FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: press@plma.com
Retailers, Wholesalers Honored for
Store Brand Excellence
-Walmart receives 15 PLMA Salute to Excellence Awards®
-Albertsons, CVS Pharmacy, Lidl, Sam’s Club, Topco Associates, Whole Foods Market among many other 2025 winners
NEW YORK (November 16, 2025) - Walmart once again tops the list of winners of PLMA’s annual Salute to Excellence Awards®. The retailer received 15 awards across multiple categories for its Vibrant Life™, Parent's Choice™, bettergoods™, Marketside®, Great Value™ and Equate™ store brands.
Albertsons, CVS Pharmacy, Lidl, Sam’s Club, Topco Associates and Whole Foods Market are among other companies winning multiple awards.
PLMA’s annual Salute to Excellence Awards® program recognizes outstanding food and nonfood products introduced within the last year by supermarkets, drug stores, mass merchandisers, convenience stores, online retailers, wholesalers and more. Submissions were sampled and evaluated by a panel of professional and consumer judges on several criteria, including taste, product concept, packaging, and value for money.
Close to 850 products were nominated for the 2025 awards by 50 North American retailers.
“The winners are a testament to the power of store brands in driving business success in all retail formats,” said PLMA President Peggy Davies. “They represent the highest level of innovation, ingenuity and achievement.”
Walmart’s winning products include Vibrant Life™ Level 73" Multi-Functional Cat Tree with Condo, Hammock, Scratching Posts; Parent's Choice™ Organic Baby Food Puree Variety Pack; Marketside® Chorizo Breakfast Bowl; bettergoods™ Truffle Glaze with Balsamic Vinegar of Modena; and Equate™ Coconut Hibiscus Sugar Scrub.
Here are five trends among the 2025 winners:
Kid Power - Products geared to babies, toddlers and kids from mealtime to bedtime:
-Associated Wholesale Grocers, Best Choice®, Kid-Ventures Trays
-Dollar General, DG™ Health, Kid's Toothbrushes-Barbie™
-Target, Good & Gather™, Teeny Tiny Lunch Bites
Super Bowls - Food bowls offer portion-controlled convenience for breakfast, lunch and dinner:
-Sam's Club, Member's Mark™, Teriyaki Chicken Bowl
-Walmart Inc., Marketside®, Chorizo Breakfast Bowl
Global Flavors - Consumers have a more sophisticated palate and are seeking out ethnic flavors in food, beverages, sauces and confections:
- Albertsons Companies, Signature Select®, Birria Cooking Sauce
- Misfits Market, Odds & Ends, Cacio e Pepe Ravioli
- Yesway, Yesway®, Chamoy Chili Gummi Bears
Bold Beverages - Hot and cold beverages now come in spicy, indulgent and other unique flavors:
- Albertsons Companies, O Organics®, Apple Caramel Crumble Tea
- GoPuff, Basically™ Jalapeno Limeade
- Meijer, Meijer®, Crystal Quenchers® Rocket Pop sparkling water
Fruit-Scented Household Goods - Citrus and other fruity scents can be found in household products ranging from dishwashing liquid to candles:
- Dollar General, True Living®, Ultra Dishwashing Liquid, Fresh Pomegranate Scent
- Whole Foods Market, 365 by Whole Foods Market, Yuzu & Prickly Pear 3 Wick Candle
Click here see the full list of winners.
The winning products are on display at PLMA’s 2025 “Store Brands Marketplace” Private Label Trade Show, Nov. 16-18 in Chicago. CLICK HERE for more information.
About PLMA
The Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA) is a non-profit trade organization founded in 1979 to promote the store brands industry. With executive offices in New York and International Council offices in Amsterdam, PLMA represents more than 5,200 member companies worldwide. In addition to the Annual Private Label Trade Show in Chicago and World of Private Label International Trade Show in Amsterdam, PLMA provides annual conferences, executive education and professional development opportunities. An advocate for the industry, PLMA created Store Brands Month, a nationwide collaboration of retailers, wholesalers, and private label suppliers, promoting store brand products to the country's grocery shoppers. The month-long event focuses on increasing consumer attention to the quality, value and innovation of store brand products across all categories within brick and mortar and online retail formats. For more information, visit plma.com, plmainternational.com, and follow PLMA:
