi]].<ref name="Biscotti_(2019)">{{Cite web | first=Louis | last=Biscotti | title=Private Label Brands Roar At Retail | url= https://www.forbes.com/sites/louisbiscotti/2019/05/02/private-label-brands-roar-at-retail/ | website=[[Forbes]] | date=2 May 2019 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201202101846/https://www.forbes.com/sites/louisbiscotti/2019/05/02/private-label-brands-roar-at-retail/ | archive-date=2 December 2020 | url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | title=One more way Aldi maintains its low-price reputation: Specially Selected products | url=https://www.brickmeetsclick.com/one-more-way-aldi-maintains-its-low-price-reputation--specially-selected-products | website=brick meets click | date=29 March 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210331015757/https://www.brickmeetsclick.com/one-more-way-aldi-maintains-its-low-price-reputation--specially-selected-products | archive-date=31 March 2021 | url-status=live}}</ref> Store brands can also be eponymous, or named after the store, such as Joe's O's cereal by [[Trader Joe's]].<ref>{{Cite web | first=Katherine | last=Baker | title=15 Healthy Cereals You Can Get Your Hands on at Trader Joe's | url=http://spoonuniversity.com/lifestyle/healthy-trader-joe-cereals-jumpstart-your-morning | website=Spoon University | date=26 April 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822210915/http://spoonuniversity.com/lifestyle/healthy-trader-joe-cereals-jumpstart-your-morning | archive-date=22 August 2017 | url-status=dead}}</ref> Store brands compete with [[national brand]]s, also called premium brands or name brands,<ref name="Chron_(2022)">{{Cite web | author=((Chron Contributor)) | title=Store Brand Vs. National Brand | url= https://smallbusiness.chron.com/store-brand-vs-national-brand-68294.html | website=Chron | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220324055030/https://smallbusiness.chron.com/store-brand-vs-national-brand-68294.html | archive-date=24 March 2022 | url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Hamm_(2012)">{{Cite web | first=Trent | last=Hamm | title=The Only Difference Between Brand Names And Generic Groceries Is The Mental Block | url=https://www.businessinsider.com/the-only-difference-between-brand-names-and-generic-groceries-is-the-mental-block-2012-7?international=true&r=US&IR=T | website=[[Business Insider]] | date=28 July 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220502215514/https://www.businessinsider.com/the-only-difference-between-brand-names-and-generic-groceries-is-the-mental-block-2012-7?international=true&r=US&IR=T | archive-date=2 May 2022 | url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="The_Dinner_Daily_(2015)">{{Cite web | author=Laurin | title=Generic vs Name Brand Foods – Is there really a difference? | url=https://thedinnerdaily.com/generic-vs-name-brand-foods-is-there-really-a-difference/ | website=The Dinner Daily | date=23 April 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410115623/https://thedinnerdaily.com/generic-vs-name-brand-foods-is-there-really-a-difference/ | archive-date=10 April 2021 | url-status=live}}</ref> with its items sometimes being called brand-name products.<ref>{{Cite web | first=Hitesh | last=Bhasin | title=Generic Brand Definition – Difference from Brand Name | url=https://www.marketing91.com/what-is-generic-brand/ | website=Marketing91 | date=8 May 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920231329/https://www.marketing91.com/what-is-generic-brand/ | archive-date=20 September 2020 | url-status=live}}</ref> Examples are [[Coca-Cola]], [[Lay's]], and [[Kellogg's]]. The general appeal of store-brand products is that they are usually offered at a lower price than their name-brand counterparts.<ref name="Investopedia_definition" />

Most private-label store brand products are manufactured by [[Third-party source|third parties]], but companies owned by the retailer make some.<ref name="Fitzell_(1982)_p10">{{Harvp|Fitzell|1982|p=10}}: "The label owner may manufacture his own private label products or have them manufactured and packaged to certain specifications by outside sources, including imports."</ref> For instance, a vice president of [[The Kroger Company]] stated in 2018 that approximately 60% of their private-label products are [[Outsourcing|outsourced]]. The remaining 40% is manufactured internally: in 2018, Kroger [[Kroger#Manufacturing plants|owned 38 plants]], including 19 dairy farms, 10 bakeries, and 2 butcheries, strategically spread across the US.<ref name="Aylward_(2018)">{{Cite web | first=Lawrence | last=Aylward | title=Crowning Kroger | url=https://storebrands.com/crowning-kroger | website=Store Brands | date=23 February 2018 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20211009112959/https://storebrands.com/crowning-kroger  | archive-date=9 October 2021 | url-status=live}}</ref> Similarly, [[Safeway Inc.]] owned 32 plants as of 2012.<ref>{{Cite web | first=Kathie | last=Canning | title=Is Self-Manufacturing Right For You? | url=https://storebrands.com/self-manufacturing-right-you | website=Store Brands | date=4 January 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220503190359/https://storebrands.com/self-manufacturing-right-you | archive-date=3 May 2022 | url-status=live}}</ref> Most retailers prefer to keep the identity of their suppliers private, and accordingly have [[non-disclosure clause]]s in their contracts, making it difficult to determine the producer of a private-label product.<ref name="Hirsh_(2022)">{{Cite web | first=Sophie | last=Hirsh | title=How Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and Kroger Make Their Store-Brand Products | url=https://www.greenmatters.com/p/who-makes-store-brand-products | website=Green Matters | date=4 January 2022 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220407184222/https://www.greenmatters.com/p/who-makes-store-brand-products | archive-date=7 April 2022 | url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Dixon_(2017)">{{Cite web | first=Vince | last=Dixon | title=What Brands Are Actually Behind Trader Joe's Snacks? | url=https://www.eater.com/2017/8/9/16099028/trader-joes-products | website=[[Eater (website)|Eater]] | date=9 August 2017 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220411065156/https://www.eater.com/2017/8/9/16099028/trader-joes-products | archive-date=11 April 2022 | url-status=live}}</ref> In a few cases though, the manufacturer is allowed to mention it publicly,<ref>{{Cite web | first=Stefanie | last=Tuder | title=How La Boulangerie Bounced Back and Into Trader Joe's and Costco | url=https://sf.eater.com/2016/10/28/13407940/la-boulangerie-factory-product-san-francisco | website=Eater | date=28 October 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210331033143/https://sf.eater.com/2016/10/28/13407940/la-boulangerie-factory-product-san-francisco | archive-date=31 March 2021 | url-status=live}}</ref> is revealed through a [[product recall]], or in rare instances, is stated on the product itself. For example, the bags of [[Kirkland Signature]] coffee by [[Costco]] feature the text "Custom roasted by [[Starbucks]]".<ref>{{Cite web | first=Serah | last=Louis | title=These are the big brands hidden behind Costco's Kirkland label | url=https://moneywise.com/life/lifestyle/the-big-brands-behind-costcos-kirkland-signature-items | website=MoneyWise | date=23 December 2021 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220412015231/https://moneywise.com/life/lifestyle/the-big-brands-behind-costcos-kirkland-signature-items | archive-date=12 April 2022 | url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | first=Laura | last=Willcox | title=The Untold Truth Of Costco's Kirkland Brand | url=https://www.mashed.com/738166/the-untold-truth-of-costcos-kirkland-brand/ | website=Mashed | publisher=[[Static Media]] | date=22 February 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220319175942/https://www.mashed.com/738166/the-untold-truth-of-costcos-kirkland-brand/ | archive-date=19 March 2022 | url-status=live}}</ref>

Private-label brands emerged in the 19th century.<ref name="History_of_Private_Labels">{{Harvp|Fitzell|1982|loc=Chapter 2: History of Private Labels|pp=28–40}}.</ref> Until the early 20th century, their general focus was on delivering quality at a price below that of the national brands. In the first half of the 20th century, the quality of private brands diluted and their standards dropped. In their competitive struggle against national brands, low prices were considered more important than quality. In the second half of the century, this trend gradually reversed.<ref>{{Harvp|Fitzell|1982|loc=Chapter 2: History of Private Labels|pp=40–41}}.</ref> As quality and visual appearance improved, private labels rose to prominence in the 1970s and '80s.<ref>{{Harvp|Fitzell|1982|p=IX + 4}}.</ref> By the 1990s, they were increasingly seen as a threat to the established brands.<ref>{{Cite magazine | first1=John | last1=Quelch | first2=David| last2=Harding | title=Brands Versus Private Labels: Fighting to Win | url=https://hbr.org/1996/01/brands-versus-private-labels-fighting-to-win | magazine=[[Harvard Business Review]] | date=January–February 1996 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160524140733/https://hbr.org/1996/01/brands-versus-private-labels-fighting-to-win | archive-date=24 May 2016 | url-status=dead}}</ref> Also, from the 1990s onwards, a [[premiumization]] of store brands began to occur,<ref>{{Cite magazine | first1=David | last1=Dunne | first2=Chakravarthi | last2=Narasimhan | title=The New Appeal of Private Labels | url=https://hbr.org/1999/05/the-new-appeal-of-private-labels | magazine=[[Harvard Business Review]] | date=May–June 1999 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210421112408/https://hbr.org/1999/05/the-new-appeal-of-private-labels | archive-date=21 April 2021 | url-status=dead}}</ref> giving rise to more expensive '''premium private labels'''.<ref>{{Cite web | first=Mary Ellen | last=Shoup | title=Deloitte report: What does the future hold for the food retail sector? | url=https://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Article/2020/06/18/Deloitte-report-What-does-the-future-hold-for-the-food-retail-sector | website=FoodNavigator-USA | date=19 June 2020 | publisher=[[William Reed Ltd]] | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200621095248/https://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Article/2020/06/18/Deloitte-report-What-does-the-future-hold-for-the-food-retail-sector | archive-date=21 June 2020 | url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | title=The rise of premium private label and its impact on discount retailers | url=https://nielseniq.com/global/en/insights/analysis/2019/the-rise-of-premium-private-label-and-its-impact-on-discount-retailers/ | website=nielseniq.com | publisher=[[Nielsen Corporation]] | date=2 August 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220503204452/https://nielseniq.com/global/en/insights/analysis/2019/the-rise-of-premium-private-label-and-its-impact-on-discount-retailers/ | archive-date=3 May 2022 | url-status=live}}</ref> A survey conducted by the UK's [[Groceries Code Adjudicator]] in 2024 noted that retailers were introducing more own-label products and the adjudicator commented that this trend added to management complexities for suppliers.<ref>Belser, T., [https://www.haddletons.com/compliance/groceries-code-adjudicator-conference-2024-suppliers-should-find-their-voice-and-do-gscop-training/ Groceries Code Adjudicator Conference 2024: Suppliers Should Find Their Voice (and Do GSCOP Training)], ''Haddleton & Co Ltd.'', published on 29 October 2024, accessed on 31 October 2024</ref>

[[Generic brand]]s are often associated with store brands. Generic products were first introduced in the United States in 1977,<ref name="Wheatley_(1981)">{{Cite journal | first=John J. | last=Wheatley | date=1981 | title=The Effect of Generic Products on Consumer Perceptions and Brand Choice | url=https://www.acrwebsite.org/volumes/9804 | journal=Advances in Consumer Research | volume=8 | editor-first1=Kent B. | editor-last1=Monroe | editor-first2=Ann | editor-last2=Abor | publisher=Association for Consumer Research | pages=166–169 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020223143/https://www.acrwebsite.org/volumes/9804 | archive-date=20 October 2020 | url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="McEnally_&_Hawes_(1984)">{{Cite journal | first1=Martha R. | last1=McEnally | first2=Jon M. | last2=Hawes | date=January 1984 | title=The Market for Generic Brand Grocery Products: A Review and Extension | url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272594825 | journal=[[Journal of Marketing]] | volume=48 | issue=1 | pages=75–83 | doi=10.2307/1251313| jstor=1251313 }}</ref><ref>{{Harvp|Fitzell|1982|p=6}}.</ref> quickly winning market share from national and private-label brands.<ref>{{Cite news | first=Margaret | last=Yao | title=Clorox vs. Chlorine Bleach: Generic Products Are Winning Noticeable Shares Of Market From National Brands, Private Labels | url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/134427702 | work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] | date=10 August 1979 | page=6| id={{ProQuest|134427702}} }}</ref> A 1981 academic article described them as products "without brand names, in very plain packages with simple labels and usually sold at prices below both the national and private brands with which they compete".<ref name="Wheatley_(1981)" /> Packages of generic products often feature only the name of the type of product it contains, e.g. "Cola" or "Batteries".<ref name="McEnally_&_Hawes_(1984)" /> Nowadays, the terms ''generic brand'' and ''store brand'' are sometimes used interchangeably.<ref name="Chron_(2022)" /><ref name="Tuttle_(2012)">{{Cite magazine | first=Brad | last=Tuttle | title=Brand Names Just Don't Mean as Much Anymore | url=https://business.time.com/2012/11/01/brand-names-just-dont-mean-as-much-anymore/ | magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] | date=1 November 2012 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220120175010/https://business.time.com/2012/11/01/brand-names-just-dont-mean-as-much-anymore/ | archive-date=20 January 2022 | url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | first=Laura | last=Heller | title=10 Secrets About Store Brands | url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/lauraheller/2011/06/29/10-secrets-about-store-brands/ | website=Forbes | date=29 June 2011 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110903071648/https://www.forbes.com/sites/lauraheller/2011/06/29/10-secrets-about-store-brands/ | archive-date=3 September 2011 | url-status=live}}</ref> The term ''generic'' can be used as a pejorative toward store brand items that are perceived as bland or cheap.<ref>{{Harvp|Dixon|2017}}: "Similar stores like Aldi ... have a private-label concept but have not transcended the stigma of "generic" as Trader Joe's has, nor have they mastered the art of brand deception (or perception)."</ref><ref>{{Cite news | first=Carolyn | last=Heneghan | title=Generic no more: How private label products compete with national brands | url=https://www.grocerydive.com/news/national-branded-vs-private-labels/535667/ | website=Grocery Dive | publisher=Industry Dive | date=7 November 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220503211953/https://www.grocerydive.com/news/national-branded-vs-private-labels/535667/ | archive-date=3 May 2022 | url-status=live | quote=While national brands had colorful packages with pictures and words describing product quality, private label brands were called "generic," with bland packaging and branding. Consumers then often considered private label products to be of inferior quality compared to the national brands they stood next to.}}</ref>

A private-label brand is often produced by the same company that manufactures the national brand of that product.<ref>{{Cite web | author=Laurin | title=Generic vs Name Brand Foods - Is there really a difference? | url=https://thedinnerdaily.com/generic-vs-name-brand-foods-is-there-really-a-difference/ | website=The Dinner Daily | date=23 April 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211124220746/https://thedinnerdaily.com/generic-vs-name-brand-foods-is-there-really-a-difference/ | archive-date=24 November 2021 | url-status=live | quote=Another interesting piece of information: generics are often made by that national brand, in the same plant, from the same farm, the same dairy etc, but just packaged in a less flashy way.}}</ref> Different brands target different consumers. For instance, [[Kimberly-Clark]] makes [[Huggies]] diapers, but also produces a Walmart budget version.<ref name="Byron_(2007)">{{Cite news | first=Ellen | last=Byron | title=101 Brand Names, 1 Manufacturer | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB117867462888496739 | work=The Wall Street Journal | date=9 May 2007 | volume=CCXLIX | issue=108 | page=B1 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403064933/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB117867462888496739 | archive-date=3 April 2015 | url-status=dead}}</ref> Allegedly, some store-brand items are identical to their name-brand counterparts: they are said to be literally the same product, except for the packaging and price.<ref name="Tuttle_(2012)" /> In other cases, a manufacturer can have multiple formulas for one product, creating a private-label version using one method and the national-label version using another.<ref>{{Harvp|Dixon|2017}}: Sometimes suppliers have multiple formulas for one product; they might produce a private-label version using one formula and the brand label with another.</ref> In 2007, [[2007 pet food recalls|a mass-recall of contaminated pet food products]] brought to light that more than 100 different brands of pet food, both premium- and private-label, were in fact produced by a single company: [[Menu Foods|Menu Foods Inc.]] in Ontario, Canada. The ingredients and recipes they used differed substantially among brands, depending on what their clients specified.<ref name="Byron_(2007)" />

In the United Kingdom, supermarkets have been criticised for "fake farm" private label brands.<ref name="Guardian fake farms">{{cite news |last1=Smithers |first1=Rebecca |title=Tesco faces legal threat over marketing its food with 'fake farm' names |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/dec/13/tesco-faces-legal-threat-over-marketing-its-food-with-fake-farm-names |access-date=5 July 2023 |work=The Guardian |date=13 December 2017}}</ref><ref name="Grocer fake farms">{{cite news |last1=White |first1=Kevin |last2=Quinn |first2=Ian |title=Tesco takes flak over 'misleading' Farm brands |url=https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/own-label/tesco-takes-flak-over-misleading-farm-brands/533705.article |access-date=5 July 2023 |work=The Grocer |language=en}}</ref>

==In fast food==
Fast-food restaurant chains sell their products under their private-label brands. Their core items are usually fries and meat-based items, but they might also offer brownies, muffins, cookies, and salads. These private-brand products are offered alongside national-brand products, such as [[soft drinks]] by [[The Coca-Cola Company|Coca-Cola]] or [[PepsiCo|Pepsi]], and ice creams [[co-branded]] with [[Oreo]] or [[M&M's]].<ref>{{Harvp|Fitzell|1982|p=9}}</ref>

==In finance==
A '''private-label credit card''' (PLCC) is a type of credit card that can only be used at a specific company or chain of companies. Since this is virtually always a retail business, they are also called '''store cards'''.<ref name="Investopedia_PLCC">{{Cite web | first=Julia | last=Kagan | title=Guide to Store Credit Cards | url=https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/private-label-credit.asp | website=Investopedia | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220426045203/https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/private-label-credit.asp | archive-date=26 April 2022 | url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | first1=Lee | last1=Huffman | first2=Dia | last2=Adams | title=What's The Difference Between A Store Card And A Credit Card? | url=https://www.forbes.com/advisor/credit-cards/whats-the-difference-between-a-store-card-and-a-credit-card/ | website=Forbes | date=3 January 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510050439/https://www.forbes.com/advisor/credit-cards/whats-the-difference-between-a-store-card-and-a-credit-card/ | archive-date=10 May 2021 | url-status=live}}</ref> The retailer partners with a bank that issues the cards, funds the credits, and collects payments from customers. The cards themselves are branded with the logo of the store, but not the bank.<ref>{{Cite web | first=Latoya | last=Irby | title=What Is a Private Label Credit Card? | url=https://www.thebalance.com/what-is-a-private-label-credit-card-5188474 | website=[[The Balance (website)|The Balance]] | date=9 June 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220316195900/https://www.thebalance.com/what-is-a-private-label-credit-card-5188474 | archive-date=16 March 2022 | url-status=live}}</ref> Examples are the [[Target Corporation|Target]] Circle Card (formerly Target RedCard) (issued by [[TD Bank, N.A.]]),<ref>{{Cite web | title=Target REDcard | url=https://money.usnews.com/credit-cards/td-bank/target-redcard | website=[[U.S. News & World Report]] | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220207141514/https://money.usnews.com/credit-cards/td-bank/target-redcard | archive-date=7 February 2022 | url-status=live}}</ref> the [[Walmart]] Reward Card (issued by [[Capital One]]),<ref>{{Cite web | first=Holly D. | last=Johnson | title=Walmart Rewards Card Review | url= https://www.thebalance.com/walmart-credit-card-review-4768192 | website=The Balance | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416144239/https://www.thebalance.com/walmart-credit-card-review-4768192 | archive-date=16 April 2021 | url-status=live}}</ref> and the [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]] Store Card (issued by [[Synchrony Bank]]).<ref>{{Cite web | first=Brendan | last=Harkness | title=Review of the Amazon.com Store Card | url=https://www.creditcardinsider.com/reviews/amazon-com-store-card-review/ | website=Credit Card Insider | date=6 January 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926090439/https://www.creditcardinsider.com/reviews/amazon-com-store-card-review/ | archive-date=26 September 2020 | url-status=dead}}</ref> PLCCs also do not carry the logo of the [[payment network]] (e.g. [[Visa Inc.|Visa]] or [[Mastercard]]), but they do use that network for transactions.<ref name="Investopedia_PLCC" />

Private-label store credit cards are sometimes compared to but not the same as [[co-branded credit cards]]. These cards usually feature the payment network logo, and sometimes the bank's logo.<ref>{{Cite web | author=kyle | title=Private Label vs Co Branded Credit Cards: What Is The Difference? | url=https://viatravelers.com/private-label-vs-co-branded-credit-cards/ | website=Via Travelers | date=25 February 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220303142636/https://viatravelers.com/private-label-vs-co-branded-credit-cards/ | archive-date=3 March 2022 | url-status=live}}</ref> Unlike PLCCs, co-branded cards work like 'normal' credit cards, usable at any place where that type of card is accepted.<ref>{{Cite web | first=Elizabeth | last=Gravier | title=How co-branded credit cards work and the 5 most unique ones we found | url=https://www.cnbc.com/select/co-branded-credit-cards/ | website=[[CNBC]] | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604013243/https://www.cnbc.com/select/co-branded-credit-cards/ | archive-date=4 June 2020 | url-status=live | quote=Like a store card or a loyalty card, using a co-branded card lets you access discounts and special deals. However, since the card is backed by a major issuer and/or network, you can use it anywhere that type of card is accepted.}}</ref> For instance, warehouse chain [[Nordstrom]] offers a Nordstrom Store Card (private label) and a Nordstrom Credit Card (co-branded), both issued by [[TD Bank, N.A.]] and using Visa's network.<ref name="Investopedia_PLCC" />

==See also==
* [[Contract packager]]
* [[Ghost developer]]
* [[Ghost writer]]
* [[Rebadging]]
* [[White-label product]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Private labels}}
* [https://plma.com/ Private Label Manufacturers Association]
* [https://storebrands.com/ StoreBrands.com]

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Brand management]]
[[Category:Store brands| ]]