The Chicago Cubs’ World Series Victory Parade, which attracted an estimated five million fans cheering their champion baseball team last Friday, is over. But the band will soon play on in the Windy City as the largest concentration of buyers of store brand products in the Western Hemisphere convenes there November 13-15 to attend the Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA) Trade Show.
Thousands of top decision-makers from supermarkets, drug chains, mass merchandisers, wholesalers, co-ops, convenience stores, department stores and military exchanges will pack the Rosemont Convention Center, located just 10 minutes by car from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, to find suppliers and new products. Many of them will be looking for frozen food innovations to offer consumers across the nation and beyond.
As store brands continue to rack up new sales records across the major retail channels – surpassing $118 billion in the United States alone, according to the latest industry data from Nielsen – the PLMA’s “Store Brands Jamboree” will feature more than 1,300 companies from nearly 50 countries showcasing products at approximately 2,800 stands. Among them will be displaying from Italy, Spain, Germany, France, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Greece, Turkey, Israel, India, China, Taiwan, Vietnam and South Korea, as well as exhibitors from North America, Ecuador, Peru, Columbia, Chile and Brazil.
In two major exhibition halls companies will showcase foods and beverages that range from frozen and chilled offerings to shelf-stable and fresh prepared fare. A third major exhibition hall is devoted entirely to nonfoods, including health and wellness products, beauty and personal care, over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, pet care, kitchen and household, paper and plastic, and general merchandise.
As retailers constantly seek to expand their private brands to new categories and marketing concepts, special exhibits such as PLMA’s New Product Expo will spotlight the latest submissions from exhibiting companies to help buyers navigate the enormous and diverse assortment of offerings on the trade show floor. In addition, PLMA’s popular Idea Supermarket will focus on store brands programs, products and packaging from more than 50 leading retailers across North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America.
For information on attending or exhibiting at PLMA’s Private Label Trade Show, contact PLMA by telephone: +1 972-3131, or via e-mail: info@plma.com.
