Private Label Buyer

Then and Now

I’m no stranger to store brands. My introduction to the private label market came at a very young age. My eight siblings and I were raised solely by our mother, and she had a magical way of stretching every dollar.

When ALDI opened a store in our town, it quickly became her grocery store of choice. Our weekly visit to the store was a family tradition — the whole brood would go to the store together. (Imagine trying to legally fit nine kids into a station wagon today!)

Even our wardrobe consisted of store brand products. I didn’t own my first pair of Levi’s blue jeans until I was in college. In my mind, Kmart blue jeans were just as blue.

Many of those same principles and disciplines used by my mother are instilled in my consumer habits today. I would categorize myself a conscientious consumer who understands the quality many private brands offer, though I still do indulge in some national brands. (Can anyone say Oreo cookies?)

Obviously, I’ve dealt with store brands quite a bit in my personal life. And even though I only recently became publisher of PL Buyer, this isn’t the first time I’ve dealt with store brands on a professional level.

My career in publishing started with Office Products Dealer, a magazine that served office product stores. While I was on that magazine, the emergence of Office Depot and OfficeMax significantly impacted the office supply retail sector, and their private label products very quickly gobbled up significant market share. Private brands also have been prevalent in other industries I’ve covered in publishing, including IT (OEMs) and food service (Sysco).

So, becoming the publisher of PL Buyer feels somewhat transcendent, as if my personal world and my professional world are coming together as one. As you know, PL Buyer is a trusted and respected brand in the private label market. And it is the sole objective of the entire PL Buyer team to elevate our brand’s stature, credibility and value so that you are in a better position to elevate the stature and success of your private brands. PL Buyer will accomplish this objective by continually identifying the informational needs of the market and delivering informative content in a variety of convenient formats for your consumption.

One thing is certain: The private label industry will continue to evolve. And as it does, PL Buyer will be at the forefront, ready to serve. The responsibility of being a powerful industry voice and a respected source for information is a responsibility we are honored to have. And we will make sure we take that responsibility very seriously.

Feel free to contact me to share any of your thoughts, or even if you just want to introduce yourself. I’d love to hear from you, and I look forward to serving you!