PLMA private-label trade show returns to Chicago suburbs

The premier event for store brands will showcase thousands of on-trend foods and nonfoods.

photo by Jenni Spinner

More than 13,000 exhibitors, retailers, and other industry professionals are expected to attend PLMA’s “The Store Brands Phenomenon 2024” Private Label Trade Show, November 17–19 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, Illinois.

This includes more than 1,700 exhibitors, 2,800 booths and thousands of retailers, wholesalers, distributors, and other visitors. The event is the largest of its kind and consistently receives a prestigious Gold 100 ranking as a top U.S. trade show.

The show’s tagline—“Empowering the Retail Industry”—describes how store brands are an essential part of the retail business model and a key element for success.

“Store brands and the PLMA Show empower retailers to thrive,” stresses Anthony Aloia, PLMA’s corporate vice president. He noted how this extends beyond traditional chains to specialty retail, convenience stores, online retailers, foodservice providers, and many other formats.

Indeed, the event provides visitors and retailers of all types with one-stop-shopping on the bustling Show floor, which will feature the latest innovations in shelf-stable foods and beverages, refrigerated and frozen foods, flavors and ingredients, authentic international foods and nonfoods, self-care, baby care, household goods, kitchenware, general merchandise, sustainable packaging, pet care, and much more.

Beyond the show floor, the event 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’s Salute to Excellence Awards®, a display of retailer food and non-food product innovations that received the highest scores and were chosen best private label product in their category by industry and consumer judges as part of PLMA's prestigious Salute to Excellence Awards product competition.

Many pre-show services are offered by PLMA, including Show Navigator, a mobile-friendly tool that provides information about the show.

The Show comes at a time when shoppers are filling their carts more than ever with private brands. Sales of store brands in all outlets increased $10.1 billion, or 4.7%, to a record $236.3 billion last year compared to 2022, according to PLMA’s 2024 Private Label Report. Store brands bested national brands, which grew 3.4% in dollar sales.

Compared to 2019, annual store brand dollar sales in 2023 increased by $60.2 billion, a 34% gain. Store brand dollar share rose 1.2 points to a record 18.9%. During the four-year period, store brand unit sales were ahead by 500 million and unit share improved 0.8 points to 20.7%, also a new high.

The store brands “phenomenon” continues this year: Store brands outperformed national brands in both dollar and unit sales for the first four months of 2024, according to Circana. Private label dollar sales were up 2.0%, compared to an increase of 1.1% for national brands. The results in unit sales were even more impressive: store brands rose by 2.5%, while national brands fell 1.0%. For the first four months of 2024, dollar share advanced to 20.5%, and unit share moved up to 23.1%—both are all-time high marks.

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.

Exhibitor registration is now open, and visitor registration opens this summer.

Liz Parker Kuhn is the senior editor of Candy Industry and Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery, and has worked at BNP Media since 2012. She has written for CBS Detroit as well as for her own blogs. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Michigan. Liz can be contacted at (248) 839-7156 or at parkere@bnpmedia.com.

This webinar will examine variables factoring into nutritionally improved candy sales, including ingredients, label claims, and alternative sugars. Better-for-you options remain top of mind for consumers who are searching for indulgences, but in a healthier format.