May 1/Chicago/PRWEB -- The number of consumers using private-label food and beverage products continues to rise, but U.S. consumers are losing their enthusiasm for these value-oriented options, according to a recently released report by The NPD Group. NPD’s food and beverage market research report finds that private label’s share of household servings was 18% in 2000 and reached 27% in 2011. In contrast to steadily increasing usage, the satisfaction with private-label foods meeting consumers’ needs has dipped from 32% in 2009 to 24% in 2012.

The increased usage of private-label foods and beverages in recent years may have been more a matter of necessity as a result of the economy and higher grocery prices than deliberate intention. According to the report entitled “The Evolution of Private Label -- Does Brand Name Really Matter?,” in 2009, 34% of adults said they intended to purchase more private label foods versus year ago, but that percentage has dropped to less than a quarter of adults in 2012. This does not mean private-label products have failed to make progress over the last decade, since the report finds that two-thirds of adults say store brands’ quality is much better today than it was five years ago.