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Welcome to PLMA's e-scanner newsletter – News, Insights, Inspiration and Happenings

By Carol Angrisani, Editor and PLMA Content Producer

NEWS ROUNDUP

PLMA Expands Online Education Offering to Three Tracks: Sales, Account Management, Category Leadership

PLMA and SalesStar, a global leader in sales and business leadership transformation, will expand their partnership in 2026 by offering members a suite of three online curricula -- mastering enterprise Sales, Account Management and Category Leadership -- that are customized for private brand manufacturers, brokers and suppliers.

These online learning programs provide a structured development journey that equips participants with the skills and capabilities needed to succeed with today’s enterprise retailers.

The series will kick off Feb. 2 with the Sales track and continue throughout the year. Click here for the full schedule.

"Following two well-received programs in 2025, SalesStar will increase its programming for PLMA in 2026 by providing a suite of cohort-based learning tracks that strengthen manufacturer capabilities across key functions in the business lifecycle: mastering enterprise Sales, Account Management and Category Leadership," explained PLMA President Peggy Davies.

"Each track provides a proven framework to penetrate retailers, drive joint growth and lead enterprise-level collaboration. The three tracks are suitable for VPs and directors of small- to mid-sized private brand suppliers; new enterprise account sales managers; and marketing and sales leaders for small to mid-size private label suppliers, respectively. Store brand executives involved in other areas of responsibility are welcome to enroll," added Davies.

Classes are conducted as multi-week, virtual cohorts that are led by high performance coaches. They include live instruction and on-demand learning. Coursework demonstrates specific competency and skill sets essential to mastering Sales, Account Management or Category Leadership.

To register for any or all of the tracks please complete this form. If you are not a PLMA member and wish to become one click here. For additional information, contact at education@plma.com.

Custom programs and volume incentives are available for companies enrolling five or more participants.

January 29 Lunch and Learn: Top Trends for 2026

PLMALive! PLMA's popular Lunch and Learn online speaker series kicks off for 2026 on Thursday, January 29, at 12:30 p.m. EST with a presentation from Euromonitor International about top global consumer trends the company sees for the year ahead.

Carmen Silva, Senior Consultant at Euromonitor International, will reveal details on how evolving values are transforming behavior and fueling global disruption.

They are:

Comfort Zone - Personal safeguards are the new escapism. Consumers are carving out calmer, value-aligned lives to cope with chaos. Businesses need to enhance wellbeing with tools that provide control and reassurance.

Fiercely Unfiltered - Raw and real define an emerging energy that consumers are channeling. These nonconformists embrace self-expression and radical honesty. Brands should move beyond one-size-fits-all towards authenticity to demonstrate understanding of diverse identities.

Rewired Wellness - Consumers want clinical-level, high-tech solutions as wellness tools. Traditional routines are traded in for advanced therapies. From seller to partner, brands will be copilots in personal health journeys.

Next Asian Wave - East Asian influence continues to gain ground. These players blend affordability and innovation with intuitive, digital-first experiences. Companies need to monitor trends and adopt tech-enabled models that deliver fast solutions.

Click here for more information.

'Store Brands Month' Arrives

Store Brands Month kicked off January 1 with a variety of in-store and online promotions to educate consumers about the quality, innovation, and value offered by private label products.

Created by the Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA), Store Brands Month is a national initiative taking place across all retail formats, including supermarkets, club and convenience stores, drug chains, mass merchants, and online platforms.

Consumer surveys consistently show that shoppers can save between 25% and 30% by choosing store brand products, without sacrificing quality or performance.

Retailers, wholesalers, and suppliers nationwide are supporting Store Brands Month through in-store signage, digital promotions, email marketing, and social media campaigns encouraging shoppers to explore, try, and buy store brands.

To amplify the campaign, PLMA developed a comprehensive digital toolkit for members and retail partners available at storebrandsmonth.com and is collaborating with social media influencers to promote the initiative on Instagram at @StoreBrandsMonth.

Click here for more details.

Save A Lot to Remove Artificial Dyes From Private Label Products

Save A Lot announced that it is working with its suppliers to remove seven artificial dyes from all private label offerings.

According to a press release, customers can expect to start seeing these changes across several product categories immediately, including in Crystal Falls sparkling beverages and Kurtz salad dressings, with all 113 impacted products slated to be updated by the end of 2027.

Save A Lot will complete the removal of FD&C Red 3 from all products by the end of 2026. The following synthetic dyes will be phased out in 2027 across 22 individual private label brands carried in stores.

FD&C Blue 1
FD&C Blue 2
FD&C Green 3
FD&C Red 40
FD&C Yellow 5
FD&C Yellow 6

The company said that while the look of reformulated products may vary from the original formulation, Save A Lot’s quality assurance team is collaborating directly with suppliers to ensure the removal of dyes will not impact or change the overall taste or quality for all updated items.

“At Save A Lot, we’re committed to delivering both exceptional value and high-quality products,” Mary Tegomoh, Director of Quality Assurance and Food Safety at Save A Lot, said in the press statement. “By removing artificial dyes from our products, we’re making it easier for families to feel good about the choices they make every day, without sacrificing affordability or flavor.”

Study: Price is Barrier to Functional Food Purchases

At a time when consumers are seeking out functional foods - those that provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition, such as reducing chronic disease risk, improving gut health, or boosting immunity - more than one-third (39%) of households say they’re hesitant to purchase them, according to data analytics firm 84.51°.

Among those unlikely to purchase functional foods, the most widely reported barriers are price (51%), taste (26%), and lack of belief in health claims (25%).

Brands that offer more affordable or discounted options can drive purchases from budget-conscious shoppers who want healthier options but aren’t willing to spend more, according to 84.51°.

Trend Alert: Premium Preserves and Jelly

Finest Reserve Cherry Habanero Pepper Jelly 9 Oz

The “Finest Reserve by Our Family” line from SpartanNash features premium preserves and jelly, including cherry bourbon, cherry habanero and Michigan blueberry merlot.

New Product Watch: Regenerative Cocoa Powder

Whole Foods Market has introduced private label regenerative organic certified cocoa powder. The cocoa is produced using practices that support soil health by incorporating soil cover to prevent erosion, increase the life forms in and around the soil; and aid in carbon capture.

Ideas and Inspiration: Heinen’s, Kowalski’s, Wakefern

-Heinen's refrigerated pastas come in several varieties, including potato gnocchi, lobster ravioli and tricolor cheese tortellini.

-Winemaker Pete Seghesio has barreled, blended and bottled a pinot noir wine exclusively for Kowalski's Markets. The wine was produced in the Perli vineyard, located in California’s Mendocino Ridge.

-Wakefern's store brand air fryer spray oil has a smoke point of 450 degrees.

Notable Quotable: Erich Kahner, dunnhumby

“Private brands (are) one of the commonly held strengths among retailers at the top of the ranking in the U.S.”

- Erich Kahner, Director of Competitive Strategy and Insights, dunnhumby, said of the findings from the 9th Annual Retailer Preference Index, a study of the U.S. grocery market. Kahner revealed details of the just-released RPI in an interview with Maureen Donoghue on PLMA Live! Click here to watch video or hear podcast.