October 2021 Global Retail Brands by globalretailmag

OCTOBER 2021

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Anuga 2021 An Inconvenient Truth (In Retail) PLMA’s World of Private Label Preview

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VIEWPOINT

Are We There Yet? Anyone who has ever travelled by car with children has heard that question, likely again and again and again. This question seems rather apt for our industry, especially for in person events. I’ve always loved trade fairs and have produced more than a few in my professional career. I love them. And I thank God I’m not in that business right now. But being a magazine publisher is a close second, we’ve had to schedule, postpone, schedule, postpone and repeat. But I think we’re almost there. Many of you will be reading this while attending Anuga or Anuga@Home. Likewise, many of you are making plans to visit PLMA’s World of Private Label in Amsterdam in December. And in late January, PLMA Chicago returns for the first time since 2019. At that point, I think it will be safe to say, we’re here.

When We Get There… …Let’s Kill the Commute What will “being there” mean in 2022. Business as usual? I certainly hope not. Those companies with good common sense will realize that the pre-Covid work model can be safely tossed out the window. How can we possibly expect the best from our people when we force them to waste up to 4 hours of each work day commuting? Spending more time getting to and from work than spent nurturing family is draconian.

…Let’s Not Blah, Blah, Blah I can’t get enough of Greta Thunberg’s thumbing her nose at world leaders for dragging their feet on climate change. Her courage and common sense is inspiring (at least to me) and her irreverence is refreshing (again, to me). I too am tired of the pomposity who leaders of wouldn’t know the truth if it bit them in the ass. And this doesn’t just apply to Sustainability. How we allow the likes of Mark Zukerberg and his cronies to profit off our children and the socially vulnerable is beyond my comprehension. Whatever happened to accountability and ethics?

…Let’s Take a Stand After all we’ve been through, I hope we can find the courage to be original and not simply follow the herd. Whether its having the courage to lose a penny to produce a higher quality product or not turn our back on the disadvantaged or to innovate and be original. Very much looking forward to seeing you soon.

Kind regards, Phillip Russo Founder / Editor phillip@globalretailmag.com

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / OCTOBER 2021

BACK TO BUSINESS WITH PLMA

14‐15 December 2021

RAI Exhibition Centre • Amsterdam

CONTENTS G LOB AL RE TAIL BRA N D S I

OCTOBER 2021 I VO LU M E 9 I NU M B E R 3

18 54

COVER STORY

DEPARTMENTS 4 Viewpoint 12 Contributors 14 Events Calendar 16 Notable

RETAIL PROFILES

COLUMNS

SERVICES

54 P ICNIC Hans Kraak

63 Global Retailers Lead Innovation George Puro Puro Research

70 Global Trade Fairs

Q&A 60 C hristopher Durham Retail Brands Institute

64 A n Inconvenient Truth (In Retail) Perry Seelert Emerge 66 A Millennial Mamma’s Perspective on Innovation Katie Locke MBD 68 I mpacts of Global Wellness on Marketing Samantha Romano SGK

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / OCTOBER 2021

76 A dvertiser’s Index Next Issue Highlights

Lansing, Michigan Since Sinc e 1935 1935

Salted caramel

YOUR BRAND. OUR COFFEE EXPERTISE. LET’S PARTNER.

paramountroasters.com

Where Retailers

OCTOBER 2021

/ VOLUME 9 / NUMBER 3 OF 4

Phillip Russo

EDITOR / PUBLISHER phillip@globalretailmag.com

and

Jacco van Laar

Suppliers Meet

EUROPEAN DIRECTOR jaccovanlaar@globalretailmag.com

Melissa Subatch

CREATIVE DIRECTOR info@melissasubatchdesign.com

Andrew Quinn

DIGITAL DIRECTOR andrew.quinniii@gmail.com

Luisa Colombo

OCTOBER 2021

MAY 2021

Italian Business Development luisa@globalretailmag.com

Sabine Geissler

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GREENTASTE.IT Italian Business Development s.geissler@greentaste.it

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Phillip Russo, Principal 240 Central Park South, Suite 9G New York, NY 10019 USA Tel. +1 917 743 6711 All rights reserved under the Library of Congress. No part of this publication may be r eproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing by the copyright owner. Opinions expressed by contributors are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher.

Global Retail Brands is published 4 times a year. Editorial Submissions phillip@globalretailmag.com Advertising Inquiries – EUROPE luisa@globalretailmag.com Advertising Inquiries – AFRICA, AMERICAS, ASIA, AUSTRALIA, MIDDLE EAST phillip@globalretailmag.com

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CONTRIBUTORS

MARIA DUBUC Marketing By Design, President, Big Red Rooster, Vice President, Maria is a 25 year pioneer in creative management, Maria’s key talent is to combine a career’s worth of branding experience into something personal and unique for each and every client. Smart & Final, The Home Depot, 7-Eleven, and PriceSmart are among the retailer programs she currently runs. CHRISTOPHER DURHAM Christopher Durham is the president of the Retail Brands Institute. Prior to this he founded the groundbreaking site My Private Brand. He is the co-founder of The Vertex Awards. He began his retail career building brands at Food Lion and Lowe’s Home Improvement. Durham has worked with retailers around the world, including Albertsons, Family Dollar, Petco, Staples, Office Depot, Best Buy, Metro Canada. Durham has published seven definitive books on private brands, including Fifty2: The My Private Brand Project and Vanguard: Vintage Originals.

HANS KRAAK is educated in biology and journalism and wrote two books about nutrition and health. He worked for the Dutch ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food quality and the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. As editor in chief he publishes in Voeding Nu, a business to business platform on food and health, as a food and wine writer he publishes in Meininger’s Wine Business International and reports for PLMA Live EU and PLMA USA. KATIE LOCKE If you’ve ever met Katie, you’ve seen or heard her excitement for building or rebuilding brands. Her passions also include just about every facet of food and eating experiences. For the past 9 years, Katie has worked in Sales & Marketing for Marketing by Design (MBD), a branding and packaging design agency specializing in high volume retailer programs. At MBD, Katie gets to blend her passions by talking to thousands of National and Private brand leaders, mostly in the food industry, about expanding & enhancing their presence in market and on shelf.

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / OCTOBER 2021

KARA MIENCIER Kara Miencier, Private Brand Sales Executive for Paramount Roasters, has a passion for store brands and the coffee industry. As a Board of Directors Member for Women Impacting Storebrand Excellence, Kara finds great value in the diversity and inclusion mission of WISE and bridging the experience gap between generations.

GEORGE PURO President of the Puro Research Group, a market intelligence firm specializing in consumer insights, competitive/market intelligence and analysis. Puro’s services are designed to keep you abreast of the latest trends, make you look smart in presentations and help guide decision-making. The company has provided organizations and companies, ranging from Fortune 100 companies to startups, with aha! insights about competitors, customers and industries in a variety of topics and industries, including consumer products; retail; transportation, travel and hospitality; healthcare and health insurance;

SAMANTHA ROMANO Manager, Marketing Strategy, SGK. With more than 15 years of experience in coordinating the proposal process from inception to final submittal, Samantha is a highly experienced proposal writer, having worked on a wide range of proposals, RFPs, RFIs, statements of qualification, and other sales-related documents to ensure a unified message and voice is achieved in key client deliverables.

PERRY SEELERT A retail branding and marketing expert, with a passion for challenging conventional strategy and truths. Perry is the Strategic Partner and Co-founder of Emerge, a strategic marketing consultancy dedicated to helping Retailers, Manufacturers and Services grow exponentially and differentiate with purpose.

FULL STEAM AHEAD! We’re moving full steam ahead in the United States’ Farm-to-Fork Capital! Tomatoes are turning red, family farmers are busy harvesting their crop, and our cannery is working around the clock to produce quality canned tomato products.

What does it take to produce the tastiest, most nutritious canned tomatoes? A lot of care, hard work, and dedication is first and foremost. However, the below three topics are KEY when moving full steam ahead to can the PERFECT tomato!

Farm to Fork

Location is Key

A Better Tomorrow

California’s Mediterranean climate of cool nights and warm days combined with rich, nutrient dense soil are the ideal conditions for growing world class canning tomatoes.

Over 95% of growers are within a 17-mile radius of our tomato cannery. This proximity allows us to pack perfectly red, vine-ripened tomatoes in just 5 hours or less for optimal flavor and nutrient content.

Sustainability is at the forefront of everything we do. From our steam peeling process, to reducing water usage, and utilizing rail networks to reach our customers, to name just a few.

REQUEST STEAM PEELED TOMATOES FOR YOUR STORE BRAND SCAN ME

INDUSTRY EVENT UPDATE

ANUGA Cologne 9-13 OCTOBER

PLMA CHIGAGO IN PERSON Chicago 30 JANUARY – 1 FEBRUARY 2022

IN PERSON

www.anuga.com

www.plma.com

PLMA’S WORLD OF PRIVATE LABEL Amsterdam 14 - 15 DECEMBER

IN PERSON

ISM Cologne 30 JAN - 2 FEB 2022

www.plmainternational.com

MARCA BOLOGNA Bologna 19 – 20 JANUARY 2022

www.marca.bolognafiere.it/

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / OCTOBER 2021

www.ism-cologne.com IN PERSON

IN PERSON

BOSTON | PHOENIX | SAN DIEGO | CHINA | UK

N O TA B L E

Anuga 2021 in High Demand Anuga, the largest trade fair regarding the number of exhibitors and exhibition space, opens its doors in the regular mode at the fair grounds of Koelnmesse on 9 October. The result is impressive, because with over 4,000 exhibiting companies, Anuga 2021 boasts an excellent alignment after the pandemic. “Hence, we will be the largest trade fair in Europe - if not indeed worldwide - after the re-start of the trade fair industry. The trade fair will be staged in 11 halls of the fair grounds. The newly constructed Hall 1, which satisfies all of the modern demands of a trade fair, will also celebrate its premiere during Anuga. This really is a strong signal, which we here at Koelnmesse and the trade fair industry as a whole can build on. Furthermore, this good resonance also confirms how much the industry is looking forward to this year’s Anuga as the most important trade fair for food and beverages after the long abstinence,” explained Gerald Böse, President and Chief Executive Officer of Koelnmesse GmbH, at the business conference of Anuga. With a current exhibitor participationfrom 94 countries, the level of internationality of Anuga is as high as usual and will continue to set benchmarks with regards to its product diversity and innovations. The ten country participations with the highest number of exhibitors come from Belgium, Germany, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Turkey and the USA. In terms of visitors, Anuga will once again unite national and international top decision-makers from the trade, industry and outof-home market from all over the world. The number of visitors will no doubt not quite

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / OCTOBER 2021

match the previous event in the year 2019. The decision as to whether to visit the trade fair is being taken much more spontaneously and at shorter notice than usual. However, numerous renowned food dealers and distributors from over 50 different countries have already confirmed their attendance. Among others, ALDI Einkauf SE & Co. oHG, Eismann Tiefkühl-Heimservice GmbH, Gate Group (formerly the LSG Group), Metro AG, REWE Group Buying GmbH as well as Supermarketfoods Asia and World Finer Foods are planning to visit Anuga. The leading global trade fair for food and beverages is treading new paths for the first time with its hybrid concept for the trade fair, which foresees the physical trade on-site in Cologne being additionally enhanced by the digital format, Anuga @home. “Anuga @home will thus bring the industry players all over the world together regardless of their location or time zone and create a digital trade fair experience on the screens at home or in the office. Furthermore, we can offer our customers a host of new participation options and set new benchmarks regarding international reach, lead generation and networking over the coming years,” Böse emphasised further. Available from 11.-13-10.2021, the start of the digital event Anuga @home is staggered. A large range of contents will also be available there on-demand after the trade fair has closed.

This year’s edition is focusing on the food transformation, which has picked up even more speed due to the pandemic and has once again underlined the volatility of the global food and ecosystem as well as the necessity for a global food change. Trade fairs like Anuga are always a reflection of the market, which not only actively accompany the transformation process, but which also support the industry in carrying on and sustainably securing its economic success. Under the key topic, “Transform”, Anuga is not only presenting trailblazing future themes in the scope of new event and congress formats, but is also offering the international product diversity the leading global trade fair stands for with its customary 10 trade shows under one roof.

N O TA B L E

Anuga HORIZON: Koelnmesse to launch new innovation platform for the food industry in 2022 Triad comprising of exhibition, conference and experience creates a new form of trade fair experience

The new special events “Anuga Clean Label”, “Anuga Free From, Health & Functional Foods“ as well as the Anuga Meet More Meatless“ format within Anuga Meat pick up on new consumer needs and offer buyers and the media an overview of product innovations in these trend categories. Anuga is still taking place under special circumstances and Koelnmesse has accordingly undertaken extensive preparations to ensure the Coronaconform conduction of the trade fair, including a comprehensive package of measures that have been put together under the term #B-SAFE4business. The current Corona Protection Ordinance of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia has provided significantly more planning security in this regard. Anuga 2021 is being staged on-site in Cologne 9 to 13 October and is exclusively open to trade visitors. In addition to this, the digital format Anuga @home is available from 11 to 13 October. To learn more: www.anuga.com/fair/anuga/ anuga-home

The already dynamic environment of the food and beverage industry has been undergoing significant change for many years, which has been further boosted by the pandemic. In order to do justice to the arising need for new solutions, Koelnmesse has developed a new hybrid event, the Anuga HORIZON. As an innovation and business platform, the event examines solutions for the future challenges of the industry every two years. The concept of Anuga HORIZON is based on a combination between an exhibition, conference and experience and unites theory and practice using new, interactive formats. The first edition will be staged from 6 to 8 September 2022. “The idea for the event was born two years ago when we placed the focus on future solutions and new technological approaches at Anuga 2019 in the form of the special event, “Anuga Horizon 2050”. Changing consumer demands, increased digitalisation, the increased implementation of disruptive technologies require a paradigm change within the industry.

This is exactly where Anuga HORIZON comes into play and as a practical enhancement to Anuga, it will portray the entire food ecosystem. The conference section, which enables a deep dive into specialised themes and in addition to the business aspect conveys the latest cognitions at the exhibition stands, offers additional benefit,” explained Gerald Böse, President and Chief Executive Officer of Koelnmesse GmbH. Information is available at: www.anuga-horizon.com/ pressinformation

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N O TA B L E

Largest Private Label Trade Show In The World, PLMA’s “Word Of Private Label” Returns To Amsterdam 14-15 December 2021 Strong interest from the industry to come to Amsterdam, Registration is open. The primary international private label event, PLMA’s “World of Private Label”, will take place again in Amsterdam’s RAI Exhibition Centre. From big international corporations to SME’s, on 14 and 15 December the private label industry will be gathering in person to meet, do business, find new products and suppliers, share ideas and strengthen business relations. Peggy Davies, President of PLMA, explains: “The last in-person “World of Private Label” took place 2½ years ago and the international private label industry is simply in need of meeting up again and networking, to find new products and business opportunities. It has been too quiet without the show floor buzz and dynamics and we know that many of our member manufacturers and retail buyers share that feeling. PLMA’s team is ready, excited and eager to welcome the industry back to Amsterdam!” ‘Back to Business’, the theme of this year’s show, is exceptionally appropriate as the need for new contacts and ideas has never been greater. More than

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / OCTOBER 2021

1700 private label manufacturers from over 60 countries have already registered as exhibitors and PLMA expects to eventually welcome approximately 2000 exhibitors in December, including 45 national and regional pavilions from 30 countries. One of the pavilions is the Danish Pavilion with more than 50 companies. “Danish companies are looking forward to meeting their business partners live again,” said Karsten Nielsen, CEO and organiser of the “Food from Denmark” pavilion. “Online meetings have worked just fine during Covid-19, but I can feel that the companies are in need of creating new business opportunities in person and not just online. PLMA’s two-day trade show has always proven to be efficient and quite effective for Danish companies.”

The extra-wide aisles which, together with a variety of other health and safety measures, allow for safe participation of all attendees, and for international buyers to conveniently and safely walk the trade show floor to discover new products. Current trends like health, convenience, organic, plant-based and sustainability, as well as indulging products in food and non-food are on display. More product categories on exhibit are fresh, frozen and refrigerated foods, dry grocery, and beverages as well as non-food categories, including cosmetics, health and beauty, household and kitchen, home & leisure and housewares and personal protection equipment.

“I encourage all retailers to come to Amsterdam to re-connect with their international industry colleagues. It is THE private label event of the year!” Peggy Davies, President, PLMA

In the unique ‘New Product Expo’ area in the centrally located RAI Elicium building, PLMA offers easy access to innovation, trends and new developments in private label, by displaying hundreds of products that are new on the private label market and available from exhibitors. In the same area the winners of PLMA’s 2021 International ‘Salute to Excellence Awards’ will be showcased. The ‘Salute to Excellence’ Awards give recognition to outstanding food and non-food private label products that have been introduced by supermarkets, hypermarkets, discounters, drugstores and specialty stores in the past year.

In addition, one day prior to the opening of the trade show, PLMA will hold a seminar programme at the Forum Zaal at the RAI with latest insights and presentations of industry experts.

For more information, go to www.plmainternational.com

Peggy Davies states: “I encourage all retailers to come to Amsterdam to re-connect with their international industry colleagues. It is THE private label event of the year!”

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BOOST YOUR BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES Follow Marca by BolognaFiere on:

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MARCA TECHNICAL SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE

N O TA B L E

PLMA’s Chicago Private Label Trade Show Scheduled for January 30 - February 1, 2022 The Private Label Manufacturers Association announced that it is annual U.S. Private Label Trade Show will be held January 30 - February 1, 2022. Originally planned for November 14-16, the rescheduled show will be held in-person at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Chicago. In announcing the date change, PLMA President Peggy Davies voiced optimism that between now and the end of January, there will be significant U.S. progress on vaccinations – including shots available for children. “Beginning in the new year, more companies will return to the office, corporate travel restrictions increasingly will be lifted, and people will become more comfortable gathering in large groups. And international borders will be reopened, an important factor for the large contingent of national pavilions that attend the Chicago Private Label Trade Show,” Davies added.

The rescheduled show is a can’t-miss event. The exhibit hall will be filled with the latest innovations in food, beverages, non-food, HBC, home goods and much more. Among other special show features: the New Product Expo, Idea Supermarket® and PLMA’s “Salute to Excellence” product award winners. For more information go to: www.plma.com

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / OCTOBER 2021

N O TA B L E

Up and Away to a New Galaxy of Snacks Finger food and snacks have been extremely popular with consumers for years. And especially with the target group made up of young, active, career-minded professionals. The home office and lockdowns have also boosted the trend towards fast food. Those seeking diversity and variety in this category find it all in the Frostkrone Food Group’s huge selection of delicious, quickly prepared finger food and snack variations. This selection, extended by popular product ideas every year, ranges from small, exquisite finger food specialities through trendy, free-from snack ideas and delicious cream cheese creations right up to practical pizza pockets for the oven and microwave, not forgetting a choice of potato snacks. The Company Group’s finger food and snacks, found in freezers throughout the food retail trade, in the food service sector and at snack stations, are available almost everywhere in Europe and in parts of the USA and Asia. And now for something completely new: ready-to-eat when you’re on the move and peckish.

The Frostkrone Food Group is filling refrigerated cabinets with its readyto-go range - the quick, enjoyable solution for those hungry between meals or for people on the go.

• L entil and Carrot Coins: a mix of sieved tomatoes, carrots, red onions and lentils, covered in linseeds, quinoa, chives, sunflower and pumpkin seeds.

“The market is innovation-driven and the consumer, always wanting more, is open to new ideas – different choices, tastes, ways of preparation. We are meeting this wish with new finger food and snack ideas straight from the refrigerated counter,” explains Frédéric Dervieux, CEO of the Frostkrone Food Group.

• G arlic and Cream Cheese Coins: cream cheese and garlic enveloped in potato flakes, parsley, linseeds, quinoa, sunflower and pumpkin seeds.

All products are vegetarian or vegan. They come as small coins, tots and mini balls, a medley of vegetables, with cheese and married together in a vegetable and cheese mix, scrumptiously enveloped in delicious spices, seeds and grains. The new range includes the following variations:

• B roccoli and Gouda Tots: broccoli and Gouda coated in linseeds, quinoa and potato flakes. Each type, in an approx. 100g pack, ready to eat.

Frostkrone Food Group at the digital Anuga 2021 From 11-13 October the Frostkrone Food Group is showcasing its extensive selection of finger food and snacks at Anuga@home, the digital platform of the world’s biggest food exhibition. The new ready-to-eat products will be there, too!

www.frostkrone-foodgroup.com

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / OCTOBER 2021

N O TA B L E

Lucart, Innovation and Sustainability Lucart, a major European manufacturer of thin MG paper for flexible packaging, is a key player in the consumer goods and Away From Home market as a producer and transformer of tissue and airlaid paper. Its attention to people, sustainable processes and approach to innovation mean that they offer cutting-edge products that meet market challenges and perfectly match the requirements of customers. Fiberpack® is their flagship project in this field: it combines advanced technology and environmentally friendly processes, demonstrating that circular economy principles are fully applicable to the tissue sector. Lucart created this project starting from the idea of using all the elements of beverage cartons according to circular economy principles. The production process relies on an innovative technology that separates the cellulose fibers found in beverage cartons from polyethylene and aluminum by physicalmechanical action. With this technology they don’t use any substances that may be harmful to people or the environment. They produce tissue products with the fibers obtained through this process and recover the aluminum and polyethylene, converting them into a homogeneous material called Al.Pe.®, which other industries use to produce a variety of items.

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / OCTOBER 2021

The tons of Fiberpack® paper Lucart has produced from 2013 to 2020 have contributed to the recovery of more than 6.5 billion of beverage cartons, saving more than 2.8 million of trees, and preventing more than 170,000 t of CO2e from being emitted into the atmosphere. Lucart’s continuous research and development work has led to many projects aiming to improve the quality and performance of its products. One such project has led to the innovative QMilk® process, which makes it possible to extract and transform the basic proteins in milk into a soft and precious fiber without the use of chemical agents. The process preserves the amino acids, and all the moisturizing and nourishing properties of milk in the resulting fiber. It guarantees a 100% natural formula that is dermatologically-tested, ultra soft and highly resistant. Lucart is also the only brand in its target market to offer airlaid products with exceptional absorbency and strength performance. The Airlaid technology uses long, highly resistant cellulose fibers that never come into contact with water during the production process (dry paper), so that they remain super

absorbent. Fibers treated with this process naturally form a ‘“dam” structure, offering outstanding results: it absorbs 50% more compared to other household paper and, thanks to its exceptional resistance, it can be reused up to 10 times, compared to 1 or 2 of competing products. Lucart is a company made up of people who choose to use innovative and sustainable processes in development, transformation and manufacturing of paper products, collaborating responsibly for the future of their business and of the planet. For more information: Dario.Brandi@lucartgroup.com www.lucartgroup.com

N O TA B L E

LA DORIA S.p.A. A Leading Position Abroad

La Doria, established in 1954, is an Italian leading corporation in the canned food sector, particularly in the production of tomato-based products, pasta sauces, canned vegetables, fruit juices and beverages. The company is the leading European producer of canned vegetables and tomatobased products (peeled and chopped tomatoes) in the retail segment, the first producer of pasta sauces under private labels and one of the main Italian producers of fruit juices and beverages.

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / OCTOBER 2021

The company also enjoys leading positions on some demanding foreign markets such as the UK, Australia and Japan. It ranks first on the English market of tomato-based products and baked beans under private labels. La Doria is a major supplier for mass market retailers both in Italy and abroad, and is specialized in the private labels sector for supermarket’s brands.

Visit at ANUGA 2021 Cologne - 9th/13th october Hall 7.1 Stand D15 TO LEARN MORE: LA DORIA S.p.A. Via Nazionale, 320 - 84012 Angri (SA) – Campania - Italy +39.081.5166111 www.gruppoladoria.it

N O TA B L E

Don’t Get Lost in the Jungle of Vegan Products Let V-Label Be Your Guide Over the last few years we have seen a great increase in the number of products declared suitable for vegetarians and vegans, indeed they are almost everywhere, from the small village shop to the large shopping center, and, of course, through e-commerce. But how can you find your way in such a rapidly changing market? Are all trademarks, logos, descriptions and disclaimers the same? Definitely not! The differences between these depend on the type of monitoring performed and on the certifying authority behind it. One of the most commonly employed methods is self-declaration: the manufacturer formally agrees to accept the product specification guidelines and to comply with the criteria for the use of the trademark provided by the entity that owns the brand name. In this case, no inspections are carried out by the brand owner and the responsibility for what is declared rests entirely with the manufacturer. Self-declaration is the method whereby a manufacturer may decide not to comply with any standard and to promote a product as vegan or vegetarian using his own created description or symbol. Another method is that of document review, also called product approval. In this case the company issuing the brand requires the manufacturer to provide a series of information regarding the characteristics of the product which must be supported by documentary evidence, from technical data sheets to laboratory analyses. The responsibility for what is declared is shared between the entity that oversees the trademark (for the monitoring performed) and the manufacturer (for the declarations made).

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / OCTOBER 2021

history of the brand is itself an assurance of excellence in the vegetarian and vegan industry.

Finally, there is the method whereby certification occurs only when inspections have been carried out by a certification body. This body is thus responsible for what is declared. The V-Label is obtained by means of a document review accompanied, when necessary, by an inspection visit. This iconic brand of the Italian Vegetarian Association was created in 1976, and is today the leading certification brand on the market thanks to the strictness of the controls and the clarity of the application criteria. The V-Label has been helping consumers to choose vegetarian, vegan and raw vegan products in complete security for decades. It also helps manufacturers to make their products stand out in an increasingly vast and equally confused and complicated market. Don’t get lost in the jungle of vegan and vegetarian products! Make your products stand out with a serious, recognized brand that is synonymous with quality: choose the V-Label! Vegetarian Association has grown to become the most recognized vegetarian and vegan symbol in the world: the

Finding a sure way to showcase products and be selected by consumers is a must nowadays. What really makes the difference is what feature is chosen to promote: quality, sensitivity towards sustainability issues, safety, and transparency are among the most important. That’s why today we are the first choice of thousands of customers: this is what the V-Label conveys every day. To learn more: www.vlabel.org segreteria@vlabel.it

N O TA B L E

Deanocciola: Organic Spreads, Made in Italy with Love Deanocciola is a story made of passion, tradition and taste. Deanocciola is the brand of Deangelis srl, a family-owned manufacturer located in the Tuscia area of Viterbo (North of Rome), where the De Angelis family has been growing hazelnuts and producing organic spreads since more than 60 years. In the Nineties, the Family created a product line entirely dedicated to persons with lactose and gluten intolerance and diabetics. This ground-breaking choice has been strategic and Deanocciola became a reference point for the Organic Vegan market over the years. Today, Deanocciola is a leading Italian manufacturer of Organic Spreads, offering: • H igh quality Hazelnut and Chocolate Spreads with and without Milk • Pure Nut Butters • Pure Oil Seed Butters • Innovative & Healthy recipes Their production plant meets the highest food-safety standards, and their factory is certified: ORGANIC - BRC – IFS – FDA – KOSHER – FAIRTRADE – UTZ. They manufacture the various organic spreads on latest-state-of-the-art productions lines, one from each product “family”, which are completely separated in order to avoid any cross-contamination. The factory is 100% gluten-free.

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / OCTOBER 2021

The organic spreads boast claims such as Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free, Protein. Moreover, their technology consists in manufacturing the spreads at low temperatures and in small batches so to have always-fresh products. Deangelis is open to new product development and offers reliability, experience, creativity and flexibility for the creation of organic nut and chocolate spreads for Private Label and Store Brands productions. They specialize in the development of organic spreads for all exigencies, and recently introduced: • Vegan Sugar Free Spreads • Protein Spreads Please visit www.deanocciola.com to learn more.

ORGANIC FOOD

DAIRY FREE

GLUTEN FREE

PALM OIL FREE

GMO FREE

VEGAN

NUTS • PEANUTS• OIL SEEDS

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DEANGELIS SRL | Loc. La Valle snc 01035 - Gallese (VT) - Italy info@deanocciola.com - www.deanocciola.com

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Solving the Documentation Conundrum for NBFDS Compliance The USDA’s new National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard’s [NBFDS] mandatory compliance date of January 1, 2022, is just a few months away. While many manufacturers are gearing up to ensure they comply, the reality is that getting the proper documentation from their suppliers may determine their fate. The standard is involved with many nuances, and exceptions are subject to change at any point in time as new bioengineered crops become commercially available. As such, companies have the daunting task of understanding which ingredients are a risk for triggering a bioengineered disclosure. And virtually all the information needed to answer that question rests with their suppliers. Therefore, while the ultimate responsibility rests with the food company whose brand name is on the package, they must rely on their suppliers to alert them to any bioengineered ingredient issues.

However, suppliers are under various internal and external pressures that may hamper their ability to do so, including: • C OVID’s impact on the vital staff needed to handle reviews/paperwork as well as disruption of the supply chain – fewer people doing more work is creating bottlenecks. • M anaging concurrent requests from many clients – makes it challenging to meet deadlines set by multiple customers. • L ack of clarity from the standard on what constitutes acceptable documentation – results in documentation clients find questionable.

The solution? • W orking with a third party to help you collect, manage and store documentation. • C onsulting with a GMO assessment expert who will know what documentation is – and isn’t – acceptable. • H aving one resource who owns the timeline and manages the details. FoodChain ID offers multiple solutions to enable companies to comply with NBFDS compliance, including an automated system to collect, manage, and store supplier documentation. Learn more at FoodChainID.com

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At Seneca, we're still doing things the way we always have - the right way. Think globally, grow locally. 99%

of our produce is grown by AMERICAN FARMERS

Please visit www.SenecaFoods.com to learn more about our company, people and products.

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Nuova Terra Presents A New Innovative Range “Ready To Eat” Consumers who care about nutrition and health, are increasingly aware of the ingredients, their origin and their nutritional properties. For this reason, Le Bontà’s unique objective is to produce simple, natural and good processed foods for retailers and their discerning consumers. Le Bontà, though the Nuova Terra brand, presents a new innovative range of three “Ready to eat” products: 1. Barley, Spelled, Lentils, Red Beans and Oats 2. Red Rice, Spelled, Barley and Lentils 3. Buckwheat, Red Quinoa and Chia Seeds These products are cooked without water to preserves all nutrients, they are a source of vegetable protein and dietary fiber, which is essential for good gut health. Moreover, the phosphorus improves memory and strengthens the body and fights fatigue.

To learn more: www.nuovaterra.net

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Ready for you Nuova Terra are perfect seasoned with extra virgin olive oil and salt and ideal for every recipes adding vegetables, fish and meat. The packaging is a doypack thought for 1 or 2 portions that blends perfectly with the needs of our time: ideal for anyone who is alone and looking for easy-to-use products and it’s possible to put them into the microwave just for few seconds.

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Pleasing Coffee Lovers Since 1935 Paramount Roasters is an employee-owned company based in Lansing, MI in their 85th year of business. Founded in 1935, Paramount has a rich heritage of meticulously roasting coffee, exceptional customer service and technical expertise. Paramount holds a SQF Food Safety Code for Manufacturing certification and is additionally certified in the following programs: USDA Organic, Fair Trade USA, Kosher, UTZ, Rainforest Alliance, and Swiss Water Process. Paramount services all facets of the coffee industry from retail, mass merchandisers, convenience stores, office coffee distributors, and beyond. With capabilities in premium bagged coffee and single serve coffee kcupsParamount Roasters can help to grow your private brand coffee program in this competitive retail market. Please reach out to Kara Miencier or Lindsay Penberthy for more information. The Paramount team looks forward to the opportunity to work with you! To learn more: www.paramountcoffee.com

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / OCTOBER 2021

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WISE Reaches New Heights With Its Virtual Annual Meeting Program Thursday, November 4, 2021 The WISE (Women Impacting Storebrand Excellence) Annual Meeting has become an integral event for store brands industry professionals each November. This year, WISE is reaching new heights with its programming in more ways than one. On Thursday, November 4, WISE is proud to feature speaker Colonel Merryl Tengsdahl (ret). Colonel Tengsdahl is the first and only African American women to fly the U.S. Air Force’s U-2 “Dragon Lady” high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft. She has been deployed worldwide and has extensive Airforce command and senior leadership experience. Since her retirement, she has become a sought-after motivational speaker applying military leadership lessons to business enterprises and women in leadership. In addition to this high-flying speaker, WISE will be announcing its new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion partnership with ExecuInsight. “The WISE Board of Directors took a deep look at where we’ve been and what impact we could make moving ahead,” notes WISE Chairperson Jen Linke, Federated Group. “We want to be a catalyst for true diversity initiatives, and most importantly, a reliable resource for the individuals and companies in our membership. Many of our member companies, especially the small and medium-sized ones, don’t have a dedicated Diversity and Inclusion director or budget. WISE would like to be where they can turn to for good information in supporting their DEI goals.” With a client list that includes Nestle and J.M. Smucker, ExecuInsight has developed a program tailored to WISE that addresses a broader

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / OCTOBER 2021

definition of diversity and provides important resources for its partner members that are also championing workplace diversity. To round out the program, this year’s honorees of the Top Women In Storebrands Awards will be introduced. Presented by WISE and StoreBrands Magazine, these awards recognize women executives in the store brands industry who bring a passion for store brands ExecuInsight has developed a program awards cover five functional expertise areas, as well as three

achievement areas for a Sparkplug, Innovation and Lifetime Achievement designation. Recipients will be featured in a future issue of StoreBrands magazine. The WISE annual meeting is open to anyone interested in the private label industry. The cost is $30 for WISE members, and $60 for non-members. This program will not be recorded for playback, so be sure to attend in real time.

To register for the WISE Annual Meeting, visit www.wisediversity.org.

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Agritalia Recognized as Supplier of the Year with Special Recognition Agritalia has been recognized by Whole Foods Market as a winner of the grocer’s ninth-annual Supplier Awards, taking home the honor of Supplier of the Year with Special Recognition. The Whole Foods Market Supplier Awards distinguish 42 companies that raised the bar in 2020 across all product categories. The company, a three-time winner of the award in 2011, 2019 and 2020, has been conferred with the Special Recognition among those “that go above and beyond in helping Whole Foods Market grow and drive business as well as inspire and delight customers”. In fact, Agritalia has an extensive expertise in selecting and providing the finest products picked from the assortment of over 100 qualified suppliers located across Italy and European Union, being able to consistently maintain the rigorous quality standards required by Whole Foods Market. For the Naples-based company this is a twice as valuable acknowledgement considering that an average of 90% of suppliers of U.S. primary grocery retailers are local, regional or at national level. Also, Agritalia has been able to stand out for its reliability even during a critical year like last year, when several U.S. supermarket chains had to manage serious problems of shortage of goods due to the pandemic.

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Sergio Massa , CEO, Agritalia In synergy with sister companies Agrilogistica and Agrusa, the company was able to put in place a timely, efficient contingency plan to avoid out of stocks despite the unfavorable situation. During 2020, the Covid-19 global emergency has exponentially boosted sales for large-scale retailers across the USA leading the volumes of Agritalia to the new continent up to +37% compared to the previous year. At the same time, the pandemic has been a major driving force also for the medium and small manufacturers that work in partnership with the group that have significantly increased their productions to ensure products’ availability even in the most complicated peaks of the emergency, proving great sense of cooperation and willingness to contribute.

“Agritalia opens the doors of the U.S. market to smaller or niche producers who alone would not have the strength or expertise to land in America,” says CEO Sergio Massa. “We are the only ones to offer such service, and we are proud ambassadors of the Italian specialties, always discovering the new excellences our land has to offer and bringing them to the shelves of U.S. supermarkets.” In fact, Agritalia specializes in private label programs for food and non-food items for some of the biggest retailers of the American grocery scenario. With over 30 years of experience, the company represents a privileged showcase for many small and medium-sized Italian and European producers. On the other hand, for retailers interested in including overseas specialties in their catalog, the company offers turnkey solutions: from the identification of the most suitable manufacturer for each program, to distribution and reordering on shelf.

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Leo Nucera – Sales & Marketing Director of Agritalia

The company has more than 700 products in its portfolio, ranging from pasta, pasta sauces, balsamic vinegar of Modena, couscous, frozen foods (mainly pizza and Italian ice cream), and last, but not least, extra virgin olive oil of which Agritalia manages 5% of exports from Italy to the United States. Pasta, extra virgin olive oil, and vinegars have surely been Agritalia’s flagship products since the beginning, as well as the most exported Italian products over the last three decades. The pandemic has certainly favored a further growth in exports: between March and August last year, pasta recorded a 60% increase in turnover (compared to 2019) while vinegar, a category that includes both balsamic vinegar of Modena and wine vinegars, by 45%. Increases likely due to a greater inclination among consumers to try new recipes and more complex preparations during lock-down. Despite the trend of home-made preparations, the category of ready meals however witnessed an interesting increase in sales compared to the previous year, in particular frozen pizza (+70%) and meal kits (+66%).

The most interesting development is the boom of the organic segment, which grew by 48% compared to 2019, suggesting that - during a health emergency - consumers somehow changed their consumption habits and have resorted to organic options. "The year of the pandemic has certainly given an acceleration to our business," Massa explains, "also because in the United States the large-scale retail channel has suffered less from the lockdown and, if possible, has increased turnover thus leading to an increase in our work not only in terms of turnover but also in terms of suppliers". Last year, over 3,000 containers optimized up to 50 different items per single container left from the hub of Nola, a logistics platform of 60,000 square feet equipped with advanced technologies, allowing Agritalia to guarantee continuity of supply to its customers and increase sales by +37%. Agritalia’s success is built on the Automated Replenishment Program (ARP), an advanced logistics solution based on the innovative Cloud Sourcing Intelligence (CSI), a proprietary software that makes the supply chain more efficient by analyzing sales data to plan suppliers’ workflow, consolidate and optimize the containers leaving every week for USA guaranteeing products always fresh and in stock. Thanks to this system, Agritalia can provide a “just in time” solution that allows suppliers to have greater control over production and customers over purchases.

"Our vision - explains Leo Nucera, Sales and Marketing Director of Agritalia - includes smart logistics that avoid all inefficiencies and make sure that each product, before arriving in the homes of consumers, follows the shortest and quickest path possible from the time of production to consumption, reducing costs and providing a sustainable service. This applies as much to North America as it does to future projects in Europe or Asia." The most recent, but no less important, step in Agritalia's journey towards an eco-friendly supply chain is the collaboration with the UK-based University of Sheffield, with the aim of developing new certified standards of sustainability for the entire group. Through this partnership, the company has joined one of the latest sustainable-based projects sponsored by the European Community: ProCEedS (H2020-MSCA-RISE-2018), which is a research consortium that aims to study the eco-sustainable implications of different distribution models, including that of Agrilogistica, and the consequent reduction of environmental impact, food waste and carbon dioxide emissions in the retail sector. The theme of sustainability will continue to be a priority for Agritalia, which is also committed in pursuing with goals 9 and 12 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development sponsored by United Nations.

www.globalretailmag.com

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Molino Nicoli Invests in Innovative Packaging Solutions

Molino Nicoli is a European leader in gluten and allergen free cereal as well as vegetable-based production. They have more than 150 year’s experience in the specialized manufacturing of:

And these consumers demand more than just an eco-friendly rehash of business as usual – they insist that you use sustainable materials in all your products as well.

• B reakfast Cereals * Snack Bars *Baby Food Snacks *Cookies and other oatbased bakery products

Here’s why Molino Nicoli has chosen to package products in the environmentally-friendly stand up pouch:

• High Vegetable Protein cereals and snacks *Keto friendly cereals

It’s recyclable The stand up pouch is made with laminated paper, FSC certified. Recyclable in paper in Italy (please check the recycling program in your country).

Molino Nicoli is an innovative and sustainably-driven company. In this respect, they abide the philosophy that less is more, especially when it comes to a new packaging solution It’s resealable with a zipper. development and have made a significant investment in an innovative, It’s compact: less space on the shelf and in the pantry stand-up pouch production line. With today’s earth-conscious consumers, the greener a product’s credentials, the better it will sell.

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It’s ready for sale: no extra packaging material needed like boxes.

For further information you can visit them during: Anuga, 9 – 13 October, Cologne Hall 7 – Booth B019 TuttoFood, 22 – 26 October, Milan Hall 18P - Booth L08

Contact: Davide Venturi davide.venturi@molinonicoli.it, Cristian Caramia cristian.caramia@molinonicoli.it

N O TA B L E Aldi Trials First Till-Less Store In Utrecht From an online report on Retail Detail, “Aldi goes Amazon Go: the German discounter is opening a fully till-free store in Utrecht. It means that the Netherlands will have the world’s first Aldi Nord without any cash registers. Just Sensors The first-ever till-less Aldi in Utrecht will open its doors. In early 2022, the Dutch city will get a new Aldi store, located on the corner of Oudegracht and Lange Viestraat, but it will be a store without tills. The new store has been designated as a pilot location for the entire Aldi Nord group. A unique experience.

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concept will not be found in other countries any time soon: first, it will be extensively tested and evaluated next year. What happens after that remains to be seen. Like at pioneer Amazon Go, the groceries are paid for automatically thanks to a dedicated app and sensors. The sensors register which products shoppers put in their shopping carts without the need for facial recognition or other privacysensitive biometric features. “The system only follows the movements made by the customer and the item”, assures Aldi. The Right Climate Jan Oostvogels, CEO of Aldi Netherlands, understands the choice for Utrecht: “The high degree of digitalisation in the Netherlands means that we are convinced that we have the right climate to trial new technologies such as these”. The new 11:29

In the United Kingdom, a till-less Aldi has been operating for some time, but it belongs to Aldi Süd - a separate holding company since 1961 and even a rival sister chain after a dispute between founders Theo and Karl Albrecht. Today, the two companies are once again seeking to establish better relations, but plans for a merger are still firmly denied. And so they each must experiment with till-less stores separately.” www.retaildetail.eu/en/news/ food/aldi-trials-first-till-lessstore-utrecht

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Thirty-Six Retailers Win PLMA’s 2021 International “Salute to Excellence Awards” for Innovations in their Private Label Products FOOD

HOME & HEALTH

Presenting this Year’s Retail Winners Presenting the winners of PLMA’s 2021 International “Salute to Excellence Awards”, honouring retailers for innovation and quality in the creation of their private label programmes. This year, nearly 600 products from 62 retailers in 23 countries were submitted and selected for consideration, including food, beverages, home and household, and health and beauty categories. Entries were evaluated for taste, quality, appearance, packaging, product concept and value for money by panels of judges drawn from retailing, manufacturing, marketing, and trade journalism. PLMA is proud to salute this year's winning retailers whose products continue to reflect their ever-growing commitment to excellence in quality and consumer satisfaction.

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Marca 20

THE RULES & PROCESS

Three dozen retailers from 17 countries have been named winners of PLMA’s 2021 International Salute to Excellence Awards in recognition of innovation and quality of their own-brand food and non-food products. Nearly 600 products introduced in the past year were submitted by 62 retailers from 23 countries for consideration in the world’s largest competition dedicated exclusively to own brands, according to the association.

JUDGES

inception in 2014, were handed to Germany’s drugstore Dirk Rossmann. Musgrave Retail Partners from Ireland came away with ten and South African retailer Woolworths received seven. Jumbo Supermarkten in the Netherlands won six while both Dunnes Stores from Ireland and El Corte Inglés from Spain received five.

Other winning retailers were Aldi Stores (Ireland), Asda Stores (United Kingdom), Axfood (Sweden), Action The winning food and non-food prod(Netherlands), Carrefour (France), ucts were selected by several panels of Colruyt (Belgium), Coop Jednota judges that included industry profes(Slovakia), Coop Trading (Denmark), sionals such as former retailers, chefs, Dagrofa (Denmark), Delhaize (Belacademics, nutritionists, journalists, and gium), Despar (Italy), Eroski (Spain), private label adepts. Etos (Netherlands), Eva (Ukraine), Globus Sb-Warenhaus (Germany), Of the 101 awards bestowed by PLMA this year, 54 went to retailers in Germa- Hema (Netherlands), Kaufland (Germany), Kesko (Finland), Kruidvat ny, Ireland, and The Netherlands with, (Netherlands), Marks And Spencer respectively, 23, 17 and 14. The others were divided among chains from south- (United Kingdom), Md (Italy), Metro (Germany), Migros Ticaret (Turkey), ern Europe, Scandinavia, Belgium, the Migross (Italy), Monoprix (France), United Kingdom, and Central Eastern Penny-Markt (Germany), Rewe Europe. (Germany), Salling Group (Denmark), Twelve awards, the most any retailer has Sonae Mc (Portugal) and Sopharma won in a single year since the program’s (Bulgaria).

Some observations: • The high number of sustainable products shows retailers are serious about the planet and environment by looking for alternative growing processes using less water and less carbon footprint through organic and local sourcing.

“Clearly evident this year in the quality of all the submissions and especially the winners, is a height-

• Recycled packaging and organic ingredients are high on the minds of the retailers’ cross-country and cross-category which now seem to be standard with 90-100% recycled packaging material.

ened focus on innovation and new product development,” said Peggy Davies, PLMA president. “These private label products demonstrate that all those involved in their development, testing and marketing have their finger on the pulse of important consumer trends.”

ON THE GO

JUMBO SUPERMARKTEN BV The Netherlands Jumbo Salade Wrap Gerookte Zalm

In food, winning products include Aldi Ireland’s Specially Selected Halloween Barmbrack, Rossmann’s enerBiO Immunsaft B12 with Shiitake Mushroom extract, Jumbo’s On the Go Lettuce Sushi Wrap with Smoked Salmon, Monoprix’ Brioche with Cereals and Seeds and Musgrave’s Sustainably Hydroponically Grown Italian Salad Mix as well as El Corte Ingles Fuel Snack, and Delhaize’s Veggie Vegan Apero Wings.

In non-food there were awards for Eroski’s Quick Dissolving Toilet Paper for Chemical Toilets, Rossmann’s Organic Menstruation Sponge, Eva’s Super Collagen Seaweed Face Mask, Woolworths Earth Friendly No flush Toilet Drops, Carrefour’s Ecoplanet Cleaning Sponge, and Sonae MC 100% Recyclable Napkins.

• The following claims were widely noted: local and organic, 100% biodegradable, 100% compostable, 100% vegan, 99% natural ingredients, no plastic, ECO and perfume and allergy free • In food trendy flavors like turmeric and ginger are still in place. • New flavors like pink grapefruit with coriander and mayonnaise with beetroot were clear. • Healthy food and healthy food choices were noticeable in many categories by claiming less sugar, less fat and less calories. •P lant-based meat is growing in all meat varieties like plant-based sausages, minced meat, plant-based chicken wings and plant-based stew “meat” next to the "regular" plant-based burgers with a focus to vegans and flexitarians. •V ery remarkable this year the continuous indulging food trend however with a twist; highly indulging gourmet products from organic ingredients, regionally sourced or vegan alternative. “Thanks to all participants in this year’s program, and congratulations to the

FACIAL CLEANSERS & MASKS EVA Ukraine ABOUT face Super Collagen Seaweed Face Mask

SOUP & SOUP BASE

DIRK ROSSMANN GMBH

Germany enerBio Gemüsebrühe ohne Zuckerzusatz

Key features of this year’s competition This year’s competition was especially interesting in view of the impact of COVID and related consumer trends and how they influenced product development and innovation of private label that hit the shelves.

winning retailers,” added PLMA president Davies. “To reduce carbon foot prints the increase in sustainable and environmentally friendly products in food and non-food categories validates the shift retailers are making to moving toward a cleaner planet.”

PLMA’s International “Salute to Excellence” Awards were established in 2014. To see all laureates of PLMA’s 2021 International Salute to Excellence Awards go to www.plmasalute.com

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VALUE

Value of the products Store brands much better 21% Store brands often better 26% The same/No difference 34% National brands often better 12% National brands much better 7%

A Roadmap for Retailers: Shopping Habits of Consumers Who Receive SNAP Benefits The Private Label Manufacturers Association has released a study about SNAP recipients’ food shopping attitudes and behavior. “The findings produce a marketing and merchandising roadmap that retailers can use to encourage SNAP customers to spend more of their monthly benefits on store brands, thereby stretching their food dollars,” said Peggy Davies, president of PLMA, the trade association of the store brands industry. Titled “Stretching Food Benefits: SNAP Recipients Speak Out on Shopping & Store Brands,” the report was prepared for retailers by PLMA. It is based on data collected by Surveylab, a global leader in customized online research. A nationwide sample of more than 500 SNAP recipients participated.

2 QUALITY Quality of the products Store brands much better 22% Store brands often better 15% The same/No difference 40% National brands often better 17% National brands much better 7%

Like most American consumers, SNAP recipients are strongly predisposed to store brands. About three in 10 purchase store brands at a high rate each time they use their benefits. However, an almost equal number buy national brands at the same rate, supporting the study’s conclusion that store brands have ample room to grow in terms of sales among SNAP participants. Respondents expressed a very favorable opinion of store brands when asked to compare them to national brands on six important product attributes, rating them higher in five, including “quality” and “value.” Most recipients are careful shoppers. Eight in 10 “always or frequently” buy SNAP products when they are on “sale in their favorite store,” eight in 10 typically use “all or nearly all” of their benefits each month, and six in 10 said they would find it “helpful” to see SNAP items marked as such on supermarket shelves. If their favorite stores accepted SNAP benefits for online shopping, as more and more retail chains are beginning to do, almost half in the study said they would “always” or “frequently” use such a service. SNAP represents a big piece of the grocery market. As of April 2021, according to the USDA, there were 42.3 million people -- about 20% of all U.S. adults -- and 22.1 million households enrolled in SNAP. The total monthly benefit cost during April 2021 was $9.6 billion, a 26% increase over April 2020. The average per person and per household benefits were $203 and $386, respectively. In October, average benefits will rise more than 25% from pre-pandemic levels.

5 BUY When you use SNAP benefits to purchase food products, what kinds of brands do you generally buy? All national brands 10% Mostly national brands 12% About half national brands & half store brands 33% Mostly store brands 24% All store brands 5% It varies each time I shop 13% I don't pay attention to brands when I shop 3%

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AWARE

How aware are you of the store brand versions of the food products you would normally buy when shopping in your favorite stores? Very aware 69% Somewhat aware 25% Not very aware 3% I don't think about it 2%

SATISFACTION

Thinking about store brand food products that you purchased in the past, how would you describe your overall satisfaction with them? Very satisfied 38% Somewhat satisfied 40% Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied 15% Somewhat dissatisfied 7% Very dissatisfied 1%

Total grocery sales last year in all U.S. outlets were $816 billion; in supermarkets they were $404 billion, per Nielsen. By comparison, SNAP food expenditures in 2020 were $79 billion at authorized stores plus associated program costs. This year, total SNAP spending projects to exceed $100 billion, based on USDA data. Combined, supermarkets and super stores redeem over 82% of annual SNAP benefits while comprising only 15% of the program’s 250,000 authorized retailers. Expanding store brand sales among this group of consumers can be beneficial to all parties, Davies said. For the SNAP shopper, the savings realized from opting for store brands can be spent on additional SNAP food items in the store for their household. The retailer benefits by boosting high-margin, private label sales, and by strengthening consumer loyalty with an important and sizeable demographic. And the SNAP program benefits by effectively getting more food products into recipients’ households for the same amount of federal dollars expended. The PLMA report and its recommendations come at a time when program participants are under increasing pressure to feed themselves and their households. Even with the benefits, the cost of food remains an issue for many, says the USDA, whose June report said recipients still face major barriers to achieving a healthy diet throughout the month. The most common problem was the affordability of foods that are part of a healthy diet. One way to contend with higher food prices, as the PLMA study suggests, is for recipients to buy more store brands. The cost savings can be significant. In separate research, PLMA sponsored the purchase over a four-week period of multiple, typical market baskets consisting of about three dozen SNAP eligible food products. The average savings realized when the store brand versions of the products were bought vs the national brands were 38% when shopping in a major supermarket located in the northeast and 50% when shopping in a leading national mass merchandiser.

APPROVED How helpful would it be if the store brand food products sold in your favorite store were clearly marked on the package as “Approved for SNAP?” Very helpful 40% Somewhat helpful 19% It may or may not be helpful 16% Not helpful 4% Very unhelpful 3% Don't know/It would not matter to me 13% I would prefer products not be marked as SNAP approved 5% www.globalretailmag.com

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Tomato Love From Red Gold Red Gold, the largest privately-owned tomato processor in the nation, announced the launch of a new line of retail products that is shaking things up in the canned tomato industry. The new brand is called “Tomato Love,” and the product begins with the freshest tomatoes grown on local family farms and picked red-ripe off the vine. They are then tossed with hand-picked green chilies and a dash of seasoning to create a spicy alternative to their milder counterparts. Even though Tomato Love is a new line of products, the brand is already racking up esteemed accolades. It was awarded the coveted ChefsBest Excellence Award from ChefsBest Certified Master Tasters, who use their vast experience and scientific methodology to determine quality. This is only awarded to brands that surpass established quality standards. Tomato Love also won the American Package Design Award from Graphic Design USA, an acknowledgement of “the power of design to advance a brand and forge an emotional connection with the buyer at the moment of truth.” (Graphic Design USA) Prior to hitting the market, Red Gold went through several rounds of testing to ultimately land on a final product and packaging design together with SmashBrand. This resulted in strong purchase intent and 2x growth in early sales.

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“The new Tomato Love brand is tomato perfection with incredible freshness and quality,” said Colt Reichart, Director of Marketing, Omnichannel and Consumer Relations for Red Gold. “For four generations, our mission has been to produce the freshest, besttasting tomato products in the world! We are proud to be Family Owned, Grown, & Made.”

specifically,” said Reichart. “Sriracha was developed in partnership with The Original Huy Fong Sriracha, and 2x More Chilies was developed to address the consumer complaint that other tomato brands did not include enough green chilies. We can’t wait for even more people to discover the bold and delicious flavors of our Tomato Love products.”

Within the Tomato Love product line, 3 of the 5 flavors are unique to the category: Chili Starter, Sriracha, and 2x More Chilies. “Chili Starter was developed because we did a test with a retail partner and had a high volume of consumers calling in and looking for it

The new product line is available at Kroger, Jewel Osco, HEB, Schnucks, Price Chopper and Walmart stores. To learn more about the brand: redgoldtomatoes.com/ new#tomatolove.

THE BEST MEETING REQUEST YOU’LL ACCEPT ALL YEAR.

Join us for our virtual Annual Meeting on November 4. We’ll share the inspiring story of Colonel Merryl Tengesdal (ret.) and celebrate the diverse, game-changing recipients of this year’s Top Women in Storebrands Award. Plus, attend a pre-meeting virtual networking session with industry peers. Register now at wisediversity.org/events/annual-meeting and grow your network!

DIVERSITY. INCLUSION. INSPIRATION.

N O TA B L E

Functional Ingredients Offer a Competitive Advantage for Store Brands It’s what’s inside that counts. That’s an increasingly popular consumer mantra when it comes to choosing groceries. From probiotics and Omega-3 fatty acids to hemp and blueberries, ingredients that offer added benefits to support immunity, gut and brain health, energy levels, and stress management are in high demand. In response, the Private Label Manufacturers Association announced that a wide array of on-trend ingredients will be on exhibit at its 2022 in-person Private Label Trade Show, January 30 – February 1 in Chicago. The global functional food industry is expected to reach $268 billion in 2027, from $178 billion in 2019, according to Allied Market Research. Now more than ever, consumers seek out value-added food and beverages as a first step to taking control of their health. Functional ingredients have become a competitive advantage for store brand marketers. Supermarkets, drug stores, club stores, mass merchandisers and other food retailers have expanded their assortment of store brand products that herald ingredients with functional benefits.

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“Shoppers desire products containing ingredients that support their health and well-being”.

Examples include Kroger’s Simple Truth instant oatmeal with probiotics and Simple Truth almond butter with chia, hemp and other superfoods; CVS’ Live Better by CVS Health apple cider vinegar with blueberry, elderberry, pomegranate and other superfruit; and Albertsons’ Signature Select antioxidant juice with cherry, pomegranate and elderberry.

Along with food, functional ingredients play a pivotal marketing role in a wide range of nonfoods as well, such as CBD topicals and extracts. For instance, The Vitamin Shoppe has launched CBD hemp extract products under its Vthrive and Plnt private brands. “Shoppers desire products containing ingredients that support their health and well-being. They choose store brands because there has been tremendous ingredient innovation that promotes a healthy lifestyle,” said PLMA President Peggy Davies. “The Private Label Trade Show will reflect this powerful trend.”

For more information: www.plma.com

N O TA B L E

VkusVill Begins Delivering Sgoryacha Line of Hot Ready-Made Meals VkusVill, a leading Russian health foods brand and food tech company, is expanding its delivery of prepared meals with a new project offering hot-food delivery. The service is now available via the VkusVill mobile app. Customers located within the delivery zone will see that a new section — Sgoryacha — has been added to the catalog. Prepared food will be delivered in a thermal container within two hours from the moment an order is placed. Hot meals are prepared using dark kitchens — kitchens staffed with professional chefs that operate without guests and that prepare food for delivery only. VkusVill currently operates 17 dark kitchens in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Volgograd, Cheboksary, Kazan and Rostov that have delivered more than 120,000 hot meals to date. Sgoryacha meals are prepared fresh by professional chefs in fully equipped kitchens averaging 25 square meters in size. The new service offers customers a varied assortment, including breakfasts, starters and main courses, pastas, burgers, pizzas, meal combos, various kinds of dumplings, pies and more. Meals that are especially popular among customers include buckwheat with beef in a cream sauce, dumplings with potatoes and mushrooms, pancakes with caramelized milk, and borscht with marbled beef. Chefs prepare some of the more complex meals from scratch, while simply putting the finishing touches on others, as in most restaurants. Frozen dishes are developed for the company by suppliers of the VkusVill Ice line of frozen foods.

Nearly all the items used for food preparation can be found on VkusVill shelves and are available through VkusVill’s free online grocery delivery service. Sergey Pavlov, head of VkusVill’s dark kitchen project, said: “Our customers suggested the idea. A year ago, we conducted a survey that showed that, in addition to refrigerated cuisine, customers wanted hot food that they wouldn’t have to heat up. In addition, the market itself indicated that there was a need for a hot-food service. Over the last two years, the food consumption model has changed significantly. Delivery has become a common thing, and people want to order not only milk, vegetables and meat, but also ready-made hot dishes.”

The service began with a menu of 15 simple dishes, including borscht, cabbage soup, various pastas and cutlets. By August, the menu expanded to include more than 60 different dishes.

About VkusVill VkusVill is a leading Russian health foods brand and food tech company. It is the No.1 clean-label food brand in Russia and the largest Russian food brand by sales, according to Infoline. VkusVill’s private-label assortment includes more than 6,000 SKUs and stands out for its freshness and limited shelf life, making VkusVill the trusted partner of Russian consumers for a curated selection of fresh, high-quality products. VkusVill operates its own retail and delivery network comprised of more than 1,300 stores in 56 cities in Russia and three stores in the Netherlands, as well as 80 dark stores in Russia. The company also operates the VkusVill mobile app and the vkusvill.ru online store. As of June 2021, VkusVill is the leading express delivery platform in e-grocery in Russia and a top-2 player in the country’s online grocery space by GMV.

www.globalretailmag.com

BY HANS KRAAK Kraak Media Productions

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / OCTOBER 2021

ONLINE ACCELERATOR

PICNIC: LOW PRICES AND FAST DELIVERY OF DAILY GROCERIES

February 2020, just before the Covid pandemic started on the eve of several lockdowns, the Dutch online supermarket Picnic invited a group of journalists to gather on the milk farm of the Oostdam family in the middle of the Netherlands. The media minded grocer presented its first private label fresh milk with festivity.

Together with an agro technical company and farmer Oostdam, Picnic developed a small milk factory on the farm to produce own label milk. Sophisticated, because it is not only possible to produce regular milk, but also specialized milk products like A2 milk with different proteins. ‘Fresh and local is something more and more people like’, states Michiel Muller at the presentation, co-founder of Picnic. ‘People like to know where their products are coming from, we like to give them what they want.’

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Since the pandemic created large demand immediately, and increased capacity always lags behind a bit’, says Muler, ‘we decided to increase the minimum order value, in order to use the vans more efficiently and therefore being able to help more customers.

The introduction of high quality private label products in the assortment of pure online supermarkets indicates the segment grows up fast, very fast. In the same year Picnic begins a purchasing alliance with the German grocer and market leader Edeka, with whom Picnic had already collaborated, leaving the smaller Dutch purchase alliance Boni/Superunie behind. The intensification of the collaboration with Edeka means more private label products will be part of the online assortment and furthers Picnic’s ambition to be a major international online player within five years. At Picnic customers can order by app only. Delivery is free from 35€ (the minimum order value was 25€ at the start). ‘Since the pandemic created large demand immediately, and

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increased capacity always lags behind a bit’, says Muller, ‘we decided to increase the minimum order value, in order to use the vans more efficiently and therefore being able to help more customers.’ When Picnic started in 2015 the founders noticed that their app wasn’t only downloaded in the city of Amersfoort where they began. Also in other parts of the country people downloaded the app, although they couldn’t yet buy something with it, since Picnic was only live in Amersfoort. Obviously they wanted to be ready if the concept was rolled out in their home town later. It gave the founders the idea they could be successful. And so it turned out: with the promise of low prices and free delivery, a growing group of customers is attached to Picnic.

Fast growing abroad Picnic is already at the top of the fastest growing companies in the Netherlands.It started there in 2015 with a handful of environmentally friendly electrical vans and a warehouse to deliver groceries in the surroundings. Within five years Picnic grew from 1 city in the Netherlands to more than 125 cities and more than 350,000 customers. Since 2018 the company expanded to Germany where, under the same name, it delivers groceries, mainly food, to more than 650,000 customers in more than 40 German cities. France was the next expansion area where Picnic started a pilot in the beginning of this year in the city of Valenciennes close to the Belgian border. It started with 10 vans and 20 runners. On September 8th Picnic officially launched in France after the successful pilot.

Turnover doubles In 2020 the run rate turnover of Picnic was around 500 million euro. Michiel Muller expects the company will double in size in 2021 to one billion. The financial empowerment comes from investors and partners like Edeka. According to the German LebensmittelZeitung Edeka has a share of 24,5 percent of the total German grocer’s market. Further growth in the home market for Edeka is difficult as the market share is already high, the market shares are divided by big parties and discounters are fighting their way through. Participation in Picnic offers Edeka a way for further growth in Germany. The market share of Edeka in Picnic International is estimated around 10 percent, the share in the German counterpart around 35 percent. According to an Edeka insider in the Dutch trade journal Distrifood it isn’t a surprise when Edeka strives to be the new Picnic owner. In addition, the recent announcement on 16th September of an investment around 600 million euro from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other investors in Picnic could be a game changer. It’s meant for expansion in Germany and France and for technological innovation.

C O N T I N U E D O N N E X T PA G E u

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Competition

online The growth of online grocery shopping seems unstoppable, signals the Dutch Rabobank. More consumers buy online, from 35% in 2019, to 45 % in 2020, to 50% in 2021. However the trend to buy online already existed before the pandemic. Six in ten consumers in the EU, aged 16 to 75, bought goods or services online in 2017, only three in ten in 2007 (1). It’s obvious COVID-19 accelerated online buying for all categories. As the European market is not saturated yet, different pure online players start to compete. For Picnic in Germany pressure is coming from the east. Besides the upcoming fast delivery services, like Gorillas, in the large cities, Picnic this year got competition from the online grocer Knuspr. It started a pure online supermarket in Munich in August. It delivers groceries in the city and surroundings. In Munich the assortment counts around 9000 products, in the coming months this will be expanded to 16.000 products. 30 percent of these products will be bought within the Munich region, from local and small producers. Knuspr plans to increase this percentage. Next stop in Germany will be Frankfurt and surroundings. With other cities such as Hamburg, Colonge, Dortmund and more to follow in 2022. Knuspr is part of the online supermarket group Rohlik that was founded in 2014 in the Czech Republic. The Rohlik group also operates in Austria with pure online supermarkt Gurkerl and in Hungary where the online grocery is called Kifli. The Rohlik Group announces Italy and Romania as the next countries where the company launches pure online supermarkets, both to be operational in 2022. Picnic is also looking to the west to Great Britain. If it steps on the British isles, Picnic will come up

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / OCTOBER 2021

against the online supermarket Ocado. In operation since 2000, Ocado has own branded groceries as well as the groceries from Marks and Spencer. In contrast to Picnic the assortment of Ocado is more premium. If Great Britain is the next step Michiel Muller cannot confirm yet, but certain labels of Picnic products already are written in English. In addition to the bigger players, more than a few start ups pop up in the European online market. Examples are Crisp, founded in 2018 in Amsterdam. Oddbox and Good Club in England. La Belle Vie in the Paris area and in the departments North and Loiret. The app only markets Vembla in Sweden and Macai in Northern Italy. They differ in products, technology and delivery terms. Fresh produce and sustainability seems what they have in common. In Picnic’s own country, please note, in the town of Amersfoort where Picnic started, the largest supermarket from the Netherlands, Albert Heijn, this year also started to deliver groceries in the same type of vans as Picnic does. The Picnic look alike doesn’t bother to Michiel Muller, who thinks the future of the last mile will be electric anyhow. ‘They are welcome’, he adds. References: 1. Baarsma, Barbara, and Jesse Groenewegen. “COVID-19 and the Demand for Online Grocery Shopping: Empirical Evidence from the Netherlands.” De Economist, 1-14. 7 Jul. 2021, doi:10.1007/s10645-021-09389-y https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10645-021-09389-y

At Emerge, we are focused around two simple client objectives, which are at the heart of everything we do.

FOR SUPPLIERS

Looking to expand and differentiate their business or take new innovations to market

FOR RETAILERS

Wanting to build a unique roadmap and actionable tactics for Private Brand greatness

CALL US

We would love to start a conversation with you www.emergefromthepacck.com Perry Seelert, Partner; Mark Dickinson, Partner Perry@emergefromthepack.com Mark@emergefromthepack.com +1 203 529 3668

WITH CHRISTOPHER DURHAM

Introducing the Retail Brands Institute A Q&A With Christopher Durham, President, RBI The newly launched Retail Brands Institute (RBI) is the global professional membership organization committed to advancing retailers and their brands across all categories and channels. RBI offers new takes on events, education, networking and research for this industry sector. Launching with a founding advisory board of more than two dozen retail executives and solution partner companies, RBI will replace My Private Brand, the groundbreaking thought leadership website introduced in 2008. Why did you decide to launch RBI? Over the last decade, we have seen a major change in the industry, and COVID-19 has dramatically accelerated the pace of change. That change prompted our team to reevaluate our business and the industry. That began with my belief that we must build an organization around the retailers and their brands — which would then embrace everyone who contributed to their growth—all manufacturers, researchers, brokers, agencies, software companies, consultants, etc.

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / OCTOBER 2021

Why do you emphasize the term Retail Brands? It is time for new terminology. The phrase private label is associated with the cheap products of the 1970s and the term Private Brand evokes the copycat mentality of the 1990s. Today retailers own and manage Brands. The definition of retail has dramatically evolved over the last decade from bricks and mortar stores to online, popups, mobile, and more. We embrace a broader definition of retail that includes all those who sell regardless of category or channel.So, we are the Retail Brands Institute.

How big is the Retail Brands community? Today’s retail brands span all channels and categories. The total industry amounts to more than $450 billion in the U.S. and more than $5 trillion globally. Best-in-class retailers including Target, Kroger, Tesco, Ikea, Lowe’s Home Improvement, and Carrefour own and manage multibillion-dollar brands.

Are there retailers already involved in the Institute? Founding RBI Retail Advisory Board members include executives from Wakefern Food Corp., PetSmart, Kroger Co., BJ’s Wholesale Club, CVS Health, Boxed, Staples, Foxtrot, Whole Foods Market, Mattress Firm and Party City.

CHRISTOPHER DURHAM President RETAIL BRANDS INSTITUTE

What events are planned? We are planning a range of upcoming in-person and virtual events. •T he 2022 Vertex Awards call for entries will open on November 19 of this year. •A n online Sustainability Summit runs December 8 and 9. •A Design Symposium and Vertex Awards Ceremony will be held in the Spring of next year. •T he in-person RBI Velocity conference and Expo will return May 15-18, 2022, at the Charlotte Convention Center — with a cocktail party set to be held at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Is RBI mostly about events? While events are an important part of RBI, the overall goal is even bigger. RBI, like the Retail Brands industry overall, is aiming to engage with its customers and community on an ongoing basis. It’s really about creating a member-focused organization that embraces the best of in person and virtual to create a 24/7/365 experience.

A VIDEO SERIES WITH CHRISTOPHER DURHAM

What are some of the ways RBI will engage with members on an ongoing basis? You can get a good sense of our engagement strategies from the new website (https:// retailbrandsinstitute.org/) experience. It includes features ranging from news (called RBI Incites) and videos (RBI Talks) to a comprehensive membership directory and social community. Other RBI offerings include exclusive consumer research and industry benchmarking; an executive education program in partnership with Cornell University, and opportunities for involvement in RBI working groups and share groups. continued on next page

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WITH CHRISTOPHER DURHAM continued from previous page

What will be the role of manufacturers and other partners?

How has the industry response to RBI been so far?

While retailers are in charge of their Brand efforts, solution partners including manufacturers must play meaningful roles.

We launched RBI at our Innovation Summit and the surprise announcement has been overwhelmingly praised by the Industry.

RBI members include solution partner organizations — such as manufacturers, ingredient and packaging companies, marketing agencies, design partners, and other companies. Inaugural Solution Partner Advisory Board members include executives from Oracle, Radienz Living, Daymon, Federated Group, CBX, Fair Trade USA, Marketing by Design, Catania Oils, FedUp Foods, Paramount Coffee, Red Monkey Foods and Wyandot Snacks.

Comments on LinkedIn about the launch have included: • “A great launch! As always you are pushing to the next level, and supporting this important industry. This will benefit, Retailers, Manufacturers, and ultimately Consumers.”

“Great job of bringing together so many key players in the retail brands arena — retailers, suppliers and solution partners.

• “ Big bold move and reflective of where our brands are and where they’re headed!” • “ Great job of bringing together so many key players in the retail brands arena — retailers, suppliers and solution partners. You are addressing a void that existed in the marketplace. Congratulations to you and your team!”

How can industry companies get involved? Our modern membership model includes a freemium basic level and plus- and pro-level paid memberships. Companies can learn more and sign up on the RBI website.

Any closing thoughts about future prospects for the Retail Brands industry? It is an exciting time for Retail Brands; the potential is unlimited for those who embrace change, learn, test, and grow.

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / OCTOBER 2021

COLUMN

GEORGE PURO President PURO RESEARCH

GLOBAL RETAILERS LEAD THE WAY IN BRAND INNOVATION

Three of the world’s top international retailers move into uncharted territory in several private label categories. The National Retail Federation and Kantar recently ranked Walmart, Amazon and Schwarz Group as the world’s “most impactful international retailers” based on factors such as international revenues, alliances beyond their local regions, online marketplaces and omnichannel approaches, and other criteria. But they lead in another way too – as retail brand innovators. We explore some of the latest store brand strategies from these retailers.

SHOT IN THE ARM

Walmart entered the insulin category with the launch of ReliOn NovoLog, billed as the first-ever private brand insulin. The product is expected to save consumers 58% to 75% off of the cash price of branded analog insulin products, and was called by Walmart President and CEO Doug McMillon “a huge win for customers.” The announcement has been heralded by industry experts as great news for helping to bring costs down for insulin, which was first introduced to the world one hundred years ago. Other new private label initiatives from Walmart include the new, vet-formulated premium dog and cat food Pure Balance PRO+ and a new sustainability certification from the Rainforest Alliance for the Great Value Brand’s black and green teas. Walmart’s private brands account for about 30% of its U.S. sales. In 2020, the company said that it had 18 house brands generating

over $1 billion in revenue, including its Great Value brand with more than $27 billion annually.

LET’S BE CLEAR

In a bid towards transparency about its own brands, Lidl announced in 2020 that it would divulge a list of its food suppliers, with the goal of improving sustainability standards in its supply chains. The Germanbased retailer also publishes its supplier lists for hardware and textiles. As of September 2021, the food supplier list contains more than 1,100 companies, as well as the addresses for their main production facilities, more than half of which are located in Germany. Lidl and sister company Kaufland, which are both part of the Schwarz Group, have introduced recent private label offerings that reflect hot trends in consumer goods. For example, Lidl and Kaufland have introduced household items such as organizers and laundry bins made from 100% recycled plastic. Lidl Germany and Lidl Italia have debuted climate-neutral items including body care and cleaning products.

GET THE PICTURE

Amazon continues to push into the world of private label. While Amazon said in October 2019 that private label made up just one percent of its sales, it continues to pour resources behind its private label endeavors. Retail analytics firm 1010data estimated that Amazon’s private label sales increased 50% in 2020. And in May 2021, Amazon disclosed that it sells 243,000 products under 400 private label brands. These include Amazon Basics (home goods and office supplies), Amazon Essentials (clothing), Amazon Elements (vitamin and nutritional products), Happy Belly (packaged foods), Presto! (detergent and household goods) and the Whole Foods 365 brand. One new entrant from Amazon is Aplenty, a new food brand that will eventually include hundreds of products, all excluding artificial flavors, synthetic colors and high-fructose corn syrup. In September 2021, Amazon announced that it was introducing its own brand of “Amazon-built smart TVs” though some experts have speculated that these TVs may be manufactured in whole or part by TCL. The new televisions incorporate Amazon’s Fire TV experience and Alexa voice control. Last year, Amazon released its first AmazonBasics-branded TVs in India. And in another interesting development, the Wall Street Journal reported in August 2021 that Amazon will open several multipurpose shopping venues to showcase its private label products.

George Puro is President of the Puro Research Group, a market intelligence firm specializing in consumer insights, competitive/market intelligence and analysis. Puro’s services are designed to keep you abreast of the latest trends, make you look smart in presentations and help guide decision-making. The company has provided organizations and companies, ranging from Fortune 100 companies to startups, with aha! insights about competitors, customers and industries in a variety of topics and industries, including consumer products; retail; transportation, travel and hospitality; healthcare and health insurance; financial services and investment banking; traditional marketing, as well as digital and social media marketing. www.globalretailmag.com

COLUMN

AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH (In Retail) How we can continue to redefine the Convenience channel Late last year, the largest convenience retailer in the world, 7-11, with near 72,000 stores, hit an amazing milestone of selling over $1 Billion of Private Brands annually. This is quite an achievement, and their 1500+ sku portfolio in own brands also shows great progress considering they only had 87 items just 13 years ago. I love it, and congratulations to them and the other leading convenience store chains that are investing in Private Brands. Now here is an inconvenient truth… The success could be far greater for Private Brands and CPG brands if they wanted to push the envelope even further. The convenience channel is full of potential and continuing to advance the sensory environment, healthy positioning, and technology in-and-out of the store will all have the effect of enhancing own brand growth.

The Environment Dictates Product I learned a cruel lesson twenty years ago in working to develop Pathmark Preferred, which was an ultrapremium segment we were fashioning for the now defunct retailer in the New York area. Pathmark was known as a value operator, and “Preferred” was designed beautifully,

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both the product and packaging. The unfortunate reality was that it was really overdesigned ---- the consumer didn’t believe it could come from Pathmark. You can apply this inconvenient truth to many Convenience Store operators. The store environment goes a long way in dictating the credibility of your offering. If your checkout counter screams energy drinks, cigarettes and candy, with a dilapidated store employee at the register, it is tough to sell a lot of healthy products and develop a reputation similarly for fresh, natural or organic (even with a bunch of bananas on the counter).

Destinations & Sensory

It is also tough to develop a familyfriendly environment or one where you want to linger when you don’t feel entirely safe. Well situated lighting, not just in the parking lot but inside the store itself, is a sensory element that must be created before you think futuristically about what type of product you can wedge inside the four walls.

Many shoppers regard Sheetz’s coffee as a must-have destination that starts of their day, and it obviously builds a daily ritual as consumers become attached to it.

Your store environment matters, and in the end, it must be complementary and enhance the portfolio you are trying to sell.

There are destinations that convenience store retailers have established that are meaningful and lead the way in the channel. Wawa and Sheetz get many accolades and justifiably so, as their destinations and private brands are intimately intertwined.

Wawa has developed a different daypart ritual around their sandwiches, which honestly put any Subway or Jersey Mike’s to shame. Clean environment, high-tech ordering, delicious product with a wide selection.

PERRY SEELERT Strategic Partner and Co-founder EMERGE

I also like the way 7-11 has not abandoned the Slurpee and Big Gulp as iconic brands, but taken a hugely important, high-touch category like Bottled Water (a top 10 category in any convenience store) and chosen to own it through their private brands, creating Serafina, Pure Water and Skyra. This may not be a destination per se, but it is intelligent ownership of a major go-to category. They are a leader in beverages. When destinations are intertwined with own brand and are also sensory, this is rarified air. Smelling coffee aromas, the scent of freshly baked bread all in a well-lit environment goes a long way to building loyalty, especially when many shoppers’ have negative sensory associations in their convenience store experiences that have been cultivated over time (thinking about the lingering smell of gas or chronically dirty bathrooms).

A Healthy & Fresh Future There is an art and sequence to pushing “healthy” that the convenience channel is learning as they go. Gluten-free mayonnaise, organic cold-pressed juices and the like might be a little ahead of their time.

Nuts, dried fruits, trail mixes, protein bars are enormous categories in grocery stores and club stores, and they should be in convenience stores too (definitely through private brands). There is no greater Yogurt section in the U.S. than in Wegmans, and I am surprised that more Convenience stores haven’t developed own brands in this category. Cumberland Farms has in the Northeast U.S., and certainly if you look to 7-11 in Asia (this example is from Taiwan), you can see the potential. I believe the key for Convenience Stores in developing private brand healthy products is ensuring that they are truly in high frequencyhighly consumable segments and don’t live too much on the fringe.

Technology & Speed Have you ever been to a convenience store that is inconveniently slow, not to mention has a long line? Most shoppers have. Technology in convenience stores doesn’t necessarily mean having a cashierless store (like 7-11 has developed in Taiwan), but it can enhance ordering in the store or even through their app. Wawa does this brilliantly in their deli-sandwich section, and the technology adds real speed and specificity (you order exactly what toppings, condiments, style that you want) to the entire experience. Private Brands in the Convenience channel are a work-in-progress, but the potential is there for continued growth and even destination development. Remember that in this channel especially, the sensory environment dictates product, and own brands that you develop have to credibly take into account lingering equities and the realities of your presentation. You can’t create a Pathmark Preferred, as beautiful as it might be, if your sensory vibe doesn’t complement it, so give your new product pipeline a real consumer sniff test.

Pery Seelert is a retail branding and marketing expert, with a passion for challenging conventional strategy and truths. He is the Strategic Partner and Co-founder of Emerge, a strategic marketing consultancy dedicated to helping Retailers, Manufacturers and Services grow exponentially and differentiate with purpose. Please contact Perry at perry@emergefromthepack.com

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COLUMN

A MILLENNIAL MAMA’S PERSPECTIVE ON INNOVATION Millennials. We’ve heard so much about them over the years – and now over half of them are parents. Millennials, also known as Generation Y are the parents to Generation Alpha (birth years early 2010s to mid 2020s). I am Katie, born right in the middle of the Millennial Generation. I live in suburbia in Southern California and have two children, a one-yearold and a three-year-old. I’ve worked for Marketing by Design for 9 years, working on packaging design projects in sales, marketing, and creative account management. Following design trends for many years, as a parent I now have a new perspective on innovation for products across all categories. As Millennials, we are digital natives to our core. Social media heavily impacts our buying decisions. We decide where to shop and what to purchase based what we see on our feeds, or what Instagram accounts are tagged in a cute photo of a friends’ baby. We unfortunately are also known as Generation “Me”. We are filled with confidence and tolerance, but as the selfie generation, we can also be self-centered and entitled. Many of us faced the challenge of starting jobs during the recession, and/or being at the peak of our careers as COVID-19 hit. Even though these things curbed our

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optimism, our passion for change remains strong. We are filled with a desire to see change in both society and business. We care about sustainability, ethical practices and equality. With all of this in mind, it seems there are five key purchasing values for millennials:

EFFICIENCY:

As digital natives, we are leading the pack with online purchases. Almost half of us shop on Amazon at least 1x/week (Source: Advanis Insights). My family has packages delivered just about daily. We value options like

Order Pickup, with Target leading the charge. With no order minimum, an easy-to-use app, and highly accurate fulfillment, this free service is saving parents lots of time, not to mention less buckling & unbuckling of car seats. For food, we are looking for products that are can be easily packed into a Bento Box for lunch at the park, or packed into the diaper bag for healthy snacks on the go.

ETHICS:

Millennials believe in the power of an individual to affect change. We believe when we make a purchase that is serving a greater cause, it matters. We embrace personal responsibility, and we like to see companies that will partner with us in this way. We want to know that the packaging is recyclable (or that it’s not). Across all categories, we are aiming to purchase products that are organic, sustainable, and ethically produced.

KATIE LOCKE Sales & Marketing MBD

DESIGN:

Whatever we buy might wind up in a picture on social media. We care deeply about the design of a product. We are all “photographers”, so we have no tolerance for mediocre imagery on packaging. Most of us will purchase a product simply for the packaging design. We might purchase Honest Diapers simply because the print sparks joy or looks cute in pictures on our stories. We want the actual packaging to be designed in a way that is efficient, like baby food in a BPA free pouch with a twist off lid for on-the-go and easy storage.

VALUE:

Nearly all millennials use coupons… digital coupons and promo codes, that is. We care about value. 60% of us prefer to purchase retail brands over national brands (Source: MillennialMarketing). With the impact of the recession and COVID-19 on our spending patterns, we are seeking products at a reasonable price. What hits the bullseye? When a retail brand offers a product that is organic, ethical, a fair price, and nicely designed. It’s an easy choice.

HEALTH:

We care about what we put in our bodies, on our bodies, on our babies, and in our homes. We go on Pinterest or blogs to find healthy (and often plant-based) recipes, and then we make our grocery lists accordingly. We care about providing a healthy, balanced diet for our children. We’re always looking for new healthy snacks to take to the park beyond the classics: an applesauce pouch, a granola bar, and crackers. Anything with an added better-for-you component is a win. While trends are often changing, values can remain the same throughout a generation. As we consider how to innovate new products for millennial parents, it’s important to keep these over-arching principles in mind. And when there is a perfect blend of these values – especially produced by a retailer – it’s an easy yes.

Katie Locke Sales & Marketing, MBD If you’ve ever met Katie, you’ve seen or heard her excitement for building or rebuilding brands. Her passions also include just about every facet of food and eating experiences. For the past 9 years, Katie has worked in Sales & Marketing for Marketing by Design (MBD), a branding and packaging design agency specializing in high volume retailer programs. At MBD, Katie gets to blend her passions by talking to thousands of National and Private brand leaders, mostly in the food industry, about expanding & enhancing their presence in market and on shelf. MBD’s track record for creating intuitive design systems for store-wide branding and rolling out more than 10,000 SKUs each year gives Katie ample reasons to boast about what they offer.

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COLUMN

THE IMPACTS OF GLOBAL WELLNESS TRENDS ON MARKETING Health and wellbeing—it’s on everyone’s radar lately. The trend has been building in the area for years, the pandemic has only accelerated consumers’ desire for cleaner, healthier lifestyles. But the pandemic has shifted the lens through which consumers view health and wellbeing. It’s no longer confined to diet and exercise: they want it integrated into every aspect of their lives. This means that consumers are now looking across industries for a healthy lifestyle. For example, interest in organic food increased by 20% in 2020, 1/3 of UK consumers want nutritional supplements to deliver functional benefits to their pets, and 36% of consumers said they would choose natural skincare options over more effective ones. As wellness and organics trends continue to amplify their market share, we examine how this trend is specifically impacting three verticals: food, pets, and beauty.

FOOD: SHIFT TOWARD PLANT-BASED MEATS. Diet has always been a key part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and consumers have realized that “healthy” doesn’t have to mean boring and flavorless. Plant-based proteins, which have become increasingly available over the past few years, offer consumers meatlike options while providing everything from health benefits to positive environmental benefits. According to Mintel, as pandemic lockdowns forced people to cook more at home, there has been a rise of “flexitarians,” consumers who don’t necessarily identify as vegetarian but look to limit their meat consumption for myriad reasons, including an increase in meat prices.

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So, how are brands responding? Dutch brand Unox identified an opportunity to tap into this growing demographic by introducing vegetarian sausage. The Unox brand is synonymous with Rookworst, so introducing a meat substitute was somewhat controversial. SGK leveraged this as an opportunity to design an on-brand yet unexpected solution by promoting the distinctive “U” shape of the Rookworst but in a more modern graphic style. The ‘U’ not only helped the pack stand out from the rest of the Unox range on shelf but can also be used flexibly as a new range architecture to aid future vegetarian product launches. The use of bright green works to clearly communicate the product offering as vegetarian while the brown paper style hints toward traditional butchers’ paper and string packaging. The simpler, more contemporary design is purposely surprising, appealing more broadly across consumer groups to indicate that Unox products are in line with changing consumer preferences for simplicity without alienating their loyal consumer base.

PETCARE: THE BEST FOR OUR PETS.

As consumers examine the choices in their own health journeys, they’re simultaneously assessing the health and wellbeing of their pets. The increasing premiumization of pet foods, treats, and supplements has been driven in part because of consumers’ desire for their own healthy lifestyles to be reflected in what they give their pets. eMarketer reported in a March 2021 survey that pet owners in China ranked product quality as the most important attribute when buying pet care products. And this trend is truly global in nature as pets are increasingly thought of as family members around the world. With this in mind, here are a few trends impacting the pet care category. • C ustomized nutrition is highly sought after to ensure longevity and quality of life for pets. A Packaged Facts survey found that 42% of pet owners like the idea of refrigerated and fresh-made food. They’re seeking specialized, pre-portioned, and highquality ingredients modeled after human-grade food.

SAMANTHA ROMANO Manager, Marketing Strategy SGK Brands like Farmer’s Dog and Pet Plate have both grown successfully from this trend as they are highly personalized to the needs of both the pet’s and the owner’s lifestyles. • B outique grocers. Pet food is evolving, and so are the stores in which it’s sold. For example, The Pet Grocer located in Australia, offers a real alternative to traditional pet stores. It sells healthy, ethically sourced, high-quality foods for dogs and other animals. Every product was developed to be as sustainably driven as possible, and the store even takes its design cues from the wellness boutiques of the human world.

• S implified packaging. Consumers aren’t only looking for clean ingredients for their pets, they’re also seeking clean labeling and packaging. One example is a premium dog food brand called Sundays, whose mission is to share products that deliver the convenience of dry kibble with highquality ingredients. What makes Sundays unique is that their packaging looks like breakfast cereal boxes. It contains a dried dog food that mixes meat, seafood, and vegetables. Compared to bigger, more established brands, the packaging is very important in helping pet owners discover the brand both online and in-store.

BEAUTY: CLEAN BEAUTY, SIMPLIFIED.

According to a study from Teen Vogue, clean beauty is predicted to be worth more than $22B by 2025. The pandemic amplified consumer demand for clean beauty as they evaluated and simplified their beauty routines, leading them to reconsider two primary components: sustainable packaging and clean ingredients. •S ustainable Packaging. Refillable products have emerged as a creative solution to sustainable beauty. The product is sold in more durable packaging yet refillable packaging like wood, glass, or metal. Although this packaging may cost more upfront, it pays off for the customer—and the environment—long-term. Waterless products are a growing trend that affects packaging as well. The product itself contains no water and is in a solid form. Therefore, it requires less plastic because solid products are easier to package in a box or tin container compared to liquids. The product is also generally smaller because it is concentrated, reducing the amount of packaging material. Packaging colors and mixed materials have also long been prohibitive for easy recyclability. For example, black plastic is difficult to detect in the recycling process, and materials such as mirrors, magnets, pumps, brushes, applicators, and anything flexible or squeezable are all difficult to recycle due to having a film, coating, or multiple layers. Brands should instead focus on the use of light colors and singular materials that can be more easily identified and separated for the recycling process. Upcycling has replaced recycling as the goal for many beauty brands, particularly when it comes to ingredients. It’s no longer “How do I dispose of this?” but rather “How do I give this product new life?” Some examples of upcycled ingredients include coffee grounds, apricot stones, argan shells, and other leftovers from the food and wood industries.

•C lean and ethically sourced ingredients. Minimalism has come to be associated with health and wellbeing. Clean beauty has embraced this trend and created products containing only 2 - 4 ingredients. Brands such as The Ordinary and Codex use their minimal ingredients to their advantage by disclosing the list on the front of the package. Consumers are not only paying attention to what is in their beauty products but also where and how the ingredients are sourced. For example, wood-derived ingredients can be illegally traded or not grown sustainably. Mica, which adds shimmer to makeup, is another commonly unethically sourced ingredient, as it’s sourced globally from child labor. Brands like ĀTHR Beauty address this issue by using synthetic mica while emphasizing ethical ingredient sourcing in their brand story. And sustainable ingredients are just as important as sustainable packaging. While eMarketer reports that 82% of Millennial internet users in the US said sustainability is important to them when shopping for clothes, beauty products, and travel, that number was just over half for Baby Boomer respondents, demonstrating that consumer attitudes toward sustainability are rising across all generations. Amid the lockdowns and stresses of the pandemic, consumers have refocused on their health and wellbeing but through a new lens, one that integrates into nearly every aspect of their lives. From what they eat to how they care for their pets to how their skincare products are sourced and packaged, consumers are taking a more holistic approach, and it’s impacting just about every consumer goods sector. To remain competitive, brands must evaluate how they contribute to a healthy lifestyle and amplify their benefits. Samantha Romano With more than 15 years of experience in coordinating the proposal process from inception to final submittal, Samantha is a highly experienced proposal writer, having worked on a wide range of proposals, RFPs, RFIs, statements of qualification, and other sales-related documents to ensure a unified message and voice is achieved in key client deliverables. www.globalretailmag.com

T R A D E FA I R S

MARCA CHINA ENJOYS SUCCESSFUL DEBUT IN SHENZHEN A New Fair Event With A Global Vision The first edition of MARCA CHINA (Marca China International Private Label Fair) was held at the Shenzen World Exhibition and Convention Center 16-18 September. BolognaFiere’s activities on foreign markets are resuming in full, confirming a season of recovery by hosting of international fair events and new projects. The first edition of the event was organized jointly by BolognaFiere China Ltd. and Shenzhen Retail Business Association, with the aim of creating an excellent international trade fair event for all product categories. “With the first edition of MARCA CHINA we are bringing another of our assets, which stems from the experience with MARCAbyBolognaFiere, to Asia, further consolidating our leadership on international markets and our role as a partner for companies interested in expanding their business to emerging markets,” explains Antonio Bruzzone, General Manager of BolognaFiere. “Resuming business in Italy and abroad so quickly and with new projects after the interruption caused by the pandemic is proof of BolognaFiere’s capabilities, talent for innovation and forward-looking vision.” The first edition of MARCA CHINA is proving to be very positive, with 289 exhibitors taking part in an exhibition space spanning 15,000 m2. The wide range of products on display not only covers the food, home and leisure areas, but also consolidates the growth of private

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / OCTOBER 2021

The new event represents a priority platform for production and serviceoriented companies to explore the southern Chinese market, expand their sales channels and promote their image and products. Through an interesting mix of academic experience, business expertise and innovative thinking, the conference programmed explored a number of issues label products in the fields of personal care products, organic food and health, essential to operating in Asian markets: balancing private label products and pet care products as well as new trends industrial brands; developing private labels; in packaging and design, providing a one-stop sourcing platform for retailers market analysis in China and Europe; sustainability and private labels. An and brands. interesting highlight at the event was the MARCA CHINA also includes an Italian presentation of the Observatory organized by Nomisma on Mass Consumption pavilion where sectors such as organic Packaging, Packaging Design and food and packaging have an important Innovation. showcase. The collaboration with Agenzia ICE (the Italian Trade Agency) has been key in promoting the event. ICE has promoted the initiative as part of its internationalization strategies for ‘Made in Italy’ products, promoting the organization of a significant collective of Italian companies in the organic food sector that have the opportunity to open new business channels with Asian markets. MARCA CHINA aims to expand the market for private label products in China’s Greater Bay Area, involving a greater number of professional buyers from different sectors, including distribution channels (supermarkets, convenience stores, specialized shops, e-commerce, brands and Ho.Re.Ca), a strategy that will encourage operators to specialize, expanding business opportunities and the event’s exhibition offer.

Also on display during the fair at the Boulevard of new products will be the latest retailer-branded products released during the year. Marca Mart, a temporary boutique supermarket, will showcase the latest consumer trends and high quality products. Films about the private label market in 12 different countries and regions, including Australia, Canada, China, Greece and Cyprus, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Turkey, UAE and Vietnam, produced by IPLC, will be shown during the event. A programmed of live-streamed events involving key opinion leaders has been organized to offer added value for exhibitors. Meanwhile, a business matchmaking service is available for buyers from all over China. To learn more: www.marcachinafair.com

T R A D E FA I R S

MARCA FRESH 2022

The Second Edition of the Event will be Held as Part of MarcaByBolognafiere 19 – 20 JANUARY 2022 BOLOGNA

MARCAbyBolognaFiere, the opening event of the Bologna Exhibition Centre’s 2022 schedule, will include the second edition of MARCA FRESH, the exclusive format specialising in fresh products with a focus on sustainable innovation. MARCA FRESH will be the first in-person trade fair in 2022 for the fruit and vegetable sector: a space dedicated to sustainable innovation in the fresh produce sector, created thanks to the expertise of SGMARKETING, a consultancy company specialising in the sector of fresh produce, in partnership with MARCAbyBolognaFiere and in collaboration with ADM – the association representing the Grocery Retail sector. With an area spanning over 600 square metres dedicated to fruit and vegetables in pavilion 30, MARCA FRESH confirms its role as an immersive showcase for all players in the supply chain. The event format includes a large personalized area – the “Piazza dei Freschi” – where, over two days, companies take centre stage, presenting themselves to the public of production and distribution professionals, exhibiting their products and sharing their experiences in a market destined to evolve in terms of innovation and sustainability. This year’s theme is Supporting the fruit and vegetable compartment: the commitment of Grocery Retail and Production, with the aim of identifying and sharing the strategic and operational levers that will guide the growth of the fruit and vegetable compartment and promote its development in the coming years. A conference, promoted and directed by SGMARKETING in collaboration with MARCAbyBolognaFiere, will open the event. Beginning with a multi-perspective trade and

consumer analysis, it will feature a panel of national retailers who will share best cases and strategies to support the fruit and vegetable sector. The workshop aims to provide trade operators with operational guidelines useful for interpreting a future that is changing from the perspective of social, economic and environmental responsibility. This successful format was sold out at the last edition: 16 participating companies and numerous visitors attended the opening session and company testimonials enlivened the two-day event.

“The pandemic has highlighted with even greater emphasis the attention paid to the quality of food and its importance,” explains Antonio Bruzzone, General Manager of BolognaFiere, “MARCA FRESH focuses attention on a range of products, fresh produce, at the heart of this trend, showcasing innovative trends and the evolution in terms of sustainability. Contextualizing these themes as part of MARCAbyBolognaFiere activates synergies and business opportunities,

expanding the exhibition offer of our Exhibition Centre with another highly specialized initiative that, once again, has become a reference point for operators in the sector”. “The fruit and vegetable sector plays a fundamental role in Grocery Retail strategies. Supporting production chains,” explains Marco Pedroni, President of ADM, “is also a way of supporting local areas and the biodiversity of our country. Sustainable farming, in productive, economic and social terms, is a common goal of agricultural production and distribution. Marca Fresh is an important opportunity to take stock of the challenges we face.” The 2022 edition consolidates the relationship between MARCA FRESH and ADM, the trade association that represents the Grocery Retail sector. ADM is underpinning and supporting the initiative through a Technical-Scientific Committee of managers from large national Grocery Retail groups. To learn more: www.marca.bolognafiere.it

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T R A D E FA I R S

CIBUS 2021 EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS The 20th Edition of Cibus Leads Organizers to Anticipate Excellent Results for Cibus 2022. 3-6 MAY 2022 PARMA “Cibus is a safe bet”, stated Giancarlo Giorgetti, Minister of Economic Development, visiting Cibus in Parma. “Doubts were many when we decided to organise this exhibition four months ago. As a Government political authority, we must thank all the people who accept to make these bets and enable the country to win them”. “The main international players who could not come sent their sourcers and brokers – reported Antonio Cellie, CEO of Fiere di Parma – in order not to miss the opportunity of discovering the many innovations on display. Because this is what Cibus is about: the innovation power of our agri-food industry that meets the growing world demand for authentic Italian products”. The satisfaction of stakeholders was underlined by Gino Gandolfi, Chairman of Fiere di Parma: “This edition of Cibus has fully achieved its targets. The satisfaction expressed by exhibitors, members of Federalimentare and Protection Consortia confirms that CIBUS 2021 is a bet that has been won by the agri-food community. I would also like to highlight the attention of the political world through the participation of three Ministers and the key players of the supply chain: agriculture, industry,

Retail and Horeca channel. Following this success, we are already working on a record edition of Cibus to be held in Parma from 3 May 2022”. The fourth and last day of Cibus saw the organisation of the World Food Research and Innovation Forum that analysed the impact of the climatic, digital and social transitions on businesses. “Consumers are very keen on these issues – stated Minister Giorgetti in his speech – but we must be realistic and responsible in protecting our national interests, being aware that our decisions have a tangible impact on the daily life of our companies”. The World Food Research (promoted by the Emilia-Romagna Region and by the Universities of Bologna, Parma,

Modena e Reggio Emilia, Ferrara, Università Cattolica and other bodies) saw the contribution of Erika Andreeta, Partner of PwC Italy: “If we want to fully exploit the benefits of the financial resources made available by Institutions and want to continue being competitive in the global scenario, it is essential to profitably invest in training through projects targeted to the development of skills for an informed use of new technologies by the sector operators”. To learn more: www.cibus.it/en/

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / OCTOBER 2021

s r e il a t e R e r e h W and t e e M s r e li p p u S OCTOBE R 2021

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October 2021 Global Retail Brands

Articles inside

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Global Trade Fairs

Global Retailers Lead Innovation

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A Millennial Mamma’s Perspective on Innovation

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Contributors

Christopher Durham