LUNCH & LEARN WEBINAR, 26 NOVEMBER

PLMA’s online Lunch & Learn programme is designed for private label manufacturers, retailers and wholesalers who want to expand their knowledge of the private label business. PLMA organises several sessions a year, each focusing on emerging industry topics and trends.

The next session is "The rise of Private Label: How retailers are redefining value and innovation," to be held Wednesday 26 November from 12:30 to 13:30 CET with Sneha Haria and Stephanie Leung of IGD.

Harian and Leung will share insights into its recently published trends 2025. It explores the current global private label landscape, answering key questions around its importance, areas of growth and decline, and the macro forces shaping its future. It highlights both short-term global trends and their regional visibility, while uncovering the opportunities and challenges they create for retailers and suppliers. Set against the wider retail environment, the insights are designed to help businesses navigate change and unlock new potential in private label.

Participation in PLMA's Lunch & Learn Speaker Series is free for PLMA members, retailers and wholesalers. To register click here.

Discover What’s Next for Private Label at The PLMA Annual Private Label Summit Copenhagen | 28–29 October 2025

Private labels are no longer the alternative — they’re the growth engine of modern retail. As private brands continue to capture market share across Europe and beyond, the PLMA Annual Private Label Summit will bring together FMCG leaders, manufacturers, and retailers to tackle the question shaping the future of our industry:

What does today’s consumer really want — and how can private brands deliver?

Taking place in Copenhagen on 28–29 October, this year’s Summit promises two days of insight, innovation, and inspiration designed to help you stay ahead in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

What to Expect

Kantar: Accelerating agility: Winning the heart of the ever-changing customer

Learn how leading companies are using AI and customer data to anticipate emerging trends, protect margins, and strengthen shopper engagement in a rapidly evolving retail landscape.

Institut for Kundetyper: Understanding the Emotional Consumer

Gain a deeper understanding of emotional drivers and unconscious purchasing behaviour. This academic yet practical session will reveal how brands can connect with consumers’ underlying motivations and build lasting loyalty.

Dunnhumby: Lessons from Tesco’s Loyalty Experts

Discover real-world case studies from the customer data science pioneers behind Tesco’s loyalty strategy. See how private brands are leveraging insight-led strategies to boost engagement and resilience in challenging economic conditions.

Simon-Kucher: Changing dynamics of consumer behaviour that drives the development of Private Label share

Explore how a shift from operational to commercial excellence—through pricing strategy, perceived value, and consumer understanding—can fuel private label growth and profitability.

United Nordic: The Power of Cross-Border Collaboration

Learn from the Nordic region’s leading buying alliance on how a collaborative private label strategy can streamline operations, enhance sustainability, and open up new market opportunities across borders.

Agristo: Innovation Through a Consumer-First Mindset

Hear the success story of Agristo, a 100% private label supplier, and how its company-wide, consumer-centric approach has driven innovation and forged long-term retailer partnerships.

See Private Label Innovation in Action

The Summit opens on 28 October with a market presentation by Euromonitor, showcasing the latest retail trends and opportunities across Scandinavia. Delegates will also take part in exclusive store visits to Denmark’s leading supermarkets and discounters — offering firsthand insight into what’s driving private label success on the ground.

Join Europe’s Private Label Leaders

Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with senior retailers, manufacturers, and thought leaders shaping the future of private brands.

Spaces are limited — secure your place today and be part of the conversation that’s defining the next era of FMCG growth.

👉 Register now at [PLMA’s Summit  registration link]

Rampoldt, CEO of Lidl US, to Keynote PLMA's 2025 Chicago Trade Show

Joel Rampoldt, CEO of Lidl US, a discounter well-known for its focus on private label, minimalist layout and curated product selection that emphasizes essentials and popular items that contribute to budget-friendly shopping, will deliver the keynote speech at PLMA's 2025 Private Label Trade Show, on 16-18 November in Chicago. 

A business leader with an exceptional track record in large-scale retail transformations, Rampoldt has widely recognized expertise in building teams and helping them tackle complex problems in customer offer, marketing, supply chain and financial management.

“I’m honoured to get the chance to speak to our suppliers at this year’s PLMA Trade Show,” said Rampoldt. “Here at Lidl US, we value our relationships with our suppliers tremendously and we’re excited to grow with them as we expand in the US.” In his keynote, he will share insights into the retailer mindset and how the US private label industry can come together to make the most of this historic moment.

Rampoldt joined Lidl US as CEO in 2023. He was previously a Partner and Managing Director at AlixPartners, where he specialized in improving sales and profitability for retail clients through strategies focused on pricing, promotions, and operational efficiency. 

"We are extremely pleased to welcome Joel as our keynote speaker. He is an accomplished and influential retail industry executive who leads a chain that is clearly a growing force in the US market, much as it is in Europe," said PLMA President Peggy Davies.

Rampoldt follows other retail chiefs who have served as principal speaker at recent PLMA events, including Jack Sinclair, CEO, Sprouts Farmers Market; Dave Rinaldo, President at ALDI; and John Ross, President and CEO, IGA.

Lidl US, established in 2015, is headquartered in Arlington, VA., and operates more than 190 stores on the East Coast of the US. About 80% of its award-winning products are private label, all of which undergo rigorous taste, quality and sensory testing.

Rampoldt will speak at the keynote breakfast on Monday, November 17, at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare, which is adjacent to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, site of PLMA’s Show. Themed "Store Brands Marketplace," the event will feature some 35,000 food and nonfood products, 3,100 booths, and 2,000 exhibitors representing 65 countries.

To visit the Chicago trade show, click here.

PLMA Summit, Copenhagen, 28-29 October

As private labels continue to gain market share across Europe and beyond, this year’s PLMA Annual Private Label Summit will focus on one crucial question: What does today’s consumer want — and how can private brands deliver? The Summit will take place in Copenhagen from 28-29 October.

Kantar will keynote on how companies are using AI and customer data to anticipate trends, protect margins, and engage consumers in a fast-changing retail environment.

Institut for Kundetyper will offer a unique perspective on emotional drivers in consumer behaviour using academic tools to map unconscious purchasing habits, helping brands align with the latent desires of their audience.

Dunnhumby, the customer data science firm behind Tesco’s loyalty strategy, will present real-world case studies on how private brands are boosting customer engagement and resilience in uncertain economic times.

Simon-Kucher & Partners will address the shift from operational to commercial excellence, with insights into how pricing strategy, perceived value, and customer understanding can drive growth in private labels.

United Nordic, the Nordic region’s leading buying alliance, will demonstrate the benefits of a cross-border private label strategy, showing how cooperation can streamline operations and sustainability efforts.

Agristo, a 100% private label supplier, will share their success story, revealing how a company-wide, consumer-first mindset furthers innovation and builds long-term partnerships with retailers.

The Summit begins on the 28th with a market presentation by Euromonitor, highlighting trends and opportunities in the Scandinavian retail landscape, followed by in-store visits to leading Danish supermarkets and discounters offering real-life inspiration and strategic context for private label professionals.

For detailed information and registration, click here.

‘Surprise’ an important ingredient in today’s private labels

In May, the entire RAI Exhibition complex, 45,000 m2 show floor, was devoted to PLMA’s “World of Private Label” international trade show. More than 30,000 visitors immersed themselves in the overwhelming offerings of private labels of thousands of own brand producers. The show lived up to its reputation as a leading global event welcoming trade professionals from all over the world. 

The show revealed that private labels increasingly develop into private brands whose strategic relevance is growing year over year. By focusing on surprise instead of price, chains can provide their customers with products that deliver greater value and differentiation.

“It is encouraging to witness the energy and inspiration shared between retailers and manufacturers as they continue to shape a dynamic private brand community,” said PLMA President Peggy Davies. “These companies are clearly future-ready, serving consumers who are not only price-conscious but increasingly focused on finding real value. This spirit of collaboration and innovation was on full display at this year’s well-attended event in Amsterdam.”

Record number of international suppliers at PLMA's US Show

Responding to American consumers' increasing appetite for food products featuring ethnic and international ingredients and flavors, PLMA will present retailers with a record 900 suppliers from more than 60 countries at its 2024 Private Label Trade Show, November 17-19, Chicago.

The Show floor will offer 52 country and regional pavilions, another record, from North and South America, Europe and Asia, to enable buyers to source new and innovative products for today’s more discerning shoppers. New pavilions include Morocco, Poland, Vietnam, Portugal and Costa Rica. There are also expanded groups from Australia, Canada, Chile, France, Greece, Guatemala, Italy, Peru, Spain, and Ukraine.

PLMA’s new survey of 1,000 retailers and manufacturers collected insights on growth prospects for private label across Europe

European private label manufacturers and retailers can expect to be very busy over the next few years, judging by preliminary findings of a new multinational survey of more than 1,000 industry executives conducted by PLMA which found that a majority of respondents see good times ahead for both private label and their own companies.

PLMA's 2024 study, “European Retailers & Manufacturers Talk About the Future: What will the private label landscape look like over the next five years?,”  consisted of about 30 multi-part questions. The comprehensive online survey was made available in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. It was fielded for PLMA International by Surveylab in June-August.
 

The survey gathered insights from European retailers and private label manufacturers on critical issues including the relationship between manufacturers and retailers; product innovation and development; the influence of today’s environmental and societal requirements on the supply chain, and factors contributing to the prospects for the growth of private label throughout Europe.

PLMA commissioned the study to gain insights that will enhance the organization of the annual World of Private Label Trade Show, which in May conducted its largest event ever, as well as other association programmes that foster expanded opportunities for all players in the European private label industry.

PLMA’s Project Director Judith Kolenburg will present a summary of the report at the Private Label Summit in Milan on 29-30 October. Following her presentation, a panel of industry leaders, moderated by Edgar Elzerman, will analyse and assess the findings. A full report will be made available to PLMA members and retailers in November. For more information about the conference click here.

Amsterdam Show hosted nearly 3,000 exhibitors

On May 28 and 29, the Amsterdam RAI welcomed more than 18.000 visitors from over 125 countries who were all keen to meet the best of the world’s private label manufacturers.

PLMA’s International World of Private Label Trade Show was, as it always is, a meeting place for retailers, buyers, and other visitors who walked the 43,500 m2 trade show floor to browse what the almost 3,000 exhibiting companies from 73 countries offered. A challenging task, given the show floor space and the abundance of food and non-food exhibitors which was 10% larger compared to last year. 

More than just a trade show, the PLMA event is the place to identify food and non-food trends, like improved vegan offerings, high-protein items, and other preventive health products, as well as a variety of self-care solutions that tap into an increasing demand from consumers for functional and versatile products.

Retailers come to the show mostly very prepared, helped by PLMA’s Show Navigator. The experience is that they have a targeted itinerary and start talking business with exhibitors in their stand right away. In addition, they know to leave time for surprises and little gems that they run into unexpectedly.

“For my company this trade show gains relevance year by year”, a manufacturer comments. “The trade show floor is full of retailers that are truly interested in our products and our way of working.”

The entire fair was about meeting existing clients, generating leads, finding new products and closing deals. The next edition of PLMA’s World of Private Label International Trade Show will be held 20-21 May 2025, again at the RAI in Amsterdam.

PLMA’s 2024 World of Private Label International Trade Show, 28 and 29 May

More than 2,950 exhibitors from more than 73 countries will fill over 43,500 m2 of exhibit space at PLMA’s 2024 World of Private Label International Trade Show, May 28 and 29 at the RAI in Amsterdam.

The show floor will span 14 halls, including nine for food and five for non-food. It will feature 67 national and regional pavilions.

“Our high-impact global event provides a dynamic two-day platform for more than 28,000 private label professionals from 120 countries to connect, source and grow,” said PLMA President Peggy Davies. “The innovation unveiled for food and non-food products and packaging on the show floor and in Idea Supermarket will strengthen the already booming private label industry.”

Products on display will include fresh, frozen, refrigerated food, dry groceries and beverages, as well as non-food categories, including cosmetics, health and beauty, household and kitchen, garden supplies, housewares and more.

Among the product trends on the show floor: 
·    Sustainable Claims: 39% or 1,150+ exhibitors 
·    Dietary Needs: 31% or 900+ exhibitors 
·    Vegan, Plant-Based & Vegetarian: 22% or 650+ exhibitors 
·    Organic: 26% or 750+ exhibitors  

To register and visit the trade show click here.