10 Private-Label Grocery Brands That Have Earned Serious Loyalty

It's no secret that many grocery stores have been expanding and improving their private-label brands for years, but the numbers themselves are pretty shocking. Back in 2021, the market saw about a $2 billion increase in the sales of products unique to particular grocery stores, and that's just scratching the surface. Fast forward to 2025, and the private-label section of the industry was worth a whopping $271 billion, and there's no signs of stopping. 

The rising popularity of store brands is a fascinating thing, as it wasn't long ago that buying store-brand products meant you were compromising on quality in a big way, all for getting a cheaper product. Generic products have been huge during times of economic recession, but starting in the 1990s, something interesting happened. Grocery stores started improving products, then marketing private-label goods as exclusive offerings instead of budget ones. Secrecy around sourcing and manufacturers added a layer of mystique, and suddenly, private-label brands were developing massive, devoted followings.

Some of the most popular brands have the kind of fan bases you might expect to see eagerly following pop stars, not grocery stores. Customers stock up on favorite products, trade tips on best buys, and even post limited-edition finds to social media. They try to figure out what big-name companies are behind their favorite products, they're very vocal when recipes change, and they're loyal. Here are some of the private-label grocery brands with the most devoted followings.

You've probably heard things like the claim that Kirkland Signature's prosecco is better and more affordable than any name brand, or that Kirkland's mac and cheese is one of the best prepared side dishes on the market — and honestly, the love never seems to end. When one Reddit user asked others for their recommendations on favorite Kirkland products, fans gave shout-outs to everything from extra virgin olive oil to garbage bags, cheese tortellini, baby wipes and diapers, ice cream, and even golf balls. If that seems like a completely random cross-section of products, it is — and it shows just how varied the line truly is.

As of 2024, Kirkland Signature had about 550 different products, and that's not even the truly impressive thing. The private label was created in 1995 as an umbrella to consolidate the chain's other brands, and in 2023, it earned Costco $56 billion in revenue. That's such a big number it's hard to imagine, but let's put it this way: That put the warehouse store $10 billion ahead of Coca-Cola for the year.

Costco's success comes because it makes it a point to undercut name brand products on price, and given the skyrocketing cost of groceries over the decades, it makes sense that customers look for affordability. But the chain takes quality seriously, too, with every one of Kirkland's products getting approval from the highest offices of corporate before it hits shelves.

Walmart's Great Value brand has been around since 1993, and products go through a rigorous series of product testings and comparisons. The idea is to make sure that Great Value products can hold their own against name brands, and according to customers, they're the real deal. When Reddit users start discussing which Great Value products are even better than name brands, shout-outs include hazelnut spread (that's more flavorful than Nutella), nacho cheese-flavored chips (that are better than Doritos), thin mint cookies (with no need to wait for the Girl Scout Cookies season), and some even swear by Great Value's version of Ziploc bags. 

And for some customers, it's an across-the-board win. Many say that they have such faith in the brand that they know there's not going to be a difference in quality, with some saying there are only one or two things they've found that they'll skip. For an idea of just how many people turn to Great Value, consider this: In 2024, more than 72% of all U.S. consumers bought a Great Value product. 

By the numbers, some favorites include pantry items like paper plates and condiments, with snack foods and frozen foods following close behind. Interestingly, trends suggest Great Value is a go-to for shelf-stable products, essentials and basics, and impulse buys. Add in the fact that the brand has more than 48,000 products that cost less than $5, as of this writing, and it's no wonder it's a customer favorite.

Fun fact: Kroger is the oldest grocery chain in the U.S. It's had a lot of growing to do since the turn of the 20th century, and surprisingly, it wasn't until 2022 that the chain announced the addition of Smart Way, a private-label brand that started with about 150 products and a focus on affordable, non-perishable items. It's safe to say that customers connected with the brand in a big way, and within a year, Smart Way took the top spot as the fastest-growing private-label grocery brand. Within just a few months, Kroger estimated that Smart Way products had made it into the carts of around 2 million customers, and that's wildly impressive for such a new brand. 

There's no denying that Smart Way's price point is a huge selling factor, with many items priced at $1.50 and $2.29. That latter price includes pizza, and when one Reddit user posted a photo of their bargain Smart Way pizza, it was undeniable that it actually looked pretty darn tasty. Other Reddit users point out that Smart Way medications — which have the same active ingredients, as regulated by law — are an amazing deal compared to name brands, too. 

In 2025, Kroger announced it was going to be adding hundreds of new products to its private-label brands, including Smart Way and the more expensive Private Selection line. Given some favorable chatter, an incredibly affordable price point, and the relative newness of Kroger's budget line, we predict this is going to be a go-to for budget staples.

To say that customers love Trader Joe's is kind of an understatement, and that brings us to a neat metric. In 2023, experts calculated something called the sales per square foot of various chains — it basically tells how much revenue a store makes for each square foot of space it has. While Walmart made about $400 per square foot, TJ's brought in a whopping $1,750 per square foot. Given that as much as 80% of its products are from the chain's own private label, that's even more impressive. 

It's been that way for a long time, with Trader Joe's products earning the highest percentage of customer trust back in a 2018 survey of thousands of shoppers. That was largely credited to the fact that, while some chains have their own private labels as a part of their overall product range, Trader Joe's specializes in those private products. It's led to some major upward trends: In 2025, the number of customers and visits were up, and more stores were being planned and opened. 

Perhaps most famously, there are a ton of customers who swear by Trader Joe's mandarin orange chicken, but when we headed to Reddit to see what other private-label products were on must-buy lists, we found out very, very quickly that the answer is kind of "everything." From frozen meals to snacks, dips, baking essentials, and so on ... hundreds and hundreds of comments list even more items, and it would take less time to list any products that aren't recommended. If, that is, there are any.

When we here at Tasting Table outlined our picks for items that you should definitely buy on your first trip to Aldi, there were several Specially Selected products on the list — including the everything sourdough loaf and the chocolate chip-filled brioche. We're not the only ones who have some of these private-label Aldi brands on our radar, as there are a ton of Reddit users who swear by the chain's Specially Selected ice cream. Strawberry cheesecake? Dulce de leche? Yes, please! Even the vanilla gets high praise for flavor and texture, and let's be honest: Ice cream is hard to get perfect. 

Aldi's success has been largely driven by its private-label brands, which have been key to keeping costs low and passing those savings on to the customer. In 2024, Dave Rinaldo, the president of Aldi U.S., explained to Supermarket News, "At Aldi, we have a fanatical customer base. I believe the main reason for that is that our customers trust us. And when you earn that trust, amazing things can happen."

Aldi has a number of private-label brands, and Specially Selected are the gourmet products. The line debuted in 2013, and in 2024, the UK-based version of the line added around 1,000 products and took the winning spot for Own-Label Range of the Year. While Aldi made a name offering high-quality, inexpensive products, this line is credited with allowing the chain to compete with other stores, offering customers the chance to get gourmet, holiday-worthy products at bargain prices.

It's possible to make a surprising number of mistakes when you're shopping for a bottle of wine, and those include putting too much weight on price point. Still, the idea that you can get a decent bottle of wine for less than $10 — and sometimes for around $3 — sounds way too good to be true, but fans say Aldi's Winking Owl wines are the real deal. 

We're not just talking about one or two wines, either, we're talking about the whole line. Every variety has its fans, and it's worth noting that Aldi in general is known for putting a lot into making sure the wines that make it to the shelves are outstanding, affordable, and in some cases, award-winning. The Winking Owl line in particular often gets a shout-out as being one of the (many) factors that's helping Aldi grow so fast in the U.S., and it's gotten a ton of attention for not only being affordable, but being accessible and easy-to-drink. Some also point out that, at the quality and price point, it's perfect for picking up bottles to both drink and cook with. 

It's the kind fans are happy to serve guests, too. In 2024, one bride went viral for heading to Aldi and spending just around $200 to buy wine for her wedding. When commenters — who hadn't tried Winking Owl — wondered if it was wedding-worthy wine, the response was that it definitely was.

Just as Costco consolidated all of its private-label products under the Kirkland Signature umbrella, Sam's Club did the same thing with Member's Mark. For Sam's, the change came in 2017, and it poised the Walmart-adjacent store to directly compete with Costco. Chatter on Reddit has users often comparing the two, and just as Kirkland has its supporters, there are a ton of people who swear by Member's Mark products, as well.

Surprisingly, Member's Mark toilet paper has a ton of fans who say it's the best around, and it kind of makes sense: Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, we all learned just how important good-quality TP really is. Other items like paper towels and laundry detergent get high praise, too, and it's worth noting that's just the tip of the iceberg. Everything from the rotisserie chicken and lunch meat to fruit, snacks, sports drinks, and the bakery's cakes are stand-out favorites among customers. It's estimated that Member's Mark products have accounted for about half of Sam's Club's growth between 2023 and 2025, and the club is putting more and more into upgrading and expanding the line.

In 2025, it announced that all synthetic dyes would be phased out of products over the course of the year, and yes, Sam's Club CEO Chris Nicolas has said (via CNBC) that the chain's focus on Member's Mark was directly influenced by the success of Costco. When asked if he thought Sam's could pass Costco, retail analyst Michael Baker told the outlet, "Never say never. Who knows? But I think it's going to take a long time."

This one's pretty specific, and while many of the private-label brands that we're talking about have products that range from toilet paper to rotisserie chickens, Aldi's Choceur is chocolate. According to fans, it's some of the best chocolate to ever grace a grocery store shelf anywhere, and it's often mentioned in the same way that high-end chocolate brands like Lindt are. And that's true no matter what kind of chocolate you like. Milk chocolate? With or without almonds? Dark chocolate? Even the white chocolate is said to be outstanding, and that's definitely a love-or-hate sort of thing. 

Choceur has won blind taste tests when up against much more expensive chocolates, and even when it loses, it's more on technicalities than a lack of deliciousness. Rich and creamy, it stands out in a field of overwhelmingly, cloyingly sweet American chocolates, and there's more good news about Choceur, too. Chocolate production often has all kinds of issues associated with it, from mass deforestation to illegal growing, violations of child labor laws, and other human rights abuses. For Choceur, Aldi joined Tony's Open Chain in 2020, which means the chocolate is traceable and sustainable, and that farmers are adequately paid for their labor.

Target announced the Good & Gather line in 2019, but it's safe to say that it came into the market with a strong start that included plans for more than 2,000 items. It was a huge deal that was meant to overhaul Target's image as a store that was lacking on the grocery front, and that only tells part of the story. Target also moved on the private-label trend in a big way, with Good & Gather joining more than 25 other private labels.

The brand had been in the works for years before it was publicly announced, and it's earned the chain some loyalty. Customer favorites include things like the squeezable guacamole, and for anyone who hates wasting guac, you'll want try this long-lasting version in a squeezable plastic tube that people love. The label also gets some attention for seasoning blends, organic meats, and snacks like sandwich crackers. 

By 2025, the chain's Good & Gather milk was a top seller, and it's no wonder that the label is credited for helping to shift some brand loyalty Target's way. The label has increased to include more than 11,000 items that retailed for between $2 and $4, and sales have been continually trending upwards. Factor in the number of staples — including canned vegetables and tomato sauces — that sell for less than a dollar with high rates of customer satisfaction, and it seems as though hopping on the private-label bandwagon was the right call for Target.

Like many other chains, Whole Foods tends not to reveal who actually makes its 365 private-label products. Still, that hasn't kept the brand from being kind of a big deal, and in December 2017, it was announced that. since that August, customers had purchased 365 products totaling a whopping $10 million from Amazon. Customer demand was so great that when the brand shifted onto Amazon, it couldn't keep up — particularly for canned and frozen goods, as well as snack foods.

Although Whole Foods' attempt at opening stores solely dedicated to the brand failed after just a few opened, selling on Amazon has proved to be wildly popular. By 2024, the chain was relying more and more on the private-label brand, and more surprising than the success of the label was the fact that 2024 also came with an announcement that 880 products were going to be getting cheaper — while still maintaining the same quality customers expected.

There are some surprising products that get shout-outs among Reddit users, including vegan cheese that's apparently so good it's worth a try even for those who aren't vegan, and the peanut butter — which some claim is so delicious that they just have to pick up more every time they go, whether they need it or not. Frozen pizzas and snacks like cookies, chips,  and trail mix are also popular go-tos among the grocery store's loyal customers.