The share of private labels in Romania reached 30.2% in 2024, with risks for producers and innovation, warns the Competition Council.

According to the Competition Council report, private labels of retailers have significantly increased, reaching 30.2% of total products and 33.8% of food products in 2024. Romanian products account for 52.1%, surpassing foreign products. This growth provides retailers with greater adaptability in inflationary conditions, but it may affect markets by reducing producers' independence and innovation. The Council warns about the 'waterbed' effect, where markups increase in other categories, and emphasizes that although private labels are often cheaper, overall markups can be higher. Retailers use control over prices to subsidize basic products, which can lead to pressure on producers' margins and increased prices in other categories.