The New York City-headquartered Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA) has announced that Dave Rinaldo, president of the Aldi discount grocery chain in the United States, will deliver the keynote address during the Private Label Trade Show. His speech will be given during the November 18 breakfast meeting at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare Chicago, which is adjacent to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois, site of the annual event.
In his presentation, “Hungry for Value: How Retailers and Manufacturers Can Fuel the Private Label Boom,” Rinaldo will discuss how demand for store brands is at an all-time high, and how the sector is poised for continued growth. He will share insights about the retailer mindset and how the private label industry can come together to make the most of this historic moment.
The breakfast audience will include retailers, manufacturers, importers, exporters and other visitors attending the show, which this year is themed “Empowering the Retail Industry.”
Store brand sales in the United 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 Circana data provided exclusively to the Private Label Manufacturers Association. Overall unit market share was 22.9% and dollar market share was 20.4%, as of June 16. Frozen food sales rose +2.9% during the period, while the refrigerated food segment slipped a nominal 0.7%. It was the only category to experience a downturn.
Following Rinaldo’s presentation, the trade show doors will open to North America’s largest event devoted exclusively to store brands with more than 1,800 exhibitors from 60 countries displaying over 35,000 food and non-food store brand products. Innovative frozen and refrigerated food offerings will be in high profile on the sold-out show floor, which will feature 50-plus national pavilions and special sections.
The keynote speaker has served as president of Aldi in the USA since 2020, after more than 20 years with the company. In overseeing the Batavia, Illinois-headquartered retailer’s product, marketing and sustainability strategies, he travels throughout the country to lead operations of stores and regional warehouses.
Rinaldo began his career at Aldi in 2000 as a district manager trainee. He rose through the ranks to serve in various other roles within the company, including president of Aldi Australia for three years. He was part of the team that launched the first Aldi stores in Florida in 2008, and has worked in various roles supporting growth of the company in the Southeastern United States market.
Aldi, a unit of Mülheim, Germany-based Aldi Süd, is one of America’s fastest growing food retailers, serving millions of customers nationwide. With more than 2,400 stores conducting business across 39 states and territories, the company plans to open 800 more units during the next five years.
— Reported by John Saulnier
