Spain, white brand. Landowner and company are about to dethrone traditional brands

Distributor brands have silently conquered Spanish baskets, from 20% in 2003 to 44% in 2024 without pause or truce, according to a Kantar study published in Expansion.

This increase has been unstoppable, without distinguishing between years of economic crises and years of growth.

Why is it important. This commercial third change transcends the typical flight to the cheap during crises. The White brand has evolved towards a premium differentiation strategy that has broken the traditional monopoly of the big brands.

The context. The ascent has been unstoppable during these more than two decades, growing both in years of crisis (2008-2014, pandemia) and economic bonanza. Neither post-crisis recovery Recent inflation They have stopped their progress, dismantling the myth that they are temporary products.

In figures:

• Lidl leads with 82.1% share.
• Mercadona follows with 74.5%.
• Carrefour seeks to move from 33% to 40% before 2026.
• Day already reaches 57%.

In fact, Dia has redesigned more than 2,000 products to “enlorate raw materials” and create “own formulas.” Its purchasing director is clear: “We do not want to be the quality C, but the A”. It is the definitive jump of imitation to your own innovation.

The trend. There are several phases in this growth:

• From 2003 to 2019, constant but moderate growth, around the annual point.
• From 2020 to 2022, brutal acceleration: +4.1 points in two years.
• Since 2022, rhythm consolidation, +2.7 points in two years.

If the recent growth rate is maintained (1,3-1.4 annual points), the white brand would reach 50% between 2028 and 2029. And would overcome traditional brands in quota.

Yes, but. The data suggest that we are close to a natural plateau. Few developed economies exceed 55-60% value share of the white brand, because there are always premium niches and categories where traditional brands maintain advantage (luxury, technological innovation, very specialized products).

The money trail. The chains control the entire value chain: from the recipe to the linear, without intermediaries. This allows them to achieve higher margins while they offer quite competitive prices, a much more complicated equation for traditional brands.

Spain approaches the German model, where The white brand has gone very much in the market Regarding other countries. Traditional brands will face their greatest existential threat: compete against those who control both the product and the sales channel.

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