Unitas has added a home baking range to its Local Living own brand portfolio, offering retailers up to 45% profit on return (POR) on the new SKUs as part of a stated commitment to double the size of the range.

The wholesale buying group framed the launch as an extension of its private-label push, targeting a category built on repeat purchase where own brand penetration can shift gross margin dollars from brand owners to independent retailers. The 45% POR figure applies specifically to the new home baking lines.

"Baking is a category shoppers keep coming back to, and this range makes it as easy possible for our members to be part of that," Milan Pinnock, own brand marketing manager at Unitas, said. "It's simple to stock, easy for shoppers to pick up and it gives retailers a genuine margin without any added complexity. That's what Local Living is all about."

What does the new range deliver for margins?

The headline 45% POR sits well above typical branded grocery margins in the convenience and independent wholesale channel, where retailer gross margin on many ambient baking lines runs in the low double digits. If the rate holds at shelf, the range would reset the gross margin contribution of an own brand baking fixture relative to branded equivalents of flour, sugar, mixes and decorating products.

The economics matter because independent retailers and wholesalers have been under sustained margin pressure from branded grocery inflation and shifting shopper behavior. A private-label baking line that doubles or triples the in-category margin changes the value equation for store-level ranging decisions and reduces the channel's dependence on manufacturer-funded promotions.

The category profile also matters. Baking inputs are repeat-purchase, low-ticket and largely undifferentiated at ingredient level, which makes them a textbook fit for own brand substitution. Shoppers will switch from branded flour or sugar to a private-label equivalent if the cooking outcome holds, and Unitas' margin offer gives retailers the gross profit to support that switch.

Why pair the range with an Own Brand Portal?

Unitas simultaneously launched a dedicated Own Brand Portal for its wholesale members, consolidating products, promotions and updates into a single interface. Wholesalers gain one reference point for ranging, merchandising and pricing decisions across the Local Living portfolio, replacing what is typically a fragmented mix of supplier representatives, paper planograms and email updates.

The portal also functions as a distribution control point for Unitas. Promotional calendars, new product launches and margin data push to every member simultaneously, raising compliance with ranging recommendations and protecting shelf-share discipline across the wholesale network.

For smaller wholesalers and convenience operators, the consolidation lowers the administrative cost of onboarding each new Local Living SKU. The portal arrives as the baking range launches, suggesting the two initiatives are operationally linked.

How does this fit the Local Living expansion plan?

The baking range is the first concrete product move under Unitas' stated plan to double the size of Local Living. The group has not published a timetable or SKU count for the expansion, but the Own Brand Portal signals a sustained cadence of introductions rather than a one-off category extension.

Category selection will likely favor high-frequency, low-complexity lines that mirror baking's profile — categories where own brand substitution is straightforward and where the 45% POR threshold is commercially sustainable. Each new range that meets that margin bar reinforces the case for members to allocate shelf space to Local Living over third-party brands.

What does the channel read into the move?

Treating own brand as a structural lever rather than a promotional tool marks a deliberate shift in Unitas' channel strategy. The combination of a high headline margin, a doubling commitment and a dedicated portal points to a range architecture designed to compete on retailer profitability, not just price.

The next test for Unitas members is whether the 45% POR converts into measurable shelf-share gains once the baking SKUs reach stores. Members and category buyers will be watching volume data from the first restock cycle to verify whether the claimed margin reaches the till.