Insurgents continue to drive outsized growth and disruptive innovation across categories in the fast-moving consumer goods sector
Bain & Company published its 2026 Insurgent Brands list, the firm’s 10th annual record of the brands redefining growth in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector. This year’s list identifies 113 insurgent brands, including 31 newcomers, spanning categories such as food, non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, and beauty and personal care.
Insurgent brands captured nearly 36% of growth in NielsenIQ-tracked channels across all FMCG categories in 2025, a sharp increase from roughly 23% in 2024, despite accounting for less than 2% of total market share. These companies grew volumes by approximately 55% year over year even while overall market volumes remained flat, demonstrating that insurgents’ growth reflects real consumer demand and not just price inflation.
Bain research suggests that insurgents—both past and present—could capture as much as 50% of industry growth over the next five years. Their agile, consumer-centric models position these brands to continue outpacing the consumer goods market.
The Middle East and North Africa region reflects this momentum.
According to Bain’s Middle East Consumer Products Report 2025, the MENA CPG market reached more than 63 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to 50 billion by 2030 at a 5%+ CAGR. The UAE recorded approximately 6% volume growth in the CPG sector, well above the 1.7% global average, while the KSA followed closely at around 4%. Consumer behavior in the region is also shifting: more than half of MENA consumers have boycotted brands over value misalignment, three times the rate of their US or EU peers, making value alignment a top factor in brand choice alongside price and quality.
“We’ve now seen a decade of sustained momentum from insurgent brands driving exceptional growth and disruptive innovation in the consumer products sector, and this year is no exception” said Charlotte Apps, executive vice president of Bain’s Consumer Products practice. “In a market where overall growth remains muted, insurgents are increasingly attractive investments for established consumer products players and investors seeking footholds into areas of growth. Looking ahead, we expect insurgents will continue to outgrow the market as health and wellness trends, retail dynamics and technology further disrupt the industry.”
Disruption is occurring across categories as insurgents continue to be at the forefront of where consumer demand is accelerating, delivering enhanced product performance and elevated experiences, says Bain.
- In food, insurgents drove 25% of category growth in 2025, spurred by an ongoing focus on clean and natural positioning, with 44% of the brands featuring natural or organic claims. Nearly 40% of this year’s insurgents highlight high protein, and about one in four emphasize elevated or global flavors.
- In non-alcoholic beverages, insurgents captured 13% of category growth in 2025.
- In beauty and personal care, insurgents accounted for nearly all sector growth in 2025.
Since 2017, the nearly 400 companies that Bain has identified as insurgents have generated approximately $60 billion in incremental US retail sales value across tracked channels, 50% more than the top three consumer products companies combined. While they represent less than 10% of the $1 trillion US consumer products market, these brands have driven nearly one-fifth of total market growth over the past decade.
In that same period, a growing number of insurgents have transformed into scaled, enduring businesses by systematically translating consumer demand into differentiated propositions. Fifteen current and former insurgent brands have surpassed $1 billion in revenue, nearly one-quarter currently generate more than $250 million annually, and one in eight ranks among the top five brands in its category.
As structural growth pressures mount for large consumer products companies, insurgents have also become a critical lever for portfolio renewal and investment. Over the past 10 years, approximately 25% of insurgents have been acquired by leading consumer products companies, with 11 major transactions occurring in 2025 alone. Several insurgents have successfully accessed the public markets through IPOs. Sustained interest from large consumer products brands, private equity, and public markets alike underscores insurgents’ value creation potential and the importance of a tailored post-acquisition growth acceleration playbook, says Bain.
Bain defines insurgent brands as those that have generated more than $35 million of annual revenue in NielsenIQ- tracked channels, have grown more than 10 times their category’s average growth rate over the past five years, and have maintained positive growth over the past two years. To qualify for Bain’s list, insurgent brands must be independent or have been acquired by a large consumer packaged goods company only within the past two years.
The full 2026 Insurgent Brands list is available here.
