Keene, NH-based C&S Wholesale Grocers has introduced a new private label line, Sol Select, as wholesalers and retailers continue leaning into store brands to capture value-focused shoppers and improve margins in a still price-sensitive grocery environment.
The new line includes more than 250 frozen, center store, dairy, and household items and joins the company’s existing OurBrands portfolio alongside Best Yet and Our Family. In a press release, C&S said the brand incorporates bilingual English and Spanish packaging and Hispanic-inspired design elements, while remaining focused primarily on mainstream grocery staples and value pricing.
The launch comes as private label continues to outpace national brands across much of the grocery industry. According to Circana data released through the Private Label Manufacturers Association, U.S. private label sales reached a record $282.8 billion in 2025, with store brands growing 3.3% year over year compared with 1.2% growth for national brands. Private label dollar share climbed to 21.3%, while unit share reached a record 23.5%.
That growth has increasingly pushed wholesalers and regional grocers to expand tiered store-brand assortments beyond traditional opening-price products. Industry data shows private label sales have risen nearly $65 billion since 2021, as shoppers across income brackets continue shifting more purchases toward retailer-owned brands.
C&S executives positioned Sol Select as an effort to balance value pricing with more contemporary branding and multicultural merchandising. The assortment spans categories including cereals, frozen pizza, rice, beans, baking mixes, dairy products and household staples, with some items tied more directly to Hispanic cuisine.
The line is currently being distributed through select company-operated banners including Grand Union and Piggly Wiggly stores, as well as independent retailers supplied by C&S. The wholesaler said the rollout will expand this summer to additional SpartanNash-affiliated banners including D&W Fresh Market, Family Fare, and Martin’s Super Markets.
