The PLMA Private Label Trade Show celebrates the business of store brands

PLMA’s annual Private Label Trade Show will take place Nov. 13–15 in Rosemont, IL at the Rosemont Convention Center, conveniently located near Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. The convention center is within walking distance and short shuttle bus rides from major hotels.

PLMA’s show is the largest gathering of private label buyers anywhere. Top buyers from supermarkets, drug chains, mass merchandisers, wholesalers, co-ops, convenience stores, department stores and military exchanges travel to the show in order to find suppliers and new products. The show has been held annually every November for the past 30 years. More than 1,300 companies from 40 countries will be exhibiting products, and there will be 25 international pavilions. Companies range from small to medium-size, as well as large, well-known national brands who also supply store brands.

There will be more than 2,800 exhibit stands at this year’s show, with three major exhibition halls. Two of the halls include companies that offer foods and beverages ranging from shelf-stable and frozen to chilled and fresh prepared foods—including deli, dairy and bakery items. A third hall will be devoted to nonfoods.

According to PLMA, private label is currently expanding faster than the national brands, and private label market share is almost at 25 percent of unit sales in the U.S. Specialty chains like Trader Joe’s and ALDI are using their own store brands to create shopper loyalty, especially among millennials, and retailers have drafted store brand strategies.

Speakers at this year’s show will include Ali Dibadj, senior analyst at Bernstein Research, discussing “The New Mass Market”; Chris Wallace, host and anchor of Fox News Sunday, delivering the opening breakfast keynote on Monday, Nov. 14; and “Retail Trends to Watch” from Neil Stern, senior partner at McMillanDooLittle, during the PLMA Live! Breakfast on Tuesday, Nov. 15. Three concurrent seminars will be presented from 3–4 pm on Nov. 13, including “How America’s Eating Habits are Changing” and “Packaging Trends Revisited.”

The online Show Preview at www.plma.com allows attendees to review products of interest and set up one-on-one meetings before the show. PLMA will also feature its popular Idea Supermarket display at the show, highlighting retailers’ private label programs from around the world to benchmark industry developments.

For complete details and to register for the PLMA Private Label Trade Show, visit www.plma.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.