1/15/2024
Established brands currently have it anything but easy. They are increasingly disappearing from supermarket shelves and being replaced by private labels. Inflation and ongoing price wars have already caused major losses for top global brands and there seems to be no end in sight. Their disappearance is increasing the importance of private labels, not least as a result of changing consumer perceptions. They were once seen as inferior alternatives to the big players. In the meantime, this image has changed. Today, private labels often offer high-quality products at fair prices - certified by good marks from Stiftung Warentest. The gap between own brands and premium brands is therefore becoming smaller and smaller.
In addition, retailers themselves are also promoting their brands much more confidently and aggressively: They look more premium than they used to, are more diverse - and are increasingly difficult to distinguish from branded products. As packaging designers, we are of course experiencing this trend at first hand
The German drugstore chain Müller is one company that has taken the bold step of paying more attention to its own brands. Müller made a powerful statement last year with the launch of two own brands: a new technology brand and a natural cosmetics brand, “ON&ON” and “echt. by Terra Naturi”, were added to the range. And Müller's facial care brand “CV (Cadea Vera)” was also given a new, higher-quality look. As an agency, we were entrusted with the task of developing designs for these brands that deliberately stand out from the conventional own-brand aesthetic in order to compete with the established brands.
A trend for the future?
