Editor's Insight
With U.S. private label penetration at an all-time high, retailers need to make this the year of own brand marketing, says Kathie Canning, editor in chief.
|
Randy's Ramblings
Randy Hofbauer, managing editor, takes a look at how retailers could make the grocery shopping experience more enjoyable for consumers who currently dread the task.
|
Guest Commentary
Guest columnist Ted Mininni says retailers should think about leveraging their brands to deliver quality at a premium level, innovative product features and segmented offerings that are most relevant to the customers in their markets.
|
New Shopper Paradigm: Purposeful, Not Panicked
The Great Recession spawned changes in shopper behavior that are likely to persist long after the economy improves. But according to a new report, rampant deal-seeking is likely to give way to more pragmatic, practical purchases post-recession as consumers seek to establish a new normal.
|
Consumers Look for Proof of Food Safety
Preliminary results of a study conducted by Michigan State University on behalf of Houston-based risk management provider DNV indicate U.S. consumers are highly aware of food safety issues and view third-party certification as a clear signal of food safety.
|
Ethnic Beauty Goes Mainstream
The nearly $3 billion segment managed mid-single-digit sales gains even during the darkest days of the recession. During the recovery, however, the category is expected to resume double-digit growth, piquing the interest of the industry's elite.
|
Survey Suggests "New Frugality" is Here to Stay
A new survey-based report from New York-based management consulting firm Booz & Co. suggests that the "new frugality" born of The Great Recession is becoming entrenched and is likely to reshape consumption patterns in ways that will persist long after the economy improves.
|
|
|

Don’t miss the latest private label news and analysis! Sign up for PL Buyer’s eReport, a weekly e-newsletter packed with must-have information. Sign up now.
Staying Fresh in a Spoiled Economy
Maintaining low prices is important to Fresh & Easy. In fact, as the economy worsened in 2009 and consumers demanded more value offerings from stores, the retailer expanded its national-brand-equivalent (NBE) tier.
|
Getting Saucy
Whether consumers are mixing up a big bowl of pasta or basting a slab of ribs, one thing is for certain: The sauce is the boss. And as more consumers ditch the restaurant scene to take shelter in their kitchens, they’re turning to store shelves for sauces and marinades that provide a restaurant-style experience at home.
|
Paper Chase
As fans of “The Office” might recall, Michael Scott, the bumbling branch manager of the fictional Dunder Mifflin paper enterprise, once promised “limitless paper for a paperless world” in a commercial promoting his company. But here in the real world, you’ll still find the demand for paper strong — particularly outside the office environment in the consumer paper products space.
|
Want to see your private label products featured in PL Buyer? Send product releases, photos or samples to Randy Hofbauer, managing editor; hofbauerr@bnpmedia.com.
|
Interested in FREE MAGAZINES? Start your subscription to any BNP publication by clicking here.
Connect with Private Label Buyer NOW:

Profiles of leading-edge private label suppliers to help you build your store brand program.
Branding and Packaging of Private Label
Today, private label is no longer the plain stepsister of branded offerings. PLMA's 2009 Private Label Yearbook reported that private label sales in the United States jumped by more than 10% in 2008, hitting a record high of $83.3 billion — particularly impressive given the onset of the recession last year.
|
|
|