The shelf detective

LIMITED PRIVATE-LABEL RANGES

To analyse private labels in the olive oil category – just as we have done in this issue with laundry care products and as we will do in future issues of this magazine – we have also gone down to the ‘pitch’ where the game is played: the shop shelves. We have broken down the category across eight outlets belonging to major chains: four supermarkets and four hypermarkets. It should be emphasised that these are eight outlets located in Madrid; therefore, the results may vary depending on changes to the product range or suppliers in other regions. This fieldwork was carried out directly by Alimarket Marca Privada to identify all the suppliers to these eight retailers.

The first thing that stands out is that, in the case of oils – both olive and seed oils – the private-label range, as might be expected, is limited and therefore very similar across all shops, not depending so much on size, as is the case in other categories. Here, supermarkets and hypermarkets are playing with virtually the same hand, and it is in the value-added branded range that the latter offer a greater number of SKUs. The number of private-label SKUs per chain ranges from 11 to 18, the sole exception being Carrefour, which stands out with as many as 37 SKUs. This is because the French-origin retailer boasts an interesting premium range organised by origin under its ‘De Nuestra Tierra’ brand.

Mercadona, Lidl and Aldi rely almost entirely on their own brands, particularly the Valencian chain. Of its entire range of olive oils, there is only one product bearing a manufacturer’s brand name: a premium extra virgin olive oil in a 500 ml glass bottle (Casa Juncal, by Oro Bailén). As such, Hacendado would account for almost all of its sales. Otherwise, Mercaóleo and Jaencoop account for the bulk of its olive oil range, whilst Sovena is the supplier of sunflower oil.

LIDL’S OWN BRANDS ACCOUNT FOR 82%

Lidl, for its part, has around 21 products in its range, of which 16 are under its own brands ‘Olisone’ and ‘Deluxe’ for olive oil and ‘Vita Dor’ for sunflower oil. These brands account for 82% of its sales in these categories. The Migasa group and Sovena dominate its shelves (the latter supplying three olive oil products and both sunflower oil products). This year, the chain introduced the ‘Deluxe’ range (produced by Migasa through its subsidiaries Mueloliva and Minerva) with the aim of creating a distinct product line with specific attributes, whether single-varietal or certified as ‘Olivar tradicional’, the chain explains.

It has also launched flavoured oils in spray format (chilli and garlic), with the aim of enhancing the customer experience. These products are also produced by the Migasa Group, although its extra virgin olive oil SKU in this same packaging format is produced by Acesur (its supplier of extra virgin olive oil in plastic bottles). The spray format is a product category that has clearly gained momentum due to the rise in popularity of air fryers. Acesur also produces it for Eroski and Dia, whilst Granada-based Aceites Maeva supplies Mercadona, Aldi and Carrefour, and Galician firm Aceites Abril supplies Hipercor. It is worth noting here that Alcampo has not yet included this product under its own brand.

ALDI SWAPS ‘OLEARIA’ FOR ‘PLENO SABOR’

That aside, Aldi focuses its range on private label products, with 13 of the 16 items making up its oil range. It has only three suppliers, although one of them, Urzante, supplies the fastest-moving products (Migasa supplies two glass bottles and Maeva, as already mentioned, the spray). With this structure, its own brands account for approximately 85% of sales in this category.

The German-based retailer has just made a significant move in this product range. So significant, in fact, that it involves changing the name of its own brand of olive oils from ‘Olearia’ to ‘Pleno Sabor’. This has taken place over the last few days, practically coinciding with the preparation of this report. The new brand will be used in Spain and Portugal and also for the cheese, sausages and charcuterie categories in general. For sunflower oil, it is retaining ‘Bellasan’. At product level, for olive oil, the format has changed from 3-litre bottles to 5-litre demijohns for the mild and intense varieties.

Of the supermarkets analysed, Dia stands out the most from its peers in terms of product mix. Its own-brand products (‘La Almazara del Olivar’ and ‘Diasol’) account for just 35.5% of its range on this shelf. All olive oils are supplied by F.J. Sánchez Sucesores, sunflower oil (1 litre and 5 litres) by Urzante, and the spray by Acesur.

Among the hypermarkets, the product range is very similar across the board, with around 17–18 private-label SKUs and over 100 manufacturer-branded products. The only one that breaks from this pattern, as already mentioned, is Carrefour, which brings the number of SKUs under its own brands to nearly 40.

ALCAMPO AND EROSKI: TWO VERY WELLSTRUCTURED RANGES

Alcampo concentrates its own-brand range on five suppliers. The best-selling products are from F. Faiges (various olive oils), Urzante (virgin olive oil and three sunflower oils) and the Migasa Group (extra virgin olive oil). Oleoestepa supplies the premium products in the Auchan Collection. As such, Alcampo’s own brands account for 17% of its olive oil sales, 12% of extra virgin olive oil and 46% of sunflower oil.

For its part, Eroski has two long-standing and iconic own brands to cover the entry-level price segment: ‘Olilan’ (refined olive oils) and ‘Lanisol’ (sunflower oil). The rest of its consumer needs are met by ‘Eroski’ (refined olive oil, extra virgin olive oil and sunflower oil), ‘Eroski Bio’ (organic extra virgin olive oil) and ‘Eroski Seleqtia’ (premium extra virgin olive oil). So far this year, these ranges have accounted for 39.5% of sales in this category.

As for new products, in early 2026 it launched a new convenience-sized format for extra virgin olive oil. Specifically, an olive oil bottle with a dispenser cap, ideal for everyday use in the kitchen, particularly for dressing salads or adding the finishing touch to a dish with a chef’s precision. This new format, the chain explains, enhances the user experience by offering a more convenient, precise and practical way of dispensing the oil. Furthermore, last May, Eroski’s extra virgin olive oil spray was honoured at the PLMA Salute to Excellence Awards. Both products – the oil bottle and the spray – are supplied by Acesur.