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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 Conference Panel to Discuss GLP-1 Meds

The impact of GLP-1 medicine - and ways to seize store brand opportunities - will be the subject of a panel discussion at PLMA’s 2025 Annual Meeting & Leadership Conference, April 2-4 at the Mountain Shadows Resort in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Themed “Private Brands: Spirit of the Past, Force for the Future,” the two-day conference unites manufacturers, retailers, and others to discuss trends in private brands and retailing.

Attendees will have a completely new experience compared to previous conferences. Sessions will be more flexible and interactive.

Plus, the speaker lineup is more powerful than ever. Jack Sinclair, CEO, Sprouts, tops the list of two dozen industry leaders with in-depth knowledge of industry challenges and opportunities. All speakers will present engaging content and fresh, unique perspectives on key topics facing food and nonfood categories.

Among the trending topics on the agenda:
•    “Turning Private Label into Powerhouse Brands.”
•    “Accelerating Innovation for Private Label Brands.”
•    “Adapting to a Changing Consumer Landscape.”
The broad set of speakers includes:
•    Jack Sinclair, CEO, Sprouts Farmers Market, for a Fireside Chat.
•    Maria Arand, Director, Office of the Customer Team, 84.51° and Kroger, “Private Brand & Consumer Behavior Track: Adapting to a Changing Consumer Landscape."
•    Burt P. Flickinger III, Managing Director, Strategic Resource Group, “Saving America: Private Brands Helping Retailers, Consumers, and Farmers.”
•    Rachel Dalton, Head of Retail Insights North America, Kantar, “Accelerating Innovation for Private Label Brands.”
•    Angus McOuat, Partner, McKinsey, “Private Brand Thought Leadership Track: Turning Private Labels into Powerhouse Brands.”
•    Neil Saunders, President, Retail GlobalData, “Innovation and Trends in Private Label.”
•    Sally Lyons Wyatt, Global EVP & Chief Advisor, Consumer Goods & Foodservice Insights, Circana, “From Growth to Transformation: The U.S. Private Brand Opportunity.”
•    Thomas Bailey, Executive Director, Consumer Foods, RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness, “The Perfect Storm (for private label growth).”

Along with addressing pertinent industry topics, the event is when the Class of 2025 is inducted into the Private Label Hall of Fame. This is a special time to honor those who have made significant contributions to the growth and development of the global private label industry.

Click here for more information.

Private Label Sales Continue to Outpace National Brands

Over the first two months of 2025, store brands continued to dominate national brands by outperforming their counterparts in both dollar and unit sales across all U.S. outlets, per PLMA’s Circana Unify+ data.

Store brand dollar sales gained 5.6% and unit sales rose 1.7%, compared to national brands, which were up only 1% in dollars and down 0.8% in units, as of February 23, 2025, vs the same period a year ago.

Store brand market shares for 2025 moved up to 21.7% for dollars and to 23.9% for units, both all-time highs that reflect the superior, multiyear performance of private label vs brands at checkout.

It's a familiar scenario. In every one of Circana's last 29 monthly reports to PLMA, store brands finished ahead of national brands when it came to changes in dollar and unit sales compared to the prior year.

All ten food and nonfood departments that Circana tracks showed store brand dollar sales growth for the 52 weeks ending 2/23/25. Refrigerated had the best improvement, up 10.8%, followed by Beverages (+4.5%) and General Food (+3.8%). In store brand unit sales, the leading department gainers were Beverages (+4.3%), Pet Care (+3.8%) and Home Care (+3.6%).

Ideas and Inspiration – Greenhouse Greens

Wegmans Food Markets recently expanded its line of private label greenhouse-grown produce. In addition to tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers, it now offers greens, including whole head lettuce and a spring mix. Plus, it has several varieties of greenhouse-grown salad kits that come in a peel-and-reseal container:

Among the flavors:

Southwest - Green Leaf Lettuce, Yellow & Blue Corn Tortilla Strips, Cotija Cheese, Fire-Roasted Corn with Chipotle Ranch Dressing.
Caesar - Green Leaf Lettuce, Parmesan Cheese, Crispy Chickpeas, Garlic Crouton Crumbles, Crispy Quinoa with Caesar Dressing.
Mediterranean - Green Leaf Lettuce, Feta Cheese, Roasted Lentils, Herb-Seasoned Flatbread Strips with Greek Dressing.

Watch our news report on greenhouse-grown produce at Wegmans and other retailers here:

Trend Alert: Flavored Butter

Flavored butter can be used to enhance the flavor of pancakes, waffles, potatoes and more. At Kroger, there’s Private Selection® Premium Butter with Garlic Parmesan & Basil; and Private Selection® Premium Butter with Honey & Cinnamon flavored butter.

Data Points: Private Label and Shopper Loyalty

38%

The percentage of consumers in 2024 who said they always or frequently choose a retailer based on store brands carried rose to 38%, up from 31% in 2021, according to a Circana webinar, entitled “From Growth to Transformation: The U.S. CPG Private Label Story.”

Watch Webinar here:

Notable Quotable: PGA Tour golfer Patrick Rodgers

“I am proud to continue and elevate my partnership with the TopCare brand. I admire their commitment to making affordable products that support a healthy lifestyle.”

- PGA Tour golfer Patrick Rodgers said in a statement about his continued partnership with the TopCare brand.

Throughout the 2025 season, the TopCare logo will appear on the front of Rodgers’ hat during tournament play. The professional golfer will also be featured with a variety of TopCare’s products - including electrolyte solutions and powders, allergy relief medication, ibuprofen pain relief, dual action pain relief, cough & cold medicines, oral care, sleep aid and sunscreen - on the brand’s website and social channels as well as in-store marketing displays where TopCare products are sold.

In Case You Missed It: Two Dozen Expert Speakers