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Something has quietly shifted in how people in Spain shop. For years, reaching for the supermarket's own version of a product rather than a named brand was seen as a purely financial decision, a way to stretch the budget a little further. That's still part of it, but it's no longer the whole story.

 

A new study from Aldi, based on a survey of 1,586 people and published this week, finds that 57.7% of shoppers in Spain say they've increased their purchases of supermarket own-brand products over the past three years. Crucially, the reason isn't solely price. Nearly 80% of those surveyed say they perceive quality to have improved significantly, and 72.6% believe competitive pricing doesn't mean compromising on what's in the packet.

 

Aldi itself was named Spain's best supermarket by shoppers last year, which gives the company a particular platform to be talking about own-brand trends. Its Head of Market and Customer Research, Hugo Liria, says the direction of travel is clear. "The outlook is that own-brand products will continue to grow. Currently, the fastest-growing supermarkets are those with the strongest presence of these types of products," he said.

 

When asked why they choose own-brand products, 69.9% of shoppers cited good value for money as the main reason, followed by low prices at 52.8% and the search for promotions and offers at 31.8%. It's a telling mix, showing that while cost still matters, it's the overall sense of getting a good deal rather than simply buying cheap that's driving the trend.

 

The numbers back that up. Own-brand products now account for 53.8% of household purchase volume in Spain, excluding fresh produce. The average household buys own-brand items around 104 times a year, spending roughly €25 a week, which adds up to €1,306 annually, 3.8% more than last year.

 

Once people try an own-brand product and like it, they tend to go further. The study found that 92.4% of consumers added another own-brand item to their basket after a positive first experience, and 83.1% went on to try own-brand products in other categories too.

 

Cleaning and household products are where own brands have the strongest foothold, representing 69.2% of purchase volume in that category. Packaged food sits at 52.7% and personal care products at 43.1%, with both growing year on year.

 

Spain is also leading Europe on this trend. According to data from market research firm Circana, Spain recorded the fastest growth rate for own-brand products across the continent, ahead of the Netherlands, the UK, Germany and France. It now holds the second highest own-brand market share in Europe at 52%, behind only the Netherlands at 55%.

 

 

Image: Gustavo Fring/Pexels