The Private Label Threat
How Own-Brand Products Are Disrupting Consumer Healthcare E-commerce in the UK
Competitive Intelligence | Brand Managers, Category Managers, Strategy
In the United Kingdom, own-brand products already account for more than 35% of grocery retail sales. But this phenomenon is no longer confined to supermarket shelves. For several years now, private label products have been making inroads into territory long considered impenetrable: consumer healthcare (CHC). And this progression is now accelerating across digital channels — Amazon.co.uk, Boots, Superdrug, and other authorised online pharmacies.
For national healthcare brands, this is a strategic warning signal. Consumer confidence in established health and beauty brands and self-medication products is gradually eroding, driven by three converging forces: inflation pushing shoppers towards cheaper alternatives, the rising perceived quality of private label products, and marketplace algorithms that reward transactional performance rather than brand recognition.
This article analyses the rise of own-brand and private label products in UK online CHC, identifies the most exposed categories, and sets out concrete differentiation strategies for national brands seeking to defend — and reclaim — their digital territory.
The Private Label Landscape in Consumer Healthcare: Where Does the UK Stand?
The Structural Growth of Private Labels in CHC
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