Growth has been continuous since the early 1990s, although it dipped slightly in 1997.
Own brand is now a major force in British retailing across a variety of sectors.
Increasingly, the traditional brand manufacturers such as Ryvita and Heinz have moved into own-brand food production alongside major food producers such as Northern Foods and Booker. However, the multiples are now using own brands as a means of responding to customers' requirements and also reaching towards a higher end of the market. Examples of this include the new, higher quality own-brand ranges from Sainsbury's and Tesco that feature international cuisines. The major story for the UK own-brand industry in 1999 has been the declining fortunes of Marks and Spencer, Britain's biggest retailer. The decline of Marks and Spencer has highlighted two factors affecting the UK own-brand market.