PLMA’s long awaited 2022 Private Label Trade Show in Chicago was a huge success.
PLMA’s first live show since 2019, which was declared sold out a month before its doors opened, featured nearly 5,200 attendees, including a record number of retail buyers, who visited the 1,423 exhibitors and 2,334 booths on display.
Exhibitors presented a wide range of products from across all food and non-food categories including food & beverages, snacks, frozen & refrigerated products, health & beauty, household & general merchandise products as well as OTC and pharmaceuticals.
The plant-based food pavilion and the CBD and wine sections were very popular with visitors as were the 500 booths that made up the 20 international pavilions. They included pavilions from Canada, Australia, Italy, France, Denmark, Belgium, Israel, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Serbia, Jordan, Kosovo, South Korea, Thailand, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Peru, and Guatemala.
A popular destination at the show was PLMA’s Idea Supermarket, a special showcase of new products from show exhibitors, store brand commercials and innovative products from retailers around the world.
PLMA also announced the winners of its Salute to Excellence program at the show. The annual awards recognize outstanding food and nonfood products introduced within the last year at supermarkets, drug stores, mass merchandisers and many other retailers. More than 725 products from 50 North American retailers were submitted.
Winners included Walmart’s Sam's Choice™ oat milk chocolate bar; Albertsons’ Signature Reserve™ ravioli with porcini mushrooms and truffle; and biodegradable household cleaner from Sprouts Farmers Market were among PLMA’s 2022 Salute to Excellence award winners for store brand innovation.
“I congratulate all the retailers who participated in this year’s program,” said PLMA President Peggy Davies. “These awards prove that store brands are leading the retail industry and giving shoppers the high-quality, high-value and great-tasting products they want.”
Other winners included: Full Circle Market™ Plant-Based Bolognese-Style Pasta Sauce from Topco Associates; Earth Grown™ Non-Dairy Mocha Fudge Almond Milk Frozen Dessert, from Aldi. In Eco-Friendly Nonfoods winners included Total Home® Stainless Steel Silicone Straws from CVS, and Multi-Use Biodegradable Cleaner from Sprouts Farmers Market.
In the organics category, award winners included Regeneratively Grown Organic Nepali Golden Black Loose-Leaf Tea from Thrive Market; SE Grocers Prestige-brand Organic Chili-Flavored Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Southeastern Grocers; Simple Truth Organic™ Chocolate Chip Baked Energy Bar from Kroger; and 365 by Whole Foods Market-brand Organic Fair Trade Unsweetened Coconut Shreds from Whole Foods.
The countdown now begins for PLMA’s 2023 Private Label Trade Show, to be held again at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Chicago, on November 12-14.