The private-label comeback is getting younger

The big picture: Across retail, companies are investing in private labels that emphasize design, quality and identity — not just price.

• Target, Walmart and Costco have spent years building owned brands with loyal followings.
• Department stores, including Macy's, Kohl's and JCPenney, are focusing on legacy labels to attract a new generation of buyers.

By the numbers: Younger consumers are increasingly open to private labels — especially when they feel elevated.

• Gen Z and Millennials increased their spending on premium-tier private-label products by 5 percentage points between 2019 and 2025, according to Numerator, which projects Gen Z will become the most loyal private-label shoppers in 2026.
• Trust in private-label apparel now sits at 55%, per Numerator.

Between the lines: Retailers are increasingly investing in owned brands that offer more control over pricing, positioning and margins.

• Companies are also trying to make those labels feel stylish, trustworthy and culturally relevant to younger shoppers.

Case in point: JCPenney tells Axios it has started seeing younger shoppers gravitate toward Liz Claiborne, a brand long associated with workwear staples and loyal customers.

• The retailer, which has exclusively sold Liz Claiborne since 2009, says the label is now its second best-selling women's brand as shoppers seek polished, affordable fashion.
• JCPenney is also leaning into the brand's legacy of "democratizing fashion" with a 50th anniversary capsule collection launching Friday.

Zoom out: For younger shoppers, private labels increasingly carry less stigma — and more style credibility.

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