Acosta Group has released a new Fresh Insights study exploring how shoppers evaluate fresh products across bakery bread, cheese, salsa and refrigerated pasta. The research finds that while freshness and quality get products considered, trusted brands often get products chosen – especially in categories where consistency is harder to judge.
“Freshness gets products considered, but brand often gets products chosen,” said Kathy Risch, SVP of shopper insights and thought leadership for Acosta Group.
“What we found is that shoppers evaluate fresh categories differently than center store. Freshness and quality are table stakes, but trusted brands still serve as an important confidence cue, particularly when shoppers are weighing trade‑offs or purchasing products where quality feels harder to judge.”
The study, conducted in March 2026, surveyed 2,226 U.S. shoppers who had purchased fresh bread, cheese, salsa or refrigerated pasta within the previous three months. Respondents are part of Acosta Group’s proprietary shopper community of more than 40,000 demographically diverse U.S. shoppers.
Key findings include:
- Fresh shoppers prioritize freshness, quality, and value first. Nearly half report typically purchasing a mix of national and private labels in fresh categories, viewing the two as complementary rather than competing.
- When shoppers were forced to make trade‑offs, the role of brand became more pronounced, particularly in categories where quality or consistency can feel harder to judge.
- National brands generated a 17 percent higher “fair price” perception versus store brands across the fresh categories studied.
- Refrigerated pasta emerged as one of the most brand‑influenced categories, with national brands outperforming on appeal, trust, and preference.
- In refrigerated salsa, shoppers rated store brands and national brands similarly on quality and appeal but still selected national brands more often at the final moment of choice.
Millennials and Gen Z shoppers showed the highest willingness to pay premium prices for national brands in fresh, using brands differently than older consumers. Gen Z shoppers assigned national labels a 21 percent higher “fair price” perception than private labels – the highest premium gap of any generation studied. Even shoppers identified as “private label loyalists” demonstrated higher price perceptions of national brands for certain fresh occasions.
“These findings reinforce that retailers do not need to think about fresh as a national brand versus private label equation,” said Mark Rahiya, group president of omnichannel sales and services for Acosta Group.
“The strongest fresh strategies leverage both. Store brands anchor value and everyday loyalty, while national brands expand category reach, strengthen trust and attract incremental higher‑value shoppers.”
For independent grocers, the study offers guidance on merchandising fresh perimeter departments. A pure private‑label strategy may leave money on the table, as national brands drive trust and premium perceptions – especially for shoppers like Millennials and Gen Z who are willing to pay more. At the same time, private label anchors everyday value for price‑sensitive customers.
The strongest approach is a balanced mix: store brands on core staples, national brands on items where quality variation matters most (refrigerated pasta, deli meats, specialty cheese). Independents should also consider how they communicate freshness and quality through sampling, staff recommendations and transparent sourcing.
IDDBA 2026 Session
Acosta Group will share additional findings during an IDDBA 2026 Workshop Stage session titled “Rising Together: How Brand & Private Label Synergy Drive Growth in Fresh Prepared Foods” at 11:15 a.m. on June 8 in Orlando, Florida. The session will be presented by Kathy Risch and John DuBois, VP of fresh foods U.S. for Acosta.
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