Across the United States, grocery aisles are looking a little brighter—and competition is heating up in ways that could reshape how Americans shop for food. As more consumers turn to private-label products for value, major retailers like Walmart, Target, Kroger, and Aldi are investing heavily in redesigning their store brands, hoping to win over a new generation of shoppers and fend off rivals in a rapidly evolving market.
In April 2026, Walmart announced a sweeping redesign of its Great Value brand—the first full refresh in over a decade. The new look aims to provide consistent placement of nutritional information, clearer visual cues for shoppers, and a modernized, approachable feel across thousands of items. "At our scale, that means creating something that works clearly and intuitively across thousands of individual items, so customers can find what matters, faster. We’ve built a system that does exactly that, bringing consistency, clarity and a sense of discovery to every shelf," said David Hartman, Walmart’s vice president of creative, in a news release quoted by Modern Retail.
Walmart’s move comes as private-label brands are seeing a surge in popularity. According to a 2025 NeilsenIQ report, more than half of global consumers say they are increasingly purchasing more private-label products. This trend is particularly pronounced among Gen-Z shoppers: a recent report from consulting firm BRG found that 67% of Gen-Z consumers believe private-label products are just as good as national brands. “As long as the product is meeting their standards of quality … but is hitting the price point that they would like, they don’t care what the brand is,” Sara Lavi, senior managing consultant for BRG, told Modern Retail.
Retailers are taking note. Target, for instance, introduced colorful new packaging for its Up&up brand in 2024, making it easier for customers to identify products on the shelf. The redesign uses large product names and vibrant visuals, aiming for quick recognition and appeal. Aldi, meanwhile, began a refresh of its branding and packaging in 2025, putting its logo on every private-label product and standardizing fonts and graphic design across its offerings.
But Aldi isn’t just updating its look—it’s expanding its physical presence at a breakneck pace. According to The Sun, the German budget retailer is opening five new stores on May 14, 2026, in Alabama (Westgate Parkway, Dothan), Florida (West State Road, Davie and Mezzo Drive, Venice), Michigan (Fulton Street, Lowell), and Tennessee (Pennell Lane, Dyersburg). These openings are part of a broader 180-store expansion for 2026, under Aldi’s 50th anniversary growth strategy in the US. The company is investing $9 billion to operate 3,200 stores nationwide by the end of 2028—a move that could see Aldi surpass Kroger and seriously challenge Walmart’s dominance.
If Aldi achieves its ambitious goal, it will have hundreds more stores than Kroger, which plans to reach a maximum of 2,850 stores by 2028. While Walmart will likely remain on top with 4,611 stores, Aldi’s rapid growth and focus on value have made it a formidable contender. And the retailer is being strategic about where it opens new locations, targeting areas where Walmart already has a strong presence—an intentional move to win over cost-conscious shoppers.
One reason for Aldi’s growing popularity is price. Studies cited by Talk Business show that Aldi’s basket of goods is up to 8% cheaper than the same basket at Walmart, making it a go-to destination for those seeking value. Aldi’s stores are much smaller than Walmart’s sprawling supercenters—an average of 12,000 square feet compared to 180,000—but this compact size is ideal for quick shopping trips, and the retailer’s focus on private-label brands promises “premium quality at discount prices.”
Scott Patton, Aldi’s chief commercial officer, explained the thinking behind the company’s recent packaging overhaul: “What we’re seeing so far is exactly what we hoped for—customers are recognizing our products more quickly on the shelf. Our goal from the start was to make Aldi private labels easier to spot and reinforce the trust our shoppers already have in both our brand and the products they’re adding to their cart,” he told Modern Retail. By early May 2026, Aldi had submitted about 60% of its new product artwork to suppliers, with many redesigned products already appearing in stores.
Part of Aldi’s strategy is to put its logo front and center, capitalizing on the trust and recognition it has built with shoppers. “Shoppers were already referring to so much of what they buy as ‘the Aldi brand,’ whether it said that on the package or not,” Patton said. “We had built a level of trust and recognition that wasn’t fully showing up on shelves.” The new panel system on packaging highlights product names, key claims, and benefits, while allowing flexibility in color and imagery depending on the product category. “We needed a system that could do a lot of jobs at once. It had to be unmistakably Aldi but still allow our different products and categories to shine,” Patton added. “When 90% of your store is private label, you have to make sure everything feels cohesive, but still distinct enough that it’s not a wall of sameness.”
Other retailers aren’t standing still. Kroger, for instance, has been tapping into health and wellness trends, adding two dozen new products to its Simple Truth Protein line earlier in 2026, including high-protein cereal and beef sticks made with grass-fed beef. According to Jim Olson, senior retail insights manager for Spins, “The table is set, … with the way things are going right now in the economy, for private label to still have a very significant place in this CPG space. Their ability to tap into relevant trends—whether it’s protein and fiber or global flavors—while still offering that eternal value proposition sets them up for long term success.”
The push to modernize private-label packaging isn’t limited to the biggest national chains. Hannaford, a grocery chain in the Northeast, announced in March 2026 a packaging refresh that will continue through 2027. The new designs feature clear product descriptions, updated photos, a more prominent quality guarantee, and a side panel outlining the brand’s promise of connection and ingredient transparency. Sarah Guzmán, Hannaford’s vice president of marketing, emphasized the importance of packaging that reflects product quality: “People want high-quality visuals, high-quality photography that highlights fresh ingredients—some of the cues that really help people understand that something’s going to taste good.” She also noted that clear labeling is essential for quick shopping decisions, saying, “Customers want things that are easy to read and help them make quick shopping decisions.”
As the economy remains uncertain and shoppers become more price-sensitive, the competition among grocers is likely to intensify. Private-label brands, once considered second-tier, are now front and center, with retailers investing in design, quality, and innovation to win shopper loyalty. Whether it’s Walmart’s modernized Great Value, Target’s colorful Up&up, Kroger’s health-focused Simple Truth, Hannaford’s refreshed offerings, or Aldi’s aggressive expansion and unmistakable branding, the message is clear: the battle for the American grocery cart is on, and the winners will be those that deliver quality, value, and a shopping experience that meets the changing needs of today’s consumers.
With every new store opening and each redesigned package, the grocery landscape is shifting—making every trip to the supermarket a little more interesting, and perhaps, a bit more affordable.