Amazon’s recent acquisition of Whole Foods Markets and the long-anticipated rollout of stores by German discounter Lidl are expected to set off far-reaching changes that will boost store brands growth in the United States and lead to increased participation for PLMA’s Private Label Trade Show, set for November 12-14 in Chicago, Illinois.
With the show taking place at this historic juncture for store brands, and bringing together buyers from all major retail channels and suppliers in every food and non-foods product category, the PLMA is predicting an additional surge of interest in the USA private label industry’s biggest annual event.
“As is well-known, both Amazon/Whole Foods and Lidl are strongly committed to private label,” said Brian Sharoff, president of the New York City-headquartered Private Label Manufacturers Association. “Both are game-changers as they bring entirely new levels of complexity to America’s retail landscape. These are two very powerful entities and they are already challenging established retail leaders across every channel to increase their commitment to private label as well, so there is plenty of reason for optimism among private label manufacturers.”
The PLMA chief executive added: “As an association, it is our responsibility to make sure our member manufacturers and their retailer and wholesaler customers have all the best industry intelligence and expertise at their fingertips to make sense of these ramifications, and access to every resource they will require in order for their store brands to compete amid the changes that are certain to follow.”
Headlining PLMA’s 2017 speaker program will be a keynote speech by Judith Spires, chairman and chief executive officer of Kings Food Markets and Balducci’s, who will address the important role independent chains continue to play in grocery retailing throughout the United States. Her remarks will be made during the 8-9 AM breakfast session on Monday, November 13.
PLMA’s Retail Trends Breakfast on Tuesday, November 14, will feature Mike Paglia, director of retail insights for Kantar and one of the industry’s leading experts on Lidl, Aldi and the discount sector.
The topics for PLMA’s two opening seminar presentations on Sunday, November 12, are: “Consumers: Gen-X vs. the Millennials,” with Brad Edmondson, the former editor-in-chief of American Demographics magazine; and “The Amazon Revolution,” with Bill Bishop, veteran industry analyst and founder of Brick Meets Click.
Concurrent Workshops follow on “Packaging and Design” (Deborah Ginsburg, ceo, Strategia Design); “Marketing and Merchandising” (Jim Wisner, president, Wisner Marketing); and “Housewares and Kitchenware” (moderated by Greg Sleter, executive editor, HomeWorld Business). To download the complete speakers and seminars program, click here.
The PLMA show will fill three huge exhibit halls in Chicago’s Rosemont Convention Center and will feature more than 2,700 booths hosted by store brands manufacturers in product categories that run the gamut from frozen and refrigerated food and beverages to shelf stable and fresh foods, cleaning agents and general merchandise, health and beauty aids, personal care items, OTC and more. Hundreds of the stands will be occupied by international exhibitors offering products from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, South America, Canada and Mexico.
Tens of thousands of products will be on display across more than a million square feet of floor space, and over 5,000 visitors are expected at the show, including buyers and executives from virtually every major North American supermarket and drug chain, mass merchandiser, club, limited assortment, convenience and dollar store, in addition to food and non-foods specialty retailers, foodservice distributors and wholesalers.
PLMA’s Idea Supermarket, meanwhile, will showcase store brands programs, products and packaging from over 50 leading retailers doing business around the world.
For information on attending the show, contact PLMA by telephoning +1 212-972-3131, e-mailing info@plma.com, or visiting www.plma.com.