PLMA is the only trade group devoted entirely to promoting the interests of store brands. A thriving 47-year-old organization, our worldwide membership includes more than 5,000 manufacturing companies, trade suppliers and brokers. Membership builds your business, provides a passport to exhibit at our two massive trade shows, creates networking opportunities and offers a wide variety of executive education and professional development programs.
How PLMA Benefits You and Your Company
New Business Opportunities
We excel at organizing trade shows. PLMA annually presents award-winning, world-class events in Chicago and Amsterdam that attract private brand buyers – retailers, wholesalers and other visitors – who represent hundreds of brick and mortar and online companies from around the world. They see, taste, smell, feel and experience tens of thousands of great food and nonfood products first-hand.
Monthly Syndicated Sales Data
Circana’s Unify+ data visualization platform enables PLMA members and qualified retailers 24/7 access to near real-time, customized store brand and national brand market data across 317 categories and 967 sub-categories. Monthly, quarterly, annual or trailing 52 weeks, they mine the brands' category, aisle and department performances across multiple time periods, measures and products.
Information and Communication
On plmalive.com watch reports on the latest industry news and happenings. Programming features in-depth coverage of events, trends and interviews with newsmakers and influencers in the private label industry and beyond. Monthly, members receive e-scanner for news on retailers, marketing and merchandising. PLMA's Policy Watch Newsletter updates regularly on developments in governmental, legislative, judicial and regulatory issues that are relevant to the store brands industry. Store Brands Month, an annual retailer-supplier promotional collaboration, was launched in January 2025, and has had two highly successful iterations.
Annual Meeting & Leadership Conference
PLMA’s Annual Meeting & Leadership Conference each spring attracts registrants from all sectors of the industry to discuss issues, trends, and prospects for the future. Attendees facilitate networking, build new relationships, and maintain current connections. PLMA members enjoy discount pricing. Recent locations for the event were San Antonio and Scottsdale with April 15-17, 2026, set for Bentonville, AR., and themed "Building Brands That Drive Success."
Executive Education Program
PLMA's Executive Education curriculum is created for individuals in sales and marketing, sourcing, procurement, product development, packaging, promotion and merchandising. Classes held in conjunction with the Annual Private Label Trade show in Chicago are suitable for new hires, those who built careers with national brands, and anyone who wants to refresh their knowledge, broaden focus, and sharpen the ability to think strategically. PLMA, in conjunction with SalesStar, introduced in 2026 three online training programs: Mastering Enterprise Sales, Account Management and Category Leadership that are custom-curated for private brand manufacturers, brokers and suppliers.
Professional Development
PLMA offers online professional development programs through our PLMA Live! presents Lunch and Learn speaker series, designed for individuals involved in all aspects of the industry. Each fall, we also present Meet the Retailers and Wholesalers, which provides insights from retailers and their teams on what they aim to accomplish at the approaching Trade Show.
Market Research
A library of PLMA's recent consumer and market research reports and surveys offers the latest information on the buying habits and attitudes of consumers across various demographics towards store brands and retailers as well as annual compilations and graphic representations of private brand and national brand sales from all outlets to departments and subcategories.
Members Only
In addition to Circana's Unify+ market research platform, through PLMA's website our member companies have access to a centralized portal of essential information and services that include PLMA's Annual Trade Show directories that offer listings of exhibitors, suppliers, and brokers.