Health and wellness have become central to consumer decision-making, creating a significant growth opportunity for Private Brand. What was once limited to specialised ranges or wellness-focused consumer segments is now an expectation across everyday FMCG categories. For retailers, this shift offers an opportunity to use Private Brand to shape how consumers access healthier, more relevant products.
 

Making Healthy Choices More Accessible

Traditionally, Private Brand has been associated with low value, but consumer expectations are evolving. They increasingly seek products that combine affordability with quality, credible health credentials, and clear ingredient information. This is especially important as consumers face rising food costs while continuing to prioritise their wellbeing.

Research conducted by Mintel in France indicates that 61% of consumers believe that purchasing Private Brand products makes a healthy diet more affordable. Similarly, in the UAE, price sensitivity intersects with health consciousness: 57% of consumers actively seek out healthy ingredients, while 44% carefully read nutritional labels on the products they choose.

Furthermore, as food prices continue to rise, 34% of respondents are specifically looking for Private Brands or low-cost products in grocery stores (Euromonitor). This trend highlights the significant role of Private Brands in making healthier choices accessible without imposing a substantial cost on consumers.
 

What Does ‘Healthy’ Mean Now?

One of the most notable changes in the health and wellness landscape is how consumers define "healthy." Daymon research shows that while traditional nutritional metrics remain essential, shoppers are increasingly motivated by the desire to feel better, reduce their intake of processed foods, and fully understand the ingredients in the products they purchase.

This has sparked a broader "de-junking" mindset, where removing unwanted ingredients can be just as appealing as adding nutritional benefits. According to the GlobalData 2026 Q2 Consumer Survey, 52% of Saudi consumers and 40% of UAE consumers believe that information about the health benefits of ingredients is an essential/key driver in their food and drink purchasing decisions.
 

Cleaning Up The Label

Simple ingredient lists and clean labels are increasingly seen as indicators of healthier options. Retailers have responded quickly, making gluten-free snacks, plant-based alternatives, clean-label products, and specialised nutrition ranges essential parts of their offerings.

This means that health is no longer limited to a specialised “wellness” category. Retailers are showcasing the potential of health innovation in various ways. In Austria, Billa is reformulating its Vegavita plant-based range by eliminating flavour enhancers, preservatives, artificial flavours, palm oil, and hydrogenated fats. Meanwhile, Marks & Spencer in the UK has launched a Private Brand range focused on minimal ingredients, utilising distinctive packaging to create a clear clean-label identity. Kathryn Turner, director of product development at M&S, says there’s been “a great response” to the range, which was created “for customers looking for simple, clean ingredients without sacrificing convenience”. After all, “our customers are looking at exactly what’s in their food more than they have before” (The Grocer).
 

Health Moves Into The Mainstream: Everyday Products, New Health Benefits

Retailers are also incorporating health attributes into their broader Private Brand portfolios, covering everything from everyday staples to snacks, beverages, and functional products.

Carrefour UAE’s organic range, under the Carrefour Bio Private Brand, includes pantry staples, snacks, and sweets, helping make the region's organic offering more affordable for consumers. Similarly, Spinneys offers free-from and plant-based ranges under its SpinneysFOOD Private Brand, bringing healthy, dietary and nutrition-focused products into everyday categories.

In the UAE, LuLu has taken a different approach by transforming a high-volume, traditionally generic category—eggs—into a platform for functional nutrition. Its segmented range includes pasteurised eggs for consumers concerned about food safety, along with products designed to promote immunity, antioxidants, heart health, and vitamin D. The retailer has also expanded its Private Brand snacks to include health-oriented options, such as gluten-free products.

These examples illustrate the wide range of opportunities in healthy product development. It doesn’t always require creating an entirely new category; sometimes, it simply involves refining a familiar product and offering consumers a clearer reason to choose it.
 

Scaling The Wellness Opportunity

The opportunity now is to make wellness both relevant and scalable. Health-conscious consumers are not a uniform group, and their priorities may range from cleaner ingredients and simpler nutrition to specific functional benefits or dietary needs. Private brands are well-positioned to respond to this diversity because retailers can leverage consumer insights, category knowledge, product development, and pricing to support rapid innovation. The strongest propositions will combine clear benefits, accessible prices, and credible communication, rather than relying on complicated health messages.

One thing is clear: health and wellness are becoming an integral part of everyday shopping, rather than remaining a niche consideration. This shift makes it less of a passing trend and more of a strategic platform for Private Brand growth.
 

Key Takeaways:

From specialist health ranges to clean labels and stronger health credentials across entire assortments, retailers are innovating to meet evolving needs and using Private Brands to bring new, relevant, and exciting products to market.

• Embed health and wellness across the portfolio: Build relevant wellness attributes into everyday Private Brand products to capture growing consumer demand for healthier options.
   
• Combine affordability with wellbeing: Offer healthier, higher-quality choices at competitive prices, giving Private Brand a strong role in democratising access to health and wellness.
   
• Focus on simplicity and relevance: Clean labels, transparent ingredients and clear functional benefits can help Private Brand deliver credible wellness propositions that address real consumer needs, from everyday wellbeing to more personalised health goals.

To explore the latest developments in the Private Brand wellness sector, visit Private Label Middle East, taking place from 3–5 November at Dubai World Trade Centre. Secure your complimentary ticket here.
 

About Daymon International 

With more than 50 years of experience building successful Private Brand programs around the world, Daymon has developed a unique, industry-leading approach to driving sales and profits for partners and clients. Through a full suite of services, from brand strategy, branding and design to insights, category management, and product development, Daymon links its global industry knowledge, market expertise and consumer trends to create successful Private Brands. Through extensive business expertise in Private Brand development and with innovative services, Daymon drives major retailers and manufacturers’ Private Brands across Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa. Daymon International is currently part of the Smollan Group, a leading global company driving retail growth at the point of purchase with expert merchandising, activation, and tech solutions for brands, retailers, and consumer goods companies..

For more insights and recommendations for driving your brand, contact daymoninternational@daymon.com or visit https://www.linkedin.com/company/105156626/