PLMA's 2023 Trade Show to Hail 'The Store Brands Phenomenon'

The largest event for store brands in North America is set for November 12-14 in Chicago

NEW YORK (April 24, 2023) - At a time when store brands have grown to become a $230 billion industry in the U.S., PLMA has announced a fitting theme for its 2023 Private Label Trade Show: “The Store Brands Phenomenon.”

The show will be held November 12-14 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Chicago.

"'The Store Brands Phenomenon' theme is appropriate in many ways," said PLMA President Peggy Davies. "Hailed as dynamic, innovative and pervasive, store brands offer boundless opportunities for retailers, manufacturers and trade suppliers."

The growth of store brands has been strong and steady. By the end of 2022, PLMA calculates that annual store brand sales had increased by 40% over a five-year period. Last year's double-digit gains continued through the first quarter of 2023, according to Circana. Sales and dollar and unit market shares are at all-time highs. 

They are the shopper’s best friend, offering innovation, performance and quality. Store brands accounted for nearly one-third of all new sales flowing into U.S. retailing last year.

And there's more to come. Every day, store brand products are moving into new categories, new chains, new channels, and new platforms.

“Store brands are a powerful retailer component that provides important points of differentiation, competitive advantage and builds consumer loyalty," added Davies.

The 2023 Private Label Trade Show will reflect this expansion. PLMA expects that over 1,500 companies will be exhibiting and 5,000 individuals attending.

"For more than 40 years, PLMA has provided supermarkets, supercenters, drug chains, wholesale clubs, dollar and specialty stores, mass merchandisers, importers and exporters, and e-commerce retailers an exclusive venue to discover the latest food and non-food products, ingredients, flavors, fragrances, and packaging,” Davies said.

For more information on "The Store Brands Phenomenon" trade show, contact PLMA at +1 212 972-3131, email info@plma.com or 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 4,000 member companies worldwide. In addition to the Annual Private Label Trade Show in Chicago and its World of Private Label Trade Show in Amsterdam, PLMA provides annual conferences, executive education and professional development opportunities. Follow PLMA on plma.com, plmainternational.com, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Store Brand Beverage Numbers Deserve a Toast!

Featured in PLMA’s e-Scanner March 25, 2023 newsletter, created by Tom Prendergast, Director, Research Services

Throughout store brands' steady double-digit gains of 2022, which has continued through the first two months of this year, fully 16 of the 17 departments tracked by IRI showed store brand improvement.

One department demonstrated particularly strong sales performance -- Beverages -- a section once considered impenetrable for store brands due to the powerhouse national brands that inhabit it.

But that dominance may be changing. In this extremely competitive department, store brands have been growing at a faster pace than brands for the past 4, 12 and 52 weeks, reported IRI Unify exclusively to PLMA.

The numbers deserve a toast. Total private label beverage sales in 2022 were $12 billion and dollar sales grew by 19.3%. Double digit growth continued into the new year as dollar sales over the past four weeks totaled 18.6%, only a slight dip from the 20% sales growth in the past three months.  

The Beverages department is the third largest of the 17 tracked by IRI when it comes to national brand and store brand dollar sales ($130B) and second largest in unit sales with over 40 billion in sales. 

The largest category in beverages is bottled water. The category has sales of $6.8 billion in 2022 and dollar sales growth of 23.1%. While dollar sales did slow, from 21.3% over 12 weeks to 20.3% in the past four weeks, it remains the largest dollar sales category in the department.

Water is not the only growth category in this department. When you take a closer look at other areas you see while not everyone is showing growth but the ones gaining sales are especially strong.

For instance, carbonated beverages have increased from 15.8%-dollar sales growth last year to 32.4% in February and 28.9% over the past three months. This growth is also reflected in unit sales, as sales for carbonated beverages grew 4% in the past 4 weeks and 1.2% over the past 12 weeks. While unit sales did dip 2.5% last year, like dollar sales, sales of units of carbonated beverages continued to advance.

Two other growing categories over this period were refrigerated tea/coffee and tea bags. Refrigerated tea/coffee grew from 8.2% in dollar sales last year to 10.7% in the past four weeks. Tea bags had even more dramatic results, as dollar sales went from 5% in 2022 to 12.3% in the past three months to 17.5% in the past four weeks.

Other categories also stood out. These include bottled juices (10%), coffee (15.4%) and ready to drink tea/coffee (15.8%); all had double digit growth in 2022. In the past four weeks, while growth has slowed, it remains positive, ranging from 66.8% for ready to drink tea and coffee to 13.9% for coffee and 10.2% for bottled juices.

Unit sales improvements were also striking. Ready to drink tea/coffee saw units rise from 10.4% in 2022 to 84% over the past 3 months and 75.7% in the past 4 weeks. Coffee unit sales were up 2.8% last year but kept most of that growth in the past four weeks with a 2.5%-unit sales growth.

After decades of being a bottom shelf afterthought in a strong national branded department, store brands are evolving to become a presence if not a player in many parts of the huge Beverages sector.

To find out more IRI Unify data is available to all PLMA members and can be found at plma.com where these statistics and sales of 317 categories and 967 subcategories can be found.

PLMA Announces 2023 Private Label Hall of Fame Inductees
HOF logo

NEW YORK (March 23, 2023) - The Private Label Hall of Fame Class of 2023 was inducted last night during PLMA’s Annual Meeting & Leadership Conference in Orlando. 

Presented by PLMA and Store Brands magazine, the Private Label Hall of Fame was created in 2006 to recognize the men and women who have made significant contributions to the growth and development of the global private brand industry.  

This year, the Hall of Fame honors 16 individuals in four categories: Next Gen Private Label Leader, Private Brand Innovator, Private Brand Champion, and Lifetime Achievement. 

“We proudly celebrate the outstanding achievements of these proven leaders and innovators,” said PLMA President Peggy Davies. “Their hard work and dedication are instrumental to the success of the store brands business.” 


Private Label Hall of Fame Class of 2023
 

         Next Gen Private Label Leader: 

  • Anthony Cera III, Own Brands Manager, Perishables, SpartanNash    
  • Colleen Kangas, President, Purcell International      
  • Angela LePore, Senior Manager, Private Brands Product Development, Simmons Pet Food, Inc.    
  • Kristin Provost, Senior Manager, Category Insights, Topco Associates, LLC                 
     
    Private Brand Innovator:
     
  • Alicia Cook, Category Director, Save A Lot                        
  • Casey Creegan, Manager of Merchandising, Love’s Travel Stops        
  • Roger Scommegna, CEO, Flying Blue Imports         
  • Guido Tremolini, President/Co-Owner, G.S. Gelato

    Private Brand Champion: 
  • Shane Brown, Director, Own Brand Sourcing, Giant Eagle, Inc. 
  • Jill Clark, VP, Sales and Marketing, Dutch Gold Honey, Inc. 
  • Andrea Collaro, Senior Director, Owned Brands, Brand Management/Product Development, Walgreens Co. 
  • Kristie Nicolosi, CEO, The Kingswood Company

        Lifetime Achievement: 

  • Brenda Lord, Vice President, Private Brands, CVS Health          
  • Nancy Ragozzino, President, Ragozzino Foods, Inc.         
  • Andy Russick, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Pacific Coast Producers      
  • Jill Sando, Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer, Target
     
    “The 16 honorees represent the best of the best from across the world of private label and showcase the depth of talent the industry has to offer,” said Store Brands magazine Executive Editor & Associate Publisher Greg Sleter. “This august group of retailers and suppliers have had a major impact on the private label business and will continue to do so in the years ahead.” 
     
    Profiles on all inductees will be featured in the May/June issue of Store Brands magazine, featured on StoreBrands.com, and posted in a special section of plma.com. 

     
    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 4,000 member companies worldwide. In addition to the Annual Private Label Trade Show in Chicago and its World of Private Label Trade Show in Amsterdam, PLMA provides annual conferences, executive education and professional development opportunities. Follow PLMA on plma.com, plmainternational.com, Twitter and LinkedIn.
"How Private Label Packaging Strategies Influence Shoppers Intent to Purchase"
Swirl, Sip and Savor: Retailers Diversify Private Brand Wine Assortments with Collaborations, Premium Lines and More
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: press@plma.com

Wine, spirits, ready-to-drink cocktails will be in spotlight at
PLMA’s 'The Store Brands Phenomenon 2024'
Private Label Trade Show, Nov. 17-19

NEW YORK (July 16, 2024) - Exclusive varietals, direct-to-consumer initiatives and premium lines are among the high standards of excellence in the private label wine business.

In response, a dedicated wine and spirits pavilion will be a main attraction at PLMA’s “The Store Brands Phenomenon 2024 - Empowering the Retail Industry” Private Label Trade Show, November 17-19 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Chicago. Wine, spirits, ready-to-drink cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages will be featured in the pavilion.

“Exhibitors will present new and innovative adult beverages that deliver great taste, exceptional quality and impressive value,” said PLMA Corporate Vice President Anthony Aloia.

The Show’s focus on wine comes at a time when the value of the U.S. wine market surpassed $107 billion last year, from $73 billion in 2018, according to the 2024 BMO Wine Market Report.

Retailers in all channels have elevated their wine business with new product offerings, exclusive partnerships, convenient packaging, e-commerce platforms and many other initiatives.

Among the examples:

- Albertsons Cos.’ Vinaforé and O Organics private brands are included in the company’s Vine & Cellar direct-to-consumer online wine store.
- Aldi’s new California Heritage Collection of reds and whites.
- Cabernet, chardonnay and other wine varietals are part of the new Finest Reserve by Our Family premium line from SpartanNash.
- Gelson's "Winemaker Series" private label wine features a collaboration with renowned "First Lady of Wine," Heidi Barrett. 
- Circle K’s Sunshine Bliss line is offered in both bottles and single-serve tetra containers.

The innovation and quality of today’s wines are evident in PLMA’s 2024 International Salute to Excellence Awards®. Among the winners: Albertsons Cos., Vinaforé Collection Châteauneuf-du-Pape A.O.C. 2021; Aldi, Specially Selected Rioja D.O.C. Reserva 2018; and New Seasons Market, Partners In Crime, Malbec, Argentina 2022.

Click here to see all the winners.

Along with wine, retailers are investing in private label spirits. Take Costco's Kirkland brand vodka; and Aldi’s Vista Bay Hard Seltzer, just to name a few.

Wine and Spirits suppliers will be among nearly 1,800 exhibitors and more than 3,000 booths at the PLMA Show. Exhibitors will also showcase shelf-stable foods and beverages, refrigerated and frozen foods, flavors and ingredients, authentic international foods and nonfoods, self-care, baby care, beauty and cosmetic products, household goods, kitchenware, general merchandise, sustainable packaging, pet care, and much more.

Plus, the Show features opening seminars, a keynote breakfast, retail trends breakfast, engaging networking events and informational displays. Among the many special on-site exhibits:

- PLMA’s Idea Supermarket®, featuring the latest product and packaging trends from around the globe.
- New Product Expo, a showcase of select product and packaging innovations from companies exhibiting at the show.
- PLMA 2024 Salute to Excellence Awards®, a display of retailer food and non-food product innovations chosen best private label product in their categories by industry and consumer judges as part of PLMA's prestigious Salute to Excellence Award® competition.

For more than 40 years, the PLMA Show has attracted major supermarkets, supercenters, drug chains, wholesale clubs, dollar and specialty stores, mass merchandisers, importers and exporters, e-commerce retailers and many others to find new products, make new contacts and discover new ideas.

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 4,500 member companies worldwide. In addition to the Annual Private Label Trade Show in Chicago and its World of Private Label International Trade Show in Amsterdam, PLMA provides annual conferences, executive education and professional development opportunities. Follow PLMA on plma.com, plmainternational.com, and on social media:

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Executive Education Program Set for Nov. 16-17

PLMA will host its Executive Education Program Nov. 16 and 17 in advance of “The Store Brands Phenomenon 2024 - Empowering the Retail Industry” Private Label Trade Show in Chicago.

The professional education program provides a playbook of on-trend marketing, sales and operational strategies. More than 1,900 industry professionals have completed the program.

Click here for registration information.

Store Brands Set New Market Share Records: Outperform National Brands

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: press@plma.com

Private Label Sets New Market Share Records 
in First Half of 2024
Store brands continue to outperform national brands

NEW YORK (July 9, 202) -   Store brands reached all-time highs in both unit and dollar share during the first six months of 2024, compared to the same period a year ago, according to new Circana sales data provided exclusively to PLMA.

Unit market share was 22.9% and dollar market share was 20.4%, as of June 16.

“These record highs in market shares illustrate the ‘Store Brands Phenomenon’ that’s sweeping the retail industry across all channels, departments and categories,” said PLMA President Peggy Davies.

The improved market shares came on the strength of store brands' superior performance at checkout versus national brands. Store brand dollar sales were up 2.3%, vs. a gain of 1.1% for national brands. In unit sales, the difference was even greater: store brands increased by 2.5%, while national brands dropped 0.8%. 

Total store brand sales for the six months were $121 billion; national brand sales were $472 billion.

Results in the 10 individual product departments that Circana tracks for PLMA paint a clear picture of where store brand sales are doing well. It's nearly everywhere, as nine of the departments posted dollar sales gains for the 52 weeks ending June 16.

The Beauty department improved the most, up 10%; followed by Liquor (+8.8%), General Food (+6.9%), Home Care (+6.8%), Pet Care (+5.8%), Beverages (+4.3%), Frozen (+2.9%), General Merchandise (+2.2%), and Home (+1.7%). Only Refrigerated slipped, but it was a nominal minus 0.7%.

PLMA estimates that if sales continue at the current rate for the balance of the year, total store brand revenue for 2024 will exceed a quarter trillion dollars, setting a new record for annual sales.

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 4,500 member companies worldwide. In addition to the Annual Private Label Trade Show in Chicago and its World of Private Label International Trade Show in Amsterdam, PLMA provides annual conferences, executive education and professional development opportunities. Follow PLMA on plma.com, plmainternational.com, and on social media:

TwitterLinkedIn

Nominations Open for Salute to Excellence Awards®
Salute2024

Nominations are now being accepted for PLMA's 2024 Salute to Excellence Awards® competition.

The annual program recognizes outstanding store brand food, beverage, kitchen, household and health and beauty products introduced on the shelves of supermarkets, drug chains, mass merchandisers, wholesale clubs, convenience stores and specialty retailers, as well as online.

Products that have been introduced within the past 12 months and are currently available for purchase in stores and/or online are eligible.

Entries will be evaluated by a panel of professional and consumer judges on taste and sensory appeal, packaging, product concept, and value for money. Non-food products are judged on innovation and concept, sensory, presentation and value for money.

The winners will be announced at PLMA’s “The Store Brands Phenomenon 2024 - Empowering the Retail Industry” Private Label Trade Show, November 17-19, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Chicago. Nominations will be accepted until July 15.

Click here to make a nomination.

Amsterdam Show hosted nearly 3,000 exhibitors
PLMA Show

On May 28 and 29, the Amsterdam RAI welcomed more than 18.000 visitors from over 125 countries who were all keen to meet the best of the world’s private label manufacturers.

PLMA’s International World of Private Label Trade Show was, as it always is, a meeting place for retailers, buyers, and other visitors who walked the 43,500 m2 trade show floor to browse what the almost 3,000 exhibiting companies from 73 countries offered. A challenging task, given the show floor space and the abundance of food and non-food exhibitors which was 10% larger compared to last year. 

More than just a trade show, the PLMA event is the place to identify food and non-food trends, like improved vegan offerings, high-protein items, and other preventive health products, as well as a variety of self-care solutions that tap into an increasing demand from consumers for functional and versatile products.

Retailers come to the show mostly very prepared, helped by PLMA’s Show Navigator. The experience is that they have a targeted itinerary and start talking business with exhibitors in their stand right away. In addition, they know to leave time for surprises and little gems that they run into unexpectedly.

“For my company this trade show gains relevance year by year”, a manufacturer comments. “The trade show floor is full of retailers that are truly interested in our products and our way of working.”

The entire fair was about meeting existing clients, generating leads, finding new products and closing deals. The next edition of PLMA’s World of Private Label International Trade Show will be held 20-21 May 2025, again at the RAI in Amsterdam.