New research from Simon-Kucher reveals price sensitivity, growing demand for quality, and a sharp rise in private label purchases across key markets
Simon-Kucher, the leading growth consultancy, released the findings of its Shopper Study 2025. The study reveals that consumers worldwide are rethinking how they shop—prioritizing price, seeking higher quality, and increasingly turning to private-label products. Based on a survey of 8,000 respondents across seven countries, the findings showcase a clear shift towards private labels, driven by affordability and evolving priorities.
“The enduring appeal of private labels underscores the changing dynamics of consumer behavior,” said Alexander Bilsing, Partner at Simon-Kucher. “Price sensitivity remains the top factor for shoppers, but quality and sustainability are becoming increasingly important. Retailers that recognize and act on this shift will be better positioned to capture and retain customer loyalty.”
Key Findings:
Private label dominance: More than half (53 percent) of consumers prefer private labels, with the highest share in Spain (64 percent), France (60 percent), and the Netherlands (58 percent). The US (42 percent) and Sweden (47 percent) show the lowest adoption, highlighting growth potential in these markets.
Price remains paramount: Between 55 and 66 percent of respondents across all countries state that price has become even more important, particularly in the UK, US, and Spain.
Rising quality awareness: 34 percent of respondents place an increasing emphasis on quality, with notable increases in the US (45 percent) and Germany (37 percent).
Sustainability gains traction: Around 28 percent of shoppers prioritize sustainability, particularly younger consumers. In France and the Netherlands, a significant share of respondents (23 percent and 26 percent, respectively) indicate that sustainability holds less importance for them now compared to the beginning of 2024.
Category growth: The share of respondents buying more private label products increased across nearly all product categories and markets, with the biggest growth in dairy, dry products, frozen and fresh produce.
Category exceptions: Alcoholic beverages and baby products saw declines in private label share.
Future Trends: If prices rise, more than 50 percent of respondents would turn even more to private labels, particularly in the Netherlands (58 percent), Spain (56 percent), and the UK (55 percent).
If prices remain stable, nearly 15 percent of respondents across all countries would increase their purchase of private label products on average.
If prices drop, 54 percent will continue their current behavior. Among 18-24-year-olds, 17 percent will buy more private labels, prioritizing quality and sustainability over price.
"The days of private labels being viewed solely as budget options are over," added Martin Crépy, Senior Partner at Simon-Kucher. "These private labels now represent a sophisticated strategy to meet the modern shopper’s expectations for both affordability and product quality."
Complete study findings are available upon request.
*About the Study: The Shopper Study 2025 edition was conducted in December 2024 by Simon-Kucher. The study surveyed over 8,000 consumers across seven countries (France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, UK, and US), including representative quotas for age, gender, living area, education level, employment status & income level.
About Simon-Kucher
Simon-Kucher is a global consultancy with more than 2,000 employees in 31 countries. Our sole focus is on unlocking better growth that drives measurable revenue and profit for our clients. We achieve
this by optimizing every lever of their commercial strategy – product, price, innovation, marketing, and sales – based on deep insights into what customers want and value. With 40 years of experience in monetization topics of all kinds, we are regarded as the world’s leading pricing and growth specialist.