Beyond Price: Elevating Private Brands in a
Digital-First Marketplace
September 18, 2025
Drawing on insights from NielsenIQ’s Omnisales and Omnishopper data and shop-alongs with Cornell University graduate students Beyond Price: Elevating Private Brands in a Digital-First Marketplace will explore the evolving role of private brands as a strategic growth engine in the modern retail landscape as well as how digital commerce is reshaping consumer behavior and unlocking new opportunities for private label growth.
The presenters will provide key take aways for retailers and suppliers to move beyond transactional models and embrace transformational strategies that integrate digital infrastructure, retail media, and cross-functional accountability.
Parag Shah
Co-Founder and Partner
Think Blue
Parag Shah, Co-Founder and Partner of Think Blue drives strategic engagements with retailers and brands, helping them simplify complexity and unlock growth by aligning digital innovation with traditional merchandising fundamentals.
Parag’s approach focuses on driving volume growth and championing market share expansion while integrating physical and digital merchandising for cohesive store experiences that bridge the gap between in-aisle execution and online discovery.
A leader in the grocery retail and consumer packaged goods industry for more than 25 years, Parag previously served as Vice President of Center Store & Omni-Channel Merchandising at The GIANT Company, where he led the digital transformation of merchandising, built a high-performance commercial team, and reimagined trade investment and customer engagement strategies. Prior to that, he spent over two decades at Wakefern Food Corp.
Doug Baker
Vice President of Industry Relations
FMI (The Food Industry Association)
Doug Baker is the Vice President of Industry Relations at FMI (The Food Industry Association), a leading trade group for the grocery sector where he assists FMI's member communities in growing and thriving in various domains, such as private brands, technology, supply chain, and asset protection.
In his position, Doug leads the Asset Protection Council, which strives to reduce merchandise loss and establish safe and healthy stores and workplaces, as well as the Technology Leadership Council, Supply Chain Council, Private Brands Council, and cross-industry efforts focused on transparency and data accuracy.
Doug has more than 35 years of experience in food retail, working with Fry's Food Stores, Kraft/Nabisco, and Federated Foods in roles related to retail operations, consumer packaged goods, and private brand creation and marketing.