The Private Label Trade Show: What’s in Store for Retailers?

Walmart, Albertsons and Costco are among the many retailers registered to attend PLMA's Annual Private Label Trade Show, November 13-15, in Chicago. The show floor will feature the latest food and nonfood trends. Plus, there are special exhibits showcasing new and award-winning store brands. Suzanne Caputo, PLMA’s Director of Retail Trade Relations, shares details of the largest U.S. event for store brands in an interview with news anchor Jodi Daley. Click here for video.

Tom's Data Dive: Breakfast Makes a Comeback

In the latest feature for PLMA’s e-Scanner, Editor-in-Chief Tom Prendergast examines PLMA’s exclusive IRI/Unify sales data. He examines the data to see which categories and products are showing growth and opportunities for PLMA members and retailers. This month’s column looks at IRI statistics as of August 7.

Home continues to be a great place for breakfast, and store brands are taking advantage. Many studies have pointed to the trend of consumers eating at home more often is continuing even as the pandemic wanes. The latest private brand numbers for breakfast foods seem to show this is true for the most important meal of the day.

In the past four weeks of data from IRI, which ended on August 7, private label products for breakfast food products, sides and drinks all showed growth.

In food hot cereal/oatmeal (+33.4%), frozen sausage (+32.1%) had dollar sales increases of over 30%. Meanwhile other breakfast food products like ready-to-eat cereals (+22.8%), muffins (+20.4%), frozen waffles (+22%), English muffins (+13.1%) and frozen breakfast handheld products (+17.8%) all showed strong dollar sales growth.

Sales growth was just as strong over the past 12 weeks. During the period from June 12 to August 7, hot cereal/oatmeal grew 30%, while frozen sausage (+33.3%), ready-to-eat cereals (+21.8%), muffins (+18.5%) frozen waffles (+22%), and English muffins (+10.5%) also grew.

Side dishes also were popular with families eating breakfast at home. During the past four weeks, store brand dollar sales gains were found for maple/pancake syrup, which rose 12.9%, while shelf stable toaster pastries (+29.5%), refrigerated bacon (+6.3%), and refrigerated breakfast sausage and ham (+9.9%) all showed growth.

As with breakfast foods, sales of side dishes were also strong during the 12-week period. Maple/pancake syrup (12.5%), shelf stable toaster pastries (+29.7%), refrigerated bacon (+6.9%), and refrigerated breakfast sausage and ham (+10.5%) all increased in sales.

Breakfast beverages were no exception to the popularity of private brand breakfasts. Ground coffee sales were especially strong, growing by 32% in the past four weeks and 32.4% in the past 12 weeks. Refrigerated coffee creamer (+46.5%) showed the strongest dollar increase in sales while frozen orange juice (+15.1%), and instant coffee (+16.2%) all grew according to the latest four-week statistics. In the past 12 weeks dollar sales also showed strong increases for these products with refrigerated coffee creamer (+38.1%), frozen orange juice (+14.2%) and instant coffee (+19.2%) all having sales growth.

There are just some of the products and categories showing private brand growth. Up to date sales statistics are available to members through IRI’s Unify statistics section on www.plma.com.

 

Will Europeans Ever Shop the Same?

International ReportWill Europeans ever shop the same?
 
Are consumers buying more private label?
 
Which product attributes are highly valued?
 
Is online grocery shopping going to last?
 
PLMA has commissioned a survey of more than 50 questions among 6,500 consumers across 8 European countries. The report of the results, PLMA’s 2022 International Consumer Study “Will Europeans Ever Shop the Same – Assessing consumers’ post-pandemic behaviour”, is now available. Please contact membership@plma.nl

The High-Tech Supermarket

Tech is streamlining the grocery shopping experience. The use of robotics in warehouses is expected to increase by 50 percent in the next five years. Plus, there are new AI-driven solutions, product management platforms and more. PLMA Live!'s Jodi Daley shares some of today’s biggest tech trends. Click here for video.

Private Brands and the Subscription Business Model

Subscription services are gaining steam in the grocery business. What does it mean for private brands? To find out, host Carol Angrisani speaks with Annu Baral, vice president of consulting services at LatentView Analytics. Click here for video.

The Latest News from Target, Wawa, Schnuck Markets and Harris Teeter

In this new info-packed video series from PLMA Live!, host Carol Angrisani reveals new product trends, marketing campaigns and industry buzz. Watch “What’s the Latest in Private Brands?” to hear about Target’s TikTok partnerships, hard seltzer from Schnuck Markets, small-batch cashews from Harris Teeter and more. Click here for video.

The Private Label Trade Show Returns to Chicago, Nov. 13-15

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: 
press@plma.com  
The Private Label Trade Show Returns to Chicago, Nov. 13-15

NEW YORK (September 14, 2022) - With more than 2,000 exhibit booths, PLMA’s Annual Private Label Trade Show, Nov. 13-15 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center Center in Chicago, is the largest event for store brands in North America. 
 
“The exhibit hall will be filled with thousands of new products that will shape the future of store brands,” said Peggy Davies, president of the Private Label Manufacturers Association.
 
Themed “Consumers Are Back in Charge,” the show will feature the latest innovations from exhibitors around the world. Categories include shelf-stable groceries; beverages; fresh, frozen and refrigerated; organic; personal care and cosmetics; foodservice; OTC medicine; baby care; health and wellness; household and kitchen products; general merchandise; pet care and much more. 
 
“The Private Label Trade Show is the event of the year for members of the store brand industry to gather, learn and network,” Davies said.
 
Special emphasis will be placed on food and non-food areas where store brand innovation is exploding. These include plant-based and free-from; wine and spirits; food and non-food with an international flair; and sustainable, clean label products and packaging. 
 
Private brand sales are growing in these and many other categories. Over the first eight months of 2022, store brand sales grew by 9.4%, nearly twice the rate of national brands, reported IRI. Store brands also outperformed national brands in unit sales for the eight months. 
 
This strong year-to-date performance comes on the heels of a record $200 billion in sales last year, when store brands accounted for one of every five products sold across all U.S. channels. Based on PLMA projections and IRI data, by the end of 2022, annual store brand dollar sales will have increased by 36% over a five-year period.
 
"A lot has happened since our industry last met in Chicago three years ago," said Anthony Aloia, PLMA’s corporate vice president.  
 
For starters, sales are up. Aloia noted that one reason is that store brands are widely seen by American shoppers as an important ally against persistent inflation and other financial pressures. Another is that store brands have been very responsive to consumers, who have never been more interested in how all products are made, from their raw ingredients and holistic attributes to their sustainability.
 
“Our 2022 U.S. show represents an opportunity for all of us to catch up and learn more about these and other new and emerging trends,” said Aloia. “All participants will be able to feel, touch, smell, test and experience all the great store brand products on display on the show floor." 
 
Exhibits will be spread out in separate halls of the convention center so that exhibitors can be found more easily. The South Hall will be devoted to health and beauty, household goods, kitchenware and general merchandise. Food, snacks, beverages, refrigerated and frozen will be featured in the North, South and Sky Halls.
 
"We'll assemble thousands of exhibitors from around the world, all of them outstanding food and non-food suppliers offering high-quality products and innovation in every aisle,” added Aloia.
 
The show's program schedule features thought-provoking seminar presentations and breakfast sessions addressing key industry topics. 
 
PLMA also offers many pre-show services and special on-site exhibits. PLMA's Show Navigator is a comprehensive resource for the show where all registrants will find the following details:

  • Exhibitors
  • Product Announcements
  • PLMA's Idea Supermarket
  • Trade Show Facts
  • Show Floor Plan
  • Sunday Afternoon Seminars 

Show Navigator is launched 30 days prior to the show. During the show, the tool can be used by smartphone or tablet to allow attendees to move around the show floor efficiently. This tool is also available for many months after the event

For more information, visit plma.com.

About PLMA:  

The Private Label Manufacturers Association is a non-profit organization founded in 1979 to promote the store brands industry. It is the only trade group of its kind, representing 3,500 member companies in more than 75 countries. In addition to annual, industry-defining trade shows in Chicago and Amsterdam, PLMA offers its members annual Leadership and Washington conferences, executive education and professional development programs, original consumer and market research, as well as digital media platforms, including exclusive news coverage from PLMA Live and the e-Scanner industry newsletter. Follow PLMA on plma.com, Twitter and LinkedIn.

 

PLMA Show Exhibitors Tap into Emerging Trends

The exhibitor list for PLMA's Private Label Trade Show, Nov. 13-15 in Chicago, continues to grow. Sharon Davis, Director of Trade Show Sales, provides an update on wellness, sustainability, and other product trends to spot on the show floor.

Inflation is a Boon to Ingles’ Private Brand

As inflation rises, Southeastern grocer Ingles Markets is promoting the value of its Laura Lynn private brand on social media, in recipes, videos and more. Corporate Dietitian Leah McGrath provides details of the effort.  Watch interview with host Carol Angrisani. Click here for video.