The inclusion of private labels in cooperative category management has been relatively under-discussed in the literature so far. Although there are numerous contributions on both category management and private labels, the integration of these two areas has primarily focused on specific aspects. As retailers aim to further increase the share of private labels in their assortments and cooperation in category management continues to grow significantly, the integration of private labels into cooperative category management is becoming more relevant. However, it is important to consider that private labels occupy a unique position in the relationship between manufacturers and retailers. The resulting conflicts will be a major reason why private labels are generally overlooked in the context of cooperative category management.