Global Retail Brands 2022 Supplier Guide by globalretailmag

MARCH 2022

2022 SUPPLIERS GUIDE

8 Rules for the Simple Life Q & A with PLMA Private Label In An Era of Uncertainty

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VIEWPOINT

“Slava Ukraini!” Our hearts break for the brave people of Ukraine. It’s horrifying to imagine such pain and anguish. It’s unthinkable that the civilized world can’t stop this madness. We thank NBC News for compiling a list of charities helping those in need. Please join us in doing whatever you can to help.

Global Empowerment Mission The Miami-based organization Global Empowerment Mission is on the ground in the tiny village of Medyka, Poland, using donations to buy refugees train and plane tickets to help them reach any family or friends they may have in Europe. “They have an opportunity to stay with a friend of theirs, you know, (in) a bordering country where they’re in the warm and they can eat nice meals at the table,” GEM founder Michael Capponi told Sanders. globalempowermentmission.org

United Way Worldwide United Way Worldwide has just launched a global relief fund for the people in Ukraine called The United for Ukraine fund. The money raised will provide refugees with food, shelter, medicine, transportation and critical childcare supplies that infants need such as formula. Angela F. Williams, President and CEO, United Way Worldwide addressed the crisis in Ukraine in a press release.

World Central Kitchen For many refugees, food is an immediate need. Chef Jose Andrés has set up his World Central Kitchen on the ground at the Ukraine-Poland border providing warm meals for the hungry. "Nothing sends a bigger message of hope than a humble plate of food. And that’s the only thing we know how to do," Andrés said. "America is gonna be with the people of Ukraine." WCK.org

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / MARCH 2022

"There is no doubt that this situation is fluid and changing by the hour. And though the needs are great and will likely only grow and change over time, we will be there to support those in crisis," she said. “United Way stands ready to mobilize the caring power of our global community to help ease the suffering of those whose lives have been upended, and whose future is uncertain," Williams added. www.unitedway.org

Global Giving Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund The Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund by Global Giving sprung into action once Russia declared war on Ukraine earlier this week. According to the organization’s official website, your donation will help “affected communities in Ukraine, with a focus on the most vulnerable, including children, who need access to food, medical services, and psychosocial support.” Not only that, but the Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund will “support humanitarian assistance in impacted communities in Ukraine and surrounding regions where Ukrainian refugees have fled.” www.globalgiving.org

International Rescue Committee As the conflict in Ukraine escalates, the International Rescue Committee is getting ready to prepare for the worst. Right now, it is mobilizing resources to aid the people in Ukraine who were forced to flee their homes. "The IRC is meeting with partners and local civil society organizations in Poland and Ukraine to assess capacity for responding to an increase of refugees and people in need," said the organization on its official website. "We will work to respond where we are needed the most and with the services that are needed urgently. Whatever the needs are, we are preparing to meet them.” www.rescue.org

Save the Children According to Save the Children, there are 7.5 million kids who are in danger of physical harm, emotional distress and displacement due to the invasion in Ukraine. Even before the conflict escalated this week, there were already 400,000 children there who needed humanitarian aid. That’s why Save the Children has made their own Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund to help Ukrainian families now. On their official website, the organization said that it will use donations to help families meet their basic needs such as food, medicine and shelter. Save the Children’s specialist teams will also help Ukrainian children get access to education and psychosocial support. www.savethechildren.org

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CONTENTS G LOB AL RE TAIL BRA N D S I

MA RCH 2022 I VO LU M E 10 I NU M B E R 1

48 42 DEPARTMENTS 4 Viewpoint 12 Contributors 14 Events Calendar 18 Notable

FEATURES

RETAIL HIGHLIGHTS

SERVICES

20 Q & A, PLMA’s Anthony Aloia and 2022 Show Plans

50 Sprouts Farmers Market

59 Global Trade Fairs

22 2 022 Suppliers 38 O n the Shelf 42 P rivate Label in an Era of Uncertainty George Puro Puro Research 48 T he Push for Healthier Private Label Hans Kraak Kraak Media Producties

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / MARCH 2022

Maria Dubuc MBD SPECIAL FEATURE 52 8 Rules for the Simple Life Perry Seelert Strategic Partner & Co-founder Emerge COLUMN 61 Simplify The Search for a Tech Enabled Service Advisor Thomas Hopley Senior Consulting Associate SGK

66 A dvertiser’s Index Next Issue Highlights

CONNECT. SOURCE. Grow.

Come to Amsterdam on 31 May and 1 June to see what private label has to offer. More than 2,500 exhibiting companies from 70 countries, including 50 national and regional pavilions, will be showing their products and innovations. For more information visit www.plma.nl

31 May – 1 June 2022 AMSTERDAM Presented by the Private Label Manufacturers Association International Council

Where Retailers

MARCH 2022 / VOLUME 10 / NUMBER 1 OF 4

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Suppliers Meet

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DIGITAL DIRECTOR andrew.quinniii@gmail.com

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OCTOBER 2021

MAY 2021

Italian Business Development luisa@globalretailmag.com

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PICNIC

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

8TH ANNUAL VERTEX AWARD WINNERS

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CONTRIBUTORS

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Emerge perry@emergefromthepack.com

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

BEST OF SHOW

The Giant Company Co-Branded Craft Beers

Whole Foods Market

Christopher Durham

Jumbo Supermarkten PLMA Chicago, Amsterdam, Global Preview

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2022 Media Planner

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CONTRIBUTORS

MARIA DUBUC Maria possesses nearly three decades expertise in creative management developing brand strategies, managing highly complex programs and driving business growth. As Marketing By Design, President, and Big Red Rooster, Vice President, Maria works diligently to ensure our people, projects, and processes drive clients’ successes. In the Retail Brands space she has coordinated the design and deployment of new and re-branded programs for a diverse set of retailers globally.

CHRISTOPHER DURHAM Christopher Durham is the president of the Velocity 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.

THOMAS HOPLEY Senior Consulting Associate. SGK Tom graduated with a Master in Political Economy and is a Prosci Change Management and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt practitioner. At SGK he has worked on key Consultancy projects across CPG and Retail, spanning process improvement, financial analysis, cost reduction, KPI measurement and resource modelling. Tom has also been involved in managing the development and implementation of innovation products.

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / MARCH 2022

HANS KRAAK Hans Kraak is educated in biology and journalism and wrote three 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 the Dutch Magazine for Nutrition and Dietetics, as a food and wine writer he published 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.

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.

CONTRIBUTORS

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; financial services and investment banking; traditional marketing, as well as digital and social media marketing.

TOM PRENDERGAST Tom is the Director of Research Services for the Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA), based in the company’s New York headquarters. His responsibilities include gathering news and seeking trends impacting the global private label and retail industries, analyzing and sharing that information with the member companies of PLMA around the world. Previously he worked at NBC News as a News Assistant for the

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 Cofounder of Emerge, a strategic marketing consultancy dedicated to helping Retailers, Manufacturers and Services grow exponentially and differentiate with purpose.

ELENA SULLIVAN Elena Sullivan holds a BA in Creative Writing and a Masters Degree in Social Work. She is a writer, editor, social worker and advocate. With more than 15 years writing and researching the private label industry, Elena was previously the Managing Editor at Private Label Magazine and most recently created content for Private Label Manufacturers Association’s PLMALive! PL Category Trends series. Through her writing, Elena seeks to provide holistic information on Private Labels for all players in the industry.

MARCEL VERHAAF Marcel is the Executive Creative Director of SGK Amsterdam and is responsible for the creative vision and design effectiveness of SGK’s work across brand and packaging design and is the driving force behind SGK’s sustainability innovations and designs executions. With a career spanning 30 years, he has been recognised by the industry with numerous accolades including international awards from The Dieline, Pentawards, Red Dot and ADCN in the Netherlands. Marcel has experience working with both global and local brands including Unilever, Nestlé, Heineken, Danone, Pladis, Ahold, AkzoNobel, Douwe Egberts, Pepsico, Pernod Ricard and Friesland Campina.

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INDUSTRY EVENT UPDATE

MARCH

M AY

PLMA GLOBAL 28 – 31 MARCH

CIBUS Parma, Italy 3 – 6 MAY

www.plma.com

www.cibus.it

VELOCITY INSTITUTE CONFERENCE & EXPO Charlotte, NC 16 – 18 MAY

APRIL

www.velocityinstitute.org/velocity

MARCA BOLOGNA Bologna, Italy 12 - 13 APRIL www.marca.bolognafiere.it

WORLD OF PRIVATE LABEL AMSTERDAM Amsterdam 31 MAY – 1 JUNE COSMO BOLOGNA Bologna, Italy 28 APRIL - 2 MAY www.cosmoprof.com/en

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / MARCH 2022

www.plmainternational.com

INDUSTRY EVENT UPDATE

JUNE

OCTOBER

IDDBA ATLANTA Atlanta, GA 5 – 7 JUNE

SIAL PARIS Paris 15 – 19 OCTOBER

www.iddba.org

www.sialparis.com

SUMMER FANCY FOOD SHOW New York, NY 12 – 14 JUNE

NOVEMBER

www.specialtyfood.com

PLMA CHICAGO Chicago 13 - 15 NOVEMBER www.plma.com

J U LY COSMOPROF NORTH AMERCIA Las Vegas, NV 12 – 14 JULY www.cosmoprofnorthamerica.com

COSMOPROF ASIA Singapore 16 – 18 NOVEMBER www. cosmoprof-asia.com

BIOFACH Nuremberg 26 – 29 JULY www.biofach.de/en

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MARCA TECHNICAL SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE

N O TA B L E

Store Brand Sales Hit Record $199 Billion Last Year; Growth Continued in January A press release from PLMA reported that, “Store brand sales picked up in 2022 right where they left off at the end of last year, growing 4.2% in dollar volume across all U.S.retailing channels in the month of January, compared to the same period in 2021. The increase was about equal to the 4.4% growth of national brands, according to IRI data provided to PLMA. Last year was a roller coaster ride for store brands. Sales were up, then down, but finished strong, with increases averaging about 5% over the last five months. The just-released “PLMA 2022 Private Label Report” tells the whole story in detail. Store brand dollar sales grew 1% to a record $199 billion in all U.S. retail channels in 2021, according to the report, based on IRI data. Private brand dollar share last year was 17.7%, while unit share came in at 19.6%. Both represent increases over a three-year period.

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / MARCH 2022

In the eight largest departments covered by IRI, private label grew in six. In the largest category - refrigerated foods - store brands increased by 0.7%, followed by general merchandise (+1.7%), health care products (+0.2%), frozen (+0.8%), produce (+11.4%), and beverages (+2.7%). The figures reveal that the U.S. store brand market in 2021 was able to retain the unprecedented, Covid-fueled, double-digit sales gains from 2020. Retail brands jumped 12% in dollar sales in 2020 amid the shutdown of foodservice, a greater emphasis on cooking at home and the boom in online grocery shopping. That exceeded national brands’ gain, which were up 10%. Moving into 2021, as the country and the foodservice sector began to reopen for in-person business, some expected that store brands would decline, giving back all or most of 2020’s huge increase. That did not happen.

“The main takeaway is that retailer brands are a vibrant industry and an important piece of the U.S. grocery business, especially in difficult economic times,” said PLMA President Peggy Davies. The 2021 performance of store brands represents a return to the consistent, single-digit growth that existed in pre-pandemic years. PLMA, in collaboration with IRI, provides market data of both store brands and national brands in 317 categories and 967 sub-categories. The data are refreshed monthly on the Unify data portal on plma.com. More details can be found in PLMA’s 2022 Private Label Report, the association’s annual statistical guide for store brand sales. It’s available on plma.com.

BOSTON | PHOENIX | SAN DIEGO | CHINA | UK

WITH ANTHONY ALOIA

PLMA Global, World of Private Label Amsterdam, PLMA Chicago To say its been a tough 2 years for show organizers is akin to saying Vladimir Putin is a cold-hearted statesmen. Some things are just too obvious. For as long as I’ve been in this industry, PLMA’s trade shows have been the gold standard of in person events. Not many events have had the luxury of waiting lists, PLMA has. Not many events have turned small suppliers into major players, PLMA has. When the impact of Covid became clear, PLMA pivoted to virtual events to help retailers and suppliers maintain lines of communication. And now that live events are about to get back in full swing, we spoke with Anthony Aloia, Corporate VP of PLMA. His responsibilities encompass trade show development and execution and we wanted to know more about how PLMA is moving ahead with their 2022 plans, beginning with the PLMA Global.

Q. Tell us about PLMA Global? Well, it begins with the consumer. Everything about this online trade show is tied to preparing the retailer brands industry for the emerging, reenergized, post-pandemic consumer and demonstrating how that very different shopper will impact manufacturers and retailers. In addition to a whole new set of expectations, many forged by their difficult experiences over the past two years, these consumers will also be confronted with an inflationary environment that will deeply affect their grocery purchases. We’re already seeing signs of that. Basically, we foresee that it’s going to be a whole new ballgame for all of us in the industry. So, candid, private, and secure conversations and exchanges of information among buyers and sellers in real time have never been more important. But we’ll address that in greater detail later.

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / MARCH 2022

True to its name, PLMA Global is attracting hundreds of retail visitors from around the world and it’s important to point out the reach of this event. Buyers will be engaging from the United States and Canada, the U.K., France, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Poland, Lithuania, UAE, Turkey, Korea, Hong Kong, Australia, as well as South Africa, among other countries. On the other side of the aisle, more than 500 manufacturers will be showcasing thousands of products representing food, snacks, beverages to health and beauty, household, and pet care from Europe, North America, and Asia. Exhibiting companies continue to sign-up to be able to provide retailers with authentic products and a diverse supply source.

Q. So, why PLMA Global now? Opportunity beckons. Right now, private label is likely standing on the threshold of a historic period of growth. All the elements are in place. The pandemic brought a convergence of challenging conditions that will dictate consumer behavior and shopping habits over the next decade. Retailers in all distribution channels who strategically emphasize their own brands will have a competitive advantage in building consumer loyalty and thrive.

During the last two years, the demand for goods and services surged as many countries endured lockdowns, employees worked from home, and governments were forced into unprecedented monetary policies. Today, supply chains are strained, and brick and mortar stores are seeing the effects with bare shelves. High inflation levels are spreading across Europe and the United States and consumers are watching home energy prices skyrocket. These economic challenges almost always favor store brands as shoppers look for maximum value without sacrificing quality. PLMA Global will bring many in the industry together for product and supplier discovery and allow for more conversations among retailers and their supply partners. Quality, innovation, and the cost of goods will always be important attributes for retailers, but right now product availability, continuity and on-time delivery are at the top of the priority list.

ANTHONY ALOIA Corporate VP PLMA

Q. You cited the post-pandemic

consumer earlier. Can you elaborate? The pandemic was transformative, and its full effects are yet to be felt. More people have been relocating to larger homes in suburban areas with outdoor space; Families are cooking at home together; Pet adoptions soared; And a work-from-home or hybrid office approach may be the future for employees. There’s also been a sharp rise in early retirements as well as an emphasis on health and wellness. So many factors, including inflation, are impacting consumer behavior. Furthermore, the expansion of online shopping and e-commerce has been the new normal for many consumers today, necessitating retailers and suppliers to develop new home delivery services and curbside pick-up solutions. In addition, many new e-commerce companies are crowding the retail landscape and going to market with a private label first strategy. PLMA Global is the perfect place where high quality suppliers and innovative retailers can partner together and develop successful store brand programs across all product categories and continue to build market share.

Q. What are some of the most important PLMA Global platform features? Anticipating the demands of the new consumer I spoke about, the platform will accentuate product attributes, such as vegan or gluten-free or organics as well as social concerns such as eco-friendly packaging. Product features and qualities are increasingly driving purchase. Shoppers want to know what’s in a product, as well as what’s not in it. That’s the challenge to the retailing industry, finding dependable suppliers who can deliver the new formulations that consumers are seeking. On the PLMA Global platform, the search tool functionality enables the quick discovery of exhibitors by keywords or attributes. Buyers will also have the necessary tools to maximize their time efficiently. Visitors can preview the online show floor on Monday, March 28 to find and tag preferred exhibitors and schedule video call appointments, in advance. Exhibitors will be staffing their booths from March 29 -31.

PLMA Global will be available 24 hours each day and the platform includes an appointment calendar for each individual visitor. In addition, entire teams of buyers and sellers can be on one secure video conference call where participants can share screens for further collaboration and send documents to each other through the platform. Buyers can connect directly one-on-one with online exhibitors too. Visitors and suppliers may exchange virtual business cards and communicate by e-mail messaging as well.

Q. Can you provide any updates regarding the Amsterdam Show this year?: PLMA’s 2022 “World of Private Label” International Trade Show will be held in-person at the RAI Exhibition Centre in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, on May 31 – June 1. Visitor Registration has just opened to retailers, wholesalers and other industry professionals and supplier demand for exhibit space is as strong as ever. More than 2,500 exhibitors, including 50 country pavilions will be featured and the show halls within Europa, Holland, and Park Complexes are nearly at full capacity with food and non-food exhibitors. Products represented will include fresh, frozen and refrigerated foods, dry grocery, and beverages as well as non-food categories, including cosmetics, health and beauty, household and kitchen, auto aftercare, garden, and housewares & DIY. In all categories, sustainable and ecofriendly products are showing significant increases.For more details on how to visit our in-person “World of Private Label” International Trade Show as a buyer or participate as an exhibitor, please go to www.plmainternational.com.

Q.And what are your plans for PLMA’s U.S. Show in CHICAGO? We’re gearing up to shortly announce the return of our Annual Private Label Trade Show in Chicago. As touched upon previously, we’re expecting this year will be the beginning of the re-energized and assertive consumer demanding more tailored products around a healthy and sustainable lifestyle as well as better service and convenience from their shopping experience. The PLMA Show will focus on these new consumer shopping habits and trends and continue to showcase high quality exhibitors representing CPG products across all store aisles. Plant-based, organics, free-from, and many other products with health and dietetic attributes will be featured including suppliers displaying flavors and ingredients, and selfcare and wellness items. Hundreds of companies will once again take part of national pavilions from countries in Europe, North and South America, and Asia that will sample ethnic products reflecting the changing tastes and flavors of American consumers. PLMA’s Private Label Trade Show will take place November 13 – 15 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. Exhibitor registration opens in April.

www.globalretailmag.com

SUPPLIER PROFILES

AGRITALIA Founded in 1987 in Naples by the brothers Sergio and Stefano Massa, Agritalia is a leading provider of complete private label programs and exporter of food products mainly from Italy and Europe to North America. With a comprehensive portfolio of almost a thousand products sourced from certified suppliers, Agritalia is the go-to-reality for food and nonfood private labels. The success of Agritalia, and sister companies Agrilogistica and Agrusa, 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. Through the Automated Replenishment Program, the company aims to be a reliable partner for its customers but also to achieve eco-sustainable goals. In fact, few years ago Agritalia has joined one of the latest sustainable-based projects sponsored by the European Community: ProCEedS (H2020-MSCA-RISE-2018), a research consortium that aims to study

the eco-sustainable implications of the model and the consequent reduction of food waste, carbon dioxide, energy, and water consumptions along the supply chain. The theme of sustainability is 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. Agritalia has recently obtained the BRCGS Agents & Brokers Certification with the maximum grade AA, confirming the strong commitment in keeping the highest levels of efficiency, product safety and quality standards.

For more information: www.agritalia.com

DEANOCCIOLA Organic Spreads, Made in Italy with Love

Deanocciola is the brand of Deangelis srl, a family-owned manufacturer located in the Tuscia area of Viterbo (North of Rome). The De Angelis family has been growing hazelnuts and producing organic spreads since more than 60 years. In the 1990s, they 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: • High quality Hazelnut and Chocolate Spreads with and without Milk • Pure Nut Butters • Pure Oil Seed Butters • Innovative & Healthy recipes Our production plant meets the highest food-safety standards, and our factory has thefollowing certifications: ORGANIC - BRC – IFS – FDA – KOSHER – FAIRTRADE – UTZ. We 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 in a factory that is 100% gluten-free.

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / MARCH 2022

Our organic Spreads boast claims such as Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free, Protein. Moreover, our 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. Deanocciola is specializing in the development of organic spreads for all exigencies, and this year we have launched: • Vegan Sugar Free Spreads • Protein Spreads For more information: www.deanocciola.com

#SPREADTHEWORD

ORGANIC SPREADS MADE IN ITALY WITH LOVE

NUTS • PEANUTS • OIL SEEDS

DEANGELIS SRL • Loc. La Valle snc 01035 Gallese (VT) • Italy info@deanocciola.com • deanocciola.bio •

deanocciola

SUPPLIER PROFILES

EMERGE

Whether you are a supplier or retailer with an interest in Private Brands, Emerge can help you to take the next leap forward in differentiating and growing your business. We are highly collaborative in our approach, and we will push you, as together we will discover the low-hanging and more aspirational opportunities for you to expand. Building own brands and challenger brands is our true sweet spot, but we also work with many established companies/brands that need fresh thinking for their next breakthrough. We Help Our Supplier Clients: • B uild better ways to tell the unique stories of their company and portfolio • Reach and connect with new retailers, by customizing your approach • Sell more effectively; connect with the trade more effectively

We Help Our Retailer Clients: • Rationalize and optimize their portfolio, with an eye towards new segments and growth opportunities • Develop Signature products and strategies for development, all that fit who you are • Set up a true process for growing own brands and harnessing the right infrastructure Let us put our experience with partnering in over 15 retail classes of trade and 5 continents to work for you in a collaboration that will make a difference.

www.emergefromthepack.com

FOODCHAIN ID FoodChain ID keeps the global food supply safe, compliant, and transparent. Our customer-centric culture, leading-edge technologies, and domain expertise buttress a broad portfolio of solutions, including food contact and safety solutions, consumer labels, testing, regulatory compliance, risk assessment, product development, supplement development, and more. Certification and Food safety offerings include BRCGS, SQF, GLOBALG.A.P., USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project Verification, and Vegan/Plant-Based/Vegetarian. Testing solutions feature testing for GMOs, Pesticide Residues, Animal Speciation, Gluten, and CBD and Hemp. Data solutions include food contact, regulatory libraries and analysis, and product and recipe development. For more information: www.foodchainid.com

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / MARCH 2022

YOUR PRIVATE LABEL SUPPLIER

SanoRice – Your taste, our nature SanoRice is the largest private label producer of cakes and snacks made of rice, corn, legumes (lentil, chickpea etc.) and other grains (spelt, quinoa, amaranth etc.). We have more than 25 years of experience with customers all around the world. Innovation is an essential part of our strategy. We already have more than 450 recipes available in plain, coated or flavored cakes. We also have a special range dedicated to baby food. For more information, visit our website or contact us: privatelabel@sanorice.com

www.sanorice.com NON GMO – Gluten free – Organic – Conventional – High protein – Kosher – Halal – Sugar free

SUPPLIER PROFILES

FROSTKRONE FOOD GROUP

The Frostkrone Food Group has long been well known on the international stage for its wide and diverse selection of chilled and deep-frozen finger food and snacks. The Company Group is an innovative trendsetter, whose hallmarks are diversity and variety in this trend-oriented product category. The quickly prepared, delicious finger food and snack variations created by the Company Group can be found at the supermarket, with discounters, in the food service sector and at snack stations all across the globe. The Frostkrone Food Group tunes into current trends with brands like “Ready To Eat” - the new snack-to-go selection from the refrigerated counter - and the plant-based range “Really?!” with its extensive and amazingly varied choice made up of completely vegan products prepared on a plant basis. Production takes place in facilities at eight different locations: in addition to the Rietberg headquarters, there are two further locations in Germany, two plants in France, two facilities in Great Britain and one in the USA. For more information: www.frostkrone-foodgroup.de

GLOBAL TISSUE GROUP Global Tissue Group ® has fostered a reputation for providing value for our customers as their private label paper manufacturer for bath tissue, facial tissue, napkins and paper towels with customer service to each and every one of them. Our customers depend on our flexibility, confidentiality and quality, from paper products to services; from our specialty paper manufacturing capabilities and consistent supply to custom-tailored private label programs. Our goal is to ensure that no matter your needs, Global Tissue can deliver. In creating diversified household paper products that cater to every market category, you can feel confident putting your label on our goods. We bring the trust and comfort of our relationship to your consumers, who will grow to depend upon our standard of manufacturing excellence – and your brand, through our private label programs, contract manufacturing, or our control brands. This is what sets us apart from our competition. Global Tissue provides value, quality and consistency, and helps organizations like yours increase their revenue. Let us enhance your paper program and your margins. Be a part of our Strong A.R.M. program, and Attract consumers, Retain them and create Margin enhancement every day. For more information

www.globaltissuegroup.com

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / MARCH 2022

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SUPPLIER PROFILES

HAPPY MAMA Jams & Compotes Made in Italy Happy Mama is a young and dynamic Italian company that produces natural preserves, jams, compotes, pickles and condiments, combining the original recipes of the Italian tradition with the modern taste, with a special combination of fruits, vegetables and spices (as vanilla, cardamomo, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, mustard, cinnamon, hot pepper). Giorgia Rinaldi is the owner and the creator of all products in the Happy Mama Collection, she uses the recipes from her mother and grandmother, with a modern view of the Taste. Happy Mama utilizes only local natural & organic fruits and vegetables without any artificial flavors, pectine, additives or preservatives, to guarantee the very best quality for the consumers. Happy Mama preserves and compotes are suitable for any kind of cheese, meat, fish, or for breakfast, cakes, snacks, finger food, dessert and ice creams. Happy Mama specializes in private label packaging offering a wide range of different sizes, labels, graphics, design. The main market is in Italy with customers as Eataly, Conad, Eismann, Sigma supermarkets and fine food stores, such as Tamburini in Bologna or Peck in Milan. In 2019 Happy Mama expanded to international markets with great results in France, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, USA , Emirates.

LA DORIA

Pasta Sauces and Pestos La Doria is a leading Italian company in the canned food sector and particularly in the production of tomato-based products, pasta sauces, canned vegetables, fruit juices and beverages. La Doria is the first producer in Europe for pasta sauces and pesto in private label segment. With its plants in Italy La Doria makes quality and premium pasta sauces, green and red pestos with authentic italian recipes in a wide variety of sizes. All its products reflect the passion that the company brings to its work and the desire to promote the best of Italian traditions and stand out in terms of quality and excellence. All raw materials are processed in its Italian facilities, ensuring “Made in Italy” guarantee, since 1937 with the same authentic Italian recipes.

For more information:

www.gruppoladoria.it

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / MARCH 2022

For more information:

www.happymama.it

SUPPLIER PROFILES

LE BONTA Last October, Le Bontà Srl moved to a new 9,000 m2 plant in Campi Bisenzio (FI), bringing together two divisions (sauces and cereals) in a unique production center. The project was guided by a desire to embark on a sustainable path. The lines of sauces have been renewed and the company have invested in new technologies and machinery which triple the production capacity and allows us to replicate the authenticity of recipes, with a perfect mix of tradition and innovation. This year, Le Bontà Srl will launch a contemporary range, which pays tribute to its origins: Chianina ragout, Porcini mushrooms and truffle sauce, Aglione sauce, Cacio e Pepe sauce, Norma sauce and Amatriciana sauce. These six new recipes, typical of the Italian gastronomic tradition are made with selected ingredients and expertly elaborated in the unmistakable flavors and aromas of the Italian culinary culture. The new products are suitable for all those who want to taste every day typical Italian and quality flavors: they are suitable for everyone, young and old people. The latest generation machinery and techniques, combined with our expertise, guarantee they are as good as those homemade by hand.

LUCART Lucart is a key player in the consumer goods market as a producer and transformer of tissue (pure and recycled pulp), airlaid and fiberpack paper. Our attention to people, sustainable processes and approach to innovation mean that we offer cutting-edge products that meet market challenges and perfectly match our customer requirements. Fiberpack® is our 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 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 fibres that never come into contact with water during the production process (dry paper), so that they remain super absorbent. Fibres 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 resistance, it can be reused up to 20 times. We are 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 our business and planet. For more information: www.lucartgroup.com

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / MARCH 2022

For more information:

www.lebonta.it

SUPPLIER PROFILES

MBD Marketing By Design A company is only as good as the people working in it and we’re blessed with a team of multi-talented individuals – combining skills in brand strategy, brand design, package design, artwork rollout, and project management. Our goal is to deliver creative value and commercial solutions to our clients in the retail and CPG space.

ABOUT US

WORK

CAPABILITIES

BLOG

LET’S TALK

With offices in virtually every time zone, we never sleep! Boston MA • Phoenix AZ • San Diego CA • Shenzhen China • Leeds UK

www.mbdesign.com Workflow By Design provides a cloud-based Total Workflow Solution that helps Enterprise teams – from Creative Services to Artwork Production - get products to market faster by bringing structure to chaos while allowing innovation and creativity to flourish. We deliver an automated workflow for the entire lifecycle – from project request, team communication, electronic routing approval, and file release, through archival and reporting. We recognize that ease of use, efficiency, and accountability are paramount to success, and keep this at the center of every implementation. The Total Workflow Solution is flexible allowing each company to undertake as much or as little as they desire at launch. We are a team of industry experts that deliver client-based solutions, custom configured to fit your creative services, marketing, artwork production, and private brandteams. For more information: www.workflowbydesign.com

MASSIMO ZANETTI Insights Drive Sales

Understanding the consumer is vital when determining your next step to reach your company goals. With coffee being the second most traded commodity in the world, data management and analysis is imperative. Keeping track of coffee trends can lead to a more fact based decision that will increase sales. A retailer that is armed with a clear understanding of the consumer ultimately will be more proactive. Shopper insights requires detailed study of factors that influence the shoppers’ perception and behavior in store as well as online. Combining shopper data along with sales data creates a powerful understanding of factors and influences that drive a shoppers’ behavior. There is value in understanding why consumers buy what they buy. At Massimo Zanetti, we pride ourselves on not only a valuable partnership but a team member that will reach consumers and grow sales. Experience coffee at its best! Let Massimo Zanetti Beverage provide your store brand with the right coffee for your shopper. Leverage actionable consumer insights and convert more grocery shoppers to coffee shoppers. For more information: www.mzb-usa.com

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / MARCH 2022

we bring brands to life creatively and consistently

SUPPLIER PROFILES

SANO RICE SanoRice is the largest rice, corn and multigrain or vegetable cakes/ snacks producer in Europe, and we aim to be the market leader of the private label of rice and corn cakes producers in the world. SanoRice counts actually with 3 factories: SanoRice Netherlands BV, SanoRice Belgium N.V. and SanoRice Italia S.r.L. With more than 25 years of experience, we export to more than 100 business partners around the world. From Europe to the Middle East, New Zealand or the USA, our products can be found all over the world. Our clients vary between supermarket chains, importers, agents and some of the best known brands located in more than 40 countries. Our rice, corn and multigrain cakes or vegetable cakes are made from authentic and pure ingredients and are sold to consumers worldwide. They come in many flavours and varieties, serving the needs of a large number of different consumer groups. We already have more than 450 recipes available in plain, coated or flavored cakes. We also have a special range dedicated to baby food, vegan and gluten free. We also produce organic, Fair Trade, UTZ Certified and kosher or halal products. For more information: www.sanorice.com

SENECA FOODS Seneca Foods ensures US farm fresh goodness through our 26 facilities located in prime American growing regions. A leading global provider of packaged fruits and vegetables, Seneca’s flexible packaging solutions meet evolving consumer needs: from traditional cans and frozen foods, to convenient pouches and plastic cups. Organic options also available. At Seneca, we believe that everyone deserves year-round access to great-tasting food that’s also great for you. That’s why we’re bringing families and organizations all over the world real food that’s nutritious, affordable, and delicious. By remaining committed to those we serve, we’re going to continue growing as the leader in the fruit and vegetable industry. At Seneca, we’re still doing things the way we always have- the right way. Think globally, grow locally. We’re proud to say, “We feed the world.” For more information: www.senecafoods.com

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / MARCH 2022

SUPPLIER PROFILES

V LABEL ITALIA The most recognized brand in the world for vegetarian, vegan, and raw vegan products. Registered in more than 70 countries and 5 continents, it is internationally recognized by consumers and companies for its quality, safety, and professionalism. The V-LABEL mark approves food, beverage, but also shoes and textile products. Furthermore, the V-LABEL mark is also widely adopted in the world of beauty; for this reason, the company will take part in April 2022 in the Cosmoprof Bologna exhibition, as the leading brand in the field of vegetarian and vegan certification. The V-LABEL mark is also the first vegetarian and vegan mark chosen by retailers of the mass distribution channels and Private Label companies. This makes the V-LABEL mark unique, creating opportunities between retailers and manufacturers in terms of vegetarian and vegan products. For further information, visit the V-LABEL stand at the MARCA Bologna exhibition, next April 2022. We will help your company to succeed and grow in the field of the vegan industry.

For more information:

Sophia Somaschi Segreteria@vlabel.it • www.vlabel.org

VALPIZZA Valpizza, one of the leading Italian frozen pizza producers, identified its primary development as the combination between Italian quality and convenience for the consumer, with the daily goal to reach a different way of thinking, redesigning pizza not only in various sizes but also in different concepts. Recent Group acquisitions, state Valpizza as Italian integrated point of reference in pizza and snack manufacturing segment: the Group is able to supply a wide range of items in frozen and deli categories, meeting any needs. Now more than ever, Valpizza Group is a large-scale, reliable and highly qualified organization, able to innovate and support its partners in developing convenience creative concepts. The main strength is the combination between traditional manufacturing process and a greater focus on convenience for the consumer: in contemporary market, convenience is essential to create value into supply chain. The range, ever-widening in terms of dough styles, shapes, and toppings, has recently been implemented by innovative brand-new items: as the BBQ + Stove Top Pizza, a unique product line created to offer a convenient, authentic Italian pizza cooked in a pan on the stove or on the barbeque in just 5 minutes, saving the strenuous time of heating an oven.

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / MARCH 2022

For more information:

info@valpizza.it

ON THE SHELF

AGRITALIA Celio™ available from Agritalia. The range is made of 3 items: gluten-free Teff Penne and Oat Casarecce; Veggie Fusilli pasta. www.celiofoods.com

DEANOCCIOLA 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. www.deanocciola.com

FROSTKRONE Hot Vegan Cheese Bites: hot and spicy snacks with pickled jalapeños. Coated in deliciously crispy breading. www.frostkrone-foodgroup.com

HAPPY MAMA Happy Mama is a young and dynamic Italian company who produces natural preserves, jams, compotes, pickles and condiments, combining the original recipes of the Italian tradition with the modern taste, with a special combination of fruits, vegetables and spices (as vanilla, cardamomo, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, mustard, cinnamon, hot pepper). www.happymama.it

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / MARCH 2022

ON THE SHELF LADORIA La Doria Baked Beans are obtained from expertly selected and boiled natural round beans, are rich in fiber and protein, and low in fat. They are then enriched with a slowly cooked tomato sauce for a strong and appetizing taste. www.gruppoladoria.it

LEBONTA The company mission is summarized in one sentence: to create very high quality sauces and soups from the best Italian tradition, made with the finest raw materials and able to satisfy all the ethical and taste needs of national and European consumers. www.lebonta.it

LUCART Lucart is a market leader company in transformation and manufacturing of paper products. Dario Brandi Mob. +39 335 1014765

SANO RICE Sanorice: your private label producer of cereal cakes: plain, coated and flavored. Also available a range of snacks and baby rice cakes. privatelabel@sanorice.com

VALPIZZA Valpizza Group: the Italian integrated hub in pizza and snack manufacturing, able to supply complete ranges in frozen and deli, meeting any needs. info@valpizza.it

www.globalretailmag.com

N O TA B L E

Frostkrone Knows How to Make Vegans Happy 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 Frostkrone Food Group is undoubtedly an innovative pacesetter here and indeed an expert in this trend-oriented product category. Its huge selection of finger food and snacks can be found in the freezers and on the refrigerated counters of supermarkets, in discounter stores and in the food service sector, as well as at snack stations, almost everywhere in Europe and also in parts of the USA and Asia. Boasting approximately 800 members of staff at eight locations in Germany, France, Great Britain and in the USA, the Group is constantly working on new, unusual and incredibly tasty product ideas, which are then produced locally on the spot. The new plant-based range called “Really?!” means that we now also have an extensive and amazingly varied choice made up of completely vegan products prepared on a plant basis. In this way the Frostkrone Food Group is catering for the wishes of many consumers who are increasingly turning away from traditional meat products but who nevertheless still want a good selection of flavoursome meals. The range covers all kinds of substitute products for cheeses and also for fish, beef and chicken.

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / MARCH 2022

New Lifestyle: Delicious and There’s No Meat Some examples. Hot Vegan Cheese Bites: these hot and spicy snacks with pickled jalapeños are simply the perfect accompaniment for exciting TV evenings. Coated in deliciously crispy breading, they are ready to be enjoyed after only a few minutes. Or the crispy Vegan Fish Sticks: these easy-to-handle snacks, created out of rice flakes and wheat proteins and baked to a golden colour, are guaranteed to be a hit with all the family. “Veganism is a mega trend. In the last two years, the market for deep-frozen and vegetarian and/or vegan finger food and snack products has experienced a very positive development. This trend will stay with us: because consumers are always in search of more – more choice, more variety for their taste buds and more ways of preparing their snacks. We really want to gratify this wish with new finger food and snack ideas,” explains Frédéric Dervieux, CEO of the Frostkrone Food Group, with great optimism.

Quick and Easy Preparation All products are pre-fried and deep-frozen. They can be prepared in the oven, in a deep fryer or in the pan all within a matter of minutes. And they are ideal not only for snacks at home. Thanks to their simple preparation and also their endless serving possibilities and combinations, they are also brilliantly suited for the food service sector.

www.frostkrone-foodgroup.com

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Private Label in an Era of Uncertainty Private brands have seen a lot of ups and downs in recent months. In this column, we look back at recent private label trends and what we might expect in the future. WILD RIDE Private label has had a wild ride since the beginning of the pandemic, perhaps best exemplified by the picture of a rollercoaster the PLMA used on its most recent state of the industry report. In the early parts of the pandemic, private label sales saw a huge bump. In March 2020, according to IRI data published by the PLMA, private label dollar sales jumped 37% in the U.S.. In May 2020, sales jumped 21%. In fact, 2020 as a whole was a banner year for private label, with store brands (12.3%) outpacing national brands (10.2%). With pandemic restrictions easing in 2021, at least for parts of the year when there wasn’t a new variant to deal with, retail gains were much smaller than the year before, but more in line with historical trends. Store brands were up just 1% for the year, compared to 2.7% for national brands in 2021, according to IRI data. The story was even worse though in terms of unit sales in 2021. Store brands declined 4.5% for the year, a steeper decline than national brands’ loss of 1.8%. Private label has continued its growth in the early weeks of 2022, per data from PLMA/IRI. As of February 20, 2022, private label dollar sales increased its share of total store sales in the U.S. to 18.1% Private brands had ended 2021 with a 17.7% share. In terms of unit share, private label increased its share to 20.1%, up from 19.6% at the end of 2021. Both trends bode well for a strong year for private label. And retailers continue to focus on their own brands. Target, for example, debuted a home organization brand called Brightroom in January 2022 with over 450 items at launch. The company grew its owned brand sales 18% in 2021 to more than $30 billion.

WHEN PRICES RISE In times of inflation or an unstable economy, consumers have historically leaned more heavily on private label. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that inflation in 2021 was the worst it has been since 1982. The Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures the average price change over time of a market basket of consumer goods and services, was up 7.5% in 2021 compared to the year before. January 2022 numbers were no better, with the CPI rising 0.6%, beating Dow Jones expectations of 0.4%. Europe has also seen high inflation, with inflation reaching 4.6% in the fourth quarter of 2021 and expected to reach 4.8% in the first quarter of 2022, according to data released in early February by the European Commission. Times of high inflation or economic distress – such as the 1970s or 2008 – have often benefited private label, as consumers have looked for ways to cut costs. But today’s private brands are different than they were historically. Store brands are often of equal or better quality than national brands. While consumers might consider trading down on price, they won’t necessarily be trading down on quality.

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / MARCH 2022

GETTING OUT OF THE HOUSE As consumers emerge from the pandemic further, at-home consumption is bound to soften, as it began to do in 2021. Consumers are venturing out of the house, spending more of their food budget in restaurants and more of their disposable income on travel and entertainment. In 2019, the National Restaurant Association reported that restaurant and foodservice sales in the U.S. were $864 billion. This plummeted almost 22% in 2020 to $678 billion, before rebounding to $799 billion in 2021. The NRA predicts that the industry will finally exceed pre-pandemic levels in 2022, projected to hit $898 billion.

BREAKING SUPPLY CHAIN WOES One of the biggest issues facing retailers today has been keeping the shelves stocked. Supply chain issues was one of the biggest stories of the last two years, and with the need for more truckers, more warehouses, more ships and less gridlock at ports, most supply chain analysts predict that supply chain problems will not go away anytime soon. Some retailers with big own brand portfolios are taking matters into their own hands. Kroger, for example, considers its own brands “a competitive moat” and an “incredibly important part of our strategic strategy,” according to Kroger Chairman and CEO Rodney McMullen. The company has invested heavily in extra warehouse space during the pandemic, which allows it to keep shelves full. Still, supply chain issues persist. And the war in Ukraine will exacerbate problems. The New York Times noted that Ukraine and Russia are key producers of sunflower oil, used in potato chips and cosmetics. Another concern is the summer wheat harvest, used in pasta, bread and other food throughout Europe. About a quarter of the world’s wheat comes from Ukraine and Russia.

But this doesn’t tell the whole story. Some of the restaurant industry’s recovery can be attributed to menu price increases. Restaurant traffic, on the other hand, is still down 4% in the US and 12% in Canada compared to 2019, according to data from NPD. In Europe, the story is even worse, with visit counts down 29% in 2021 compared to 2019. Still, NPD predicts the restaurant industry will come close to a full recovery in 2022. In the U.S., NPD expects that the industry will reclaim 98% of its pre-pandemic visits in the U.S. by the end of 2022. An almost full return of consumers to eating outside of the home will just be another added pressure for store brands. That said, NPD is already seeing trends that consumers are eating more outside of the home, but to keep costs down, they’re bringing the food from their pantry more often than not. Please Contact George at george@puroresearch.com

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

N O TA B L E

The Path Forward for Sustainability Last month’s PLMA Online Roundtable conference taught us that retailers as well as suppliers agree on the fact that sustainability is no longer a choice but a must! In view of climate change, water shortage and human rights, the sustainable approach has to go faster and legislation is the key for quicker change. In addition, more openness and collaboration between decision makers can accelerate finding sustainable solutions. What became clear is that consumers want to do good, but they do not always know how, thus better information on packaging and storytelling for consumers will facilitate making more conscious choices. For retailers and suppliers to adopt the move towards a better world, training, incentives and clear KPI’s are eminent! “PLMA’s annual Roundtable Conference always covers important topics for the private label industry and right now sustainability is on top of the list of all stakeholders. The past two days proved that a sustainable strategy is an absolute necessity for manufacturers and retailers, going forward towards a greener planet,” said Melanie Paijmans, Director International Council - Programmes at PLMA. The Roundtable Conference was held. Feb. 22 and 23.

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / MARCH 2022

DAY 1 The morning sessions of the first day started with Denise Klug, Editor at Lebensmittel Zeitung, who discussed the topic called “Online Retail Landscape.” Klug stated that 73% of European consumers have become E-shoppers due to Covid-19. Initially, the service quick delivery companies offer are based on fulfilling a shopper demand. To follow the trend for ultra-fast delivery many retailers step into alliances and strategic partnerships with local players for the last mile delivery, but making a profit is still a challenge. Although global investments have never been that high, due to economical situations, the investors are getting nervous while stock price go down, which results in the returned focus on profit and lower costs. In that respect the delivery costs are very high, and robot delivery for the last mile, which is still in its infancy phase, could be the answer to lower the costs. Further Denise sees huge opportunities for private label which gives a competitive edge and can turn a profit:

“As online companies have plenty of data, they know what you buy and what you need and want, thus they use the info to shape the assortment in line with the shopper’s needs,” said Klug. In view of the sustainable concept, the sustainable advantage of online shopping is marketed through bike delivery, reduce carbon footprint by less shopping trips from the consumer and food waste by highlighting products that are close to the expiration dates. For a deeper dive into sustainable products, Marjan de Bock, Co-CEO of ImpactBuying, gave an inspiring presentation on “The Opportunities of Sustainable Products.” According to de Bock, “consumers speak with their heart but buy with their wallet.” What consumers want and finally buy are not always in sync and price is still important for purchase, de Bock said. The question is what options do we give the consumer to buy with their heart? Sustainability becomes the key brand value, but although the importance is clear, the practice is more challenging to realise.

According to Marjan, the first mile, being e.g. the farmers, in the supply chain is at the bottom of the whole sustainable value chain. Boots on the ground is better than nice vision statements showed the case study of coffee supplier Sucafina and Dutch supermarket chain Jumbo. Full transparency of the coffee chain and all individual farmers involved, making sure the retailers’ investment was used for what farmers need and regular analysis and monitoring of the processes leads to verified story telling for the consumer. Retailers are the ones that should take the lead in a sustainable world, and it is important that the private label buyer translates the retailer’s sustainability policy in the negotiations with suppliers and that he is incentivized to buy sustainable. Manufacturers should be willing and able to deliver the requested verified transparency data and their salesmen should truly understand the sustainability issues, be pro-active with sustainable projects and offer their products with a consumer story.

Kevin Vyse, Packaging Expert and Head of Technical at ProAmpac, believes that in the approach to sustainability, one should think about packaging as an ingredient of the product instead of just a necessity to hold and protect the content as he stated in his presentation, called “Net Zero and the Circular Route to better Packaging.” Designers of packaging should become more aware of the end of the chain, i.e. what happens to the packaging after the product has been consumed. Can it easily be separated in waste, is it recyclable, etc. In the end it is about making packaging part of the solution instead of the problem.

DAY 2 The morning of day 2 of the conference started with the Futurist and Author, Peter Hinssen, who as a technician is looking to the world through a lens of technology which he says is accelerating. Rather than be afraid of it, you can see it as a huge opportunity to change things for the better. The so-called ‘never normal’, which goes beyond the ‘new normal’, is a constantly and rapidly changing world through technological and ecological seismic shocks. To formulate your strategy for the day after tomorrow, broader skills, bold vision and ultraflexibility on details are needed so you can reinvent your business and stay relevant in the future.

Boris Planer, Head of Consumer and Market Insight at WGSN and discussing “Consumer Attitudes toward Sustainable Purchasing” says that 86 % of consumers want to see more sustainable and ethical products after the pandemic. He says that the change speeds up because of a sense of urgency from the consumer, something needs to be done right now as climate change is so obvious. The consumer is more conscious to contribute to a better planet while buying sustainable. Retailers and manufacturers need to prepare for the new world otherwise they will be left behind.

The company shared that their sustainable strategy encompasses among other fully recyclable and renewable packaging in 2025, fossilfree transport, cutting food waste in half with data driven analyses. To achieve these goals all suppliers must have adopted science-based target climate goals. ICA surveys revealed that consumers want to make more sustainable choices but need the help from the retailer through clear communication. In order to be proactive in the market, the retailer collaborates with innovative suppliers and helps them in the development of concepts. Being super transparent, test concepts with consumers early-on and continue to monitor and work on the product after the launch is a way to make NPD successful. The concluding panel, moderated by Edgar Elzerman (Retail Consultant), included Michael Pilgaard (Dragsbaek A/S); Stefan van Rompaey (RetailDetail); Emelie Hansson (ICA Sverige); and Philippe Weiler (Sustainability Expert). They agreed that legislation, transparency and information, telling a clear story, is key in every sustainable strategy. We all need to work together as together we are strong. In the eyes of the panel, sustainability shouldn’t be presented as a niche product. If it is placed next to the regular product, it will truly give an alternative choice to consumers. The expectations for the future are that stronger legislation will speed up the sustainability process, retailers will need to take the lead, innovate and differentiate and, last but not least, inspire and educate consumers.

For a case study on best practise Emelie Hansson, Sustainability Strategist, and Maria Gustavsson, Innovation Manager at ICA Sverige AB, the biggest retailer in Sweden who received an UN award for its Climate Right Project, gave an insight in the company’s sustainable strategy.

www.globalretailmag.com

N O TA B L E

X5 and Plug and Play to Scout For Sustainable Development Innovations X5 Group, a leading Russian food retailer, has teamed up with the accelerator Plug and Play to scout for sustainable development innovations. The two companies look to focus on projects related to reducing waste and GHG emissions as well as sustainable packaging. X5 is set to kick off the partnership by analysing the key needs of its formats and the accelerator’s existing innovations that may be useful in its business. Startup scouting will begin in the summer of 2022 together with pitch sessions arranged for Russian and international projects to present their solutions. The retailer is also expanding its programme to identify and promote employee projects, X5 Idea Challenge, with a dedicated track to discover solutions within the Company. Previously, X5 mainly scouted for innovations in store operations, logistics, back-office processes, HR, IT, marketing and other areas. Now, employees are welcome to suggest solutions to help advance the Company’s Sustainable Development Strategy.

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / MARCH 2022

“We are always on the lookout for new projects and ideas to support our sustainable development efforts and make our stores and facilities more sustainable and eco-friendly. Together with Plug and Play, X5 will certainly be able to find new technology-intensive projects and solutions for integration into its processes,” said Maria Podkopaeva, X5’s acting Sustainable Development Director.

“We are proud to partner with X5 to help solve some of our most important challenges of our generation. The potential impact X5 can have on topics like food waste, climate, and packaging is enormous and they are showing leadership by taking action through innovation. As a partner of Plug and Play Sustainability, X5 will combine their scale and knowledge with the most promising sustainability

startups to build a more sustainable future. We are excited to continue this journey together with X5 and develop innovations that can drive business, societal, and environmental value,” said Nicolas Chow, Director of Plug and Play Sustainability EMEA. In December 2019, X5 adopted a sustainable development strategy based on the four UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) where the Company can make the biggest difference. X5’s strategy focuses on projects aimed at promoting a healthy lifestyle and the availability of quality and wholesome foods, ensuring decent working conditions and equal opportunities for employees, advancing responsible consumption and use of resources, and supporting local communities through the development of charity. X5 was the first Russian company to become an anchor partner of Plug and Play. In December 2019, the parties signed an agreement to jointly scout for technologies all over the world. The accelerator arranges sessions with startups to help X5 improve operating processes at Pyaterochka, Perekrestok, the corporate Transport Department and elsewhere.

PHOTO CREDIT: X5 GROUP

X5 Retail Group N.V. (LSE and MOEX: FIVE; Fitch, BB+; Moody’s, Ba1; S&P, BB+; RAEX, ruAA+) is is Russia’s largest food retailer. The Company operates proximity stores under the Pyaterochka brand, Perekrestok supermarkets and Chizhik hard discounters. X5 provides an omnichannel experience to its customers, integrating retail stores and e commerce through its businesses Vprok.ru Perekrestok, 5Post and Mnogo Lososya. As of 31 December 2021, X5 had 19,121 Company operated stores. It has the leading market position in both Moscow and St Petersburg and a significant presence in the European part of Russia. Its store base includes 17,972 Pyaterochka proximity stores, 990 Perekrestok supermarkets and 72 Chizhik hard discounters. The Company operates 47 distribution centres and 4,480 Company owned trucks across Russia. X5 is one of the largest employers in Russia. The Company employs more than 335,000 people. For more information: esg.x5.ru/en/

Plug and Play is the leading innovation platform, connecting startups, corporations, venture capital firms, universities, and government agencies. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, Plug and Play is present in 35+ locations across five continents. They offer corporate innovation programs and help their corporate partners in every stage of their innovation journey, from education to execution.

For more information: www.plugandplaytechcenter.com

They also organize startup acceleration programs and have built an in house VC to drive innovation across multiple industries where they've invested in hundreds of successful companies including Dropbox, Guardant Health, Honey, Lending Club, N26, PayPal, and Rappi.

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OPINION

Consumers, NGOs, and Investors Push for Healthier Private Label Products Less salt, less sugar, more fiber… This was the general message in a prime time TV commercial from Lidl early this year. The retailer focuses on healthier products in his assortment. The message could have come from any public health service that strives to a more healthy choice of the population. “Thanks for the exposure grocer”, they might say. Lidl is not the only retailer trying to do their best to reformulate products that are considered as not so healthy, especially products that contain too much sugar or salt. Intakes too high of sugar lead to obesity and other negative effects. Too much salt is related to a high blood pressure and several types of cancer. On the contrary, more fiber is linked to positive health aspects like a lower LDL cholesterol, which is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. A fourth risk factor wasn’t in the Lidl commercial: saturated fatty acids. The latter are also correlated with cardiovascular risks. Let’s forgive the grocer, in a few minute commercial, you would need witchcraft to explain the complicated fatty health story. Although most grocers and their private label suppliers already have programs to reformulate their products by reducing saturated fat, sugar or salt, still many products in the supermarket isles contain too many of the unhealthy ingredients or too few of the good. But its no wonder, the shopping public loves cookies, chips, crème caramel, chocolate bars, and so on. Me too, they’re yummy, but every time I want to buy one I scratch my head and try not to give in. But sometimes I do. And that is no problem for my health as long as I don’t give in too often. But many shoppers do and that’s why public health services and NGO’s advocate for the production of healthier foods and drinks. Disappointed in the pace in which the food and drink industry reformulates their products, they keep pressing on the governments to make laws that oblige to make healthier products, to make the easy choice the healthy choice.

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / MARCH 2022

UNHEALTHY PROMOTIONS The NGO’s do not only set their sights on the composition of unhealthy products. The promotion of the unhealthy stuff is also under fire. In the UK and Netherlands, the nonprofit organization Questionmark makes the so called superlist every year (1). It shows, on the basis of research, what supermarkets across Europe are doing to make their products or promotions more healthy. Questionmark’s aim is to contribute to a better food system by “creating a movement among different actors in society towards healthy, sustainable, equitable and animal-friendly consumption and production of food. We inspire governments in facilitating, directing and monitoring industry performance and consumer behaviour”, according to the organization.

HANS KRAAK Kraak Media Producties

The latest superlist, from December 2021, shows that supermarkets in the UK are not using their promotional tools to improve people’s diets. To compile the list, Questionmark tracked all promotions of food products in the online stores of the four biggest UK supermarkets Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Tesco. It analyzed the health profile of the products, using the UK Government’s Nutrient Profiling Model, which assesses whether products are high in fat, sugar and/or salt (HFSS). “We found that UK supermarkets are heavily promoting unhealthy food and drink products in their online stores”, concludes Questionmark. “Across all four supermarkets, approximately half of all promotions are focused on HFSS food and drink products. Though forthcoming restrictions will ban the most harmful types among these promotions, it leaves ample room for supermarkets to take individual responsibility for healthy eating.”

Illustrative is the campaign of Share Action in January of this year (2). This London based NGO focuses on the highest standards for responsible investment and drives change until these standards are adopted worldwide. Share Action directed an international coalition of institutional investors and individuals to file a shareholder resolution at Unilever, urging the company to adopt ambitious targets to increase the share of healthy foods in its sales (3). “Health is emerging as the next frontier in shareholder activism, driven by the rising social and economic costs of ill-health and the growth of associated regulation”, states the organization. “Obesity rates have tripled since 1975, costing the global economy $2 trillion or 2.8 per cent of GDP each year, similar to the economic impact of smoking.” The resolution was being co-filed by eleven institutional investors representing 215 billion dollar in assets. Unilever, that wholesales in A-brands, responded to the resolution as constructive to the dialogue about healthy foods and drinks. Positive news for private label producers is the outcome of a scientific study on reducing calorie sales from supermarkets own brand products by ‘silent’ reformulation. The investigators conclude: “Reformulation of retailer’s private brands towards lower energy density seems to contribute to lowering the calorie intake in the population with moderate losses in retailer’s sales revenues.” (4) So, when you tend to smoke, buy or produce unhealthy food or drink, scratch your head, like I do, and see if you can manage not to succumb. Otherwise your head will. REFERENCES: 1. https://www.thequestionmark.org/en/page/press-release-big-four-uk-supermarketsrun-over-4000-unhealthy-food-promotions-per-week 2. https://shareaction.org/news/unilever-faces-shareholder-heat-on-health-impacts

INVESTORS INFLUENCE

The superlist is not just about naming and shaming, Questionmark encourages companies to take responsibility for the influence they have on what their customers buy and consume. At the same time it is not a game without obligation. If not NGO’s or more health conscious consumers pressing on the producers to deliver more health in the supermarket isles, it might be the investors. As health problems are piling up in society, influenced by unhealthy foods and drinks, producers may record - or worse, face - the fate of the tobacco industry.

3. Classified as healthier in accordance with government-endorsed nutrient profiling models (i.e. UK Food Standards Agency NPM (2004/5), Nutri-Score or Australian and New Zealand Health Star Rating). 4. JD, Sommer I. Reducing calorie sales from supermarkets - ‘silent’ reformulation of retailer-brand food products. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2017

Hans Kraak Hans Kraak is educated in biology and journalism and wrote three 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 the Dutch Magazine for Nutrition and Dietetics, as a food and wine writer he published in Meininger’s Wine Business International and reports for PLMA Live EU and PLMA USA.

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N O TA B L E

MBD’s Retailer Spotlight:

by Maria Dubuc For the last few years, MBD has partnered with Sprouts Farmers Market to refresh various product categories across their retail brand. One of our newest design launches is a line that MBD is particularly proud of and excited to celebrate: Sprouts Mexican Global Cuisine! The Mexican Global Cuisine line is among the first fully integrated global line for Sprouts Own Brands. The product offerings span across four categories and 17 SKUs, which includes taquera sauces, enchilada sauces, fire roasted salsas, and refried beans. Since these Mexican items are the first of many to come groundbreaking Global Cuisine offerings, MBD wanted to set the stage with a spectacular design that would not only sell well but would introduce shoppers to a new culturally-vibrant world at Sprouts. Though we were thrilled to work on such a robust program, we were also aware of the biggest challenge: How do you tastefully and thoughtfully design an authentic line in a space where genuine products can look cheap or worse, culturally insensitive?

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / MARCH 2022

Since these products are all authentically made with Mexican ingredients, MBD first focused our design development on finding some associations US people have with Mexico. What are the cultural nods that convey Mexican authenticity that are widely understood? We settled on using the “papel picado” as our main feature. “Papel picado” literally means ‘punched’ or ‘perforated’ paper. The traditional cut paper folk art is found throughout Mexico and has become a symbol of Mexican tradition. This motif felt appropriate for these products because they’re items that you would find at the same places where you’d see the papel picado: on the streets or in the home.

We created a chili peppers icon to indicate heat level as this was an important feature of the Global Mexican Cuisine and one that we found to be relevant to many Mexican food products as spice level is very key when shopping for each item. The final, and arguably the most important, aspect of this line is that each product was uniquely shot and styled so that we could ensure the traditional recipes were reflected and illustrated for customers in search of an authentic, fresh product. Actual product can sometimes be tricky to photograph because the quality is compromised but not these authentic Mexican items – they show real authentic flavor!

Once we established a cohesive line look, it was time to assess each individual product category. This line spanned across 4 different types of products -- Taquero Sauce (5 SKUs), Fire Roasted Salsa (5 SKUs), Refried Beans (4 SKUs), Enchilada/Mole Sauce (3 SKUs). The Taquero sauces were highlighted as a meal addition to different types of food including tacos, grilled meats, eggs or even as a marinade. This group of products are framed as a line of flavors you would find at your favorite taqueria or Mexican restaurant. Similarly, fire roasted salsas are highlighted to compliment authentic Mexican dishes, bringing out vibrant and fresh flavors, easily made with simple ingredients.

Finally, the organic refried beans completed the collection as the first side dish within the set. The refried beans (which can conveniently be made in 60 seconds!) offer a homestyle experience by showcasing their organic and creamy texture, and they are packaged in a pouch that is free from BPA lining. While each product brings something different to the set, each one is united under the authenticity, freshness and convenience of the Mexican Global Cuisine line. Each category exhibits an authentic and vibrant design, helping them stand out on shelf and create a cohesive look for the product line, building a foundation for future global lines.

To round out the flavor enhancing products, we focused on enchilada sauces. The three traditional flavors are roja, verde and mole. Each SKU has a very different flavor profile, requiring MBD to develop unique cues as differentiators for the consumer.

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8 RULES FOR THE SIMPLE LIFE The virtue of simplicity doesn’t just apply to product or brand, it should apply to everything you do People yearn for ways of living and working that are simpler. These simpler ways often lead to more efficient and productive outcomes, of course, but how do you really embrace the virtue of simplicity, when the world is just so inherently complex? How do you get consumers out of the vortex of seeing nearly 10,000 marketing messages a day*, and not yours, and how do you sift through the email clutter of 300+ messages a day that you have to respond to? How do we embrace “simplicity” in a practical way, and how can we think about it more holistically and broadly as it applies to Retailing and Own Brands? Leading CPG organizations are often terrible at embracing simplicity, so if we can do it in the retail and private brand world, it could be a big advantage. Here are 8 ways to promote the virtue of simplicity in your organization and work life through an own brand lens. *Most media experts say that in 2021 we are exposed to 6000-10,000 advertisements and marketing messages a day.

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / MARCH 2022

BY PERRY SEELERT

RULE #1

Simplify Your New Product Pipeline Most retailers love to pound their chests about how many new products they have in their pipeline, something that I have seen and experienced personally. The problem with this is two-fold: there is little-to-no prioritization in most pipelines, and secondly, they don’t discern between real “differentiators” and “signature” products versus mundane flavor and line extensions. Having hundreds of products in your pipeline always sounds brave, but you should ensure that you have a way of separating out the ones that really matter. Spend time on the 10-20 signatures in your pipeline, vet them with the right creative, merchandising, consumer research and innovation infrastructure, and you will be better for it.

RULE #2

Create Unambiguous Ecommerce Rules You want to win on your dot.com site, then stop messing around and make it simple. All of your own brand products should be hierarchically first in any search, and don’t scatter them in after CPG products that have paid to promote them. Retailers have admittedly gotten a little better at this over the past 2 years, but there is still a long way to go. Look at Meijer and search for “peanut butter” and you have to scroll a while before you get to their first private brand sku, True Goodness peanut butter. Make it simple for the consumer by prioritizing your own brand, and don’t apologize for placing it hierarchically on top.

RULE #3

Create A Simple Mission For Your Brand And Your Department I am always amazed at how many Private Brand organizations or departments don’t have a clear distillation of what they are trying to achieve, the rare air they are reaching for. As private brands take on a more important role in many companies, you have to be clear about what the aims are internally. The aims need to be sufficiently lofty, and they need to be repeatable. This is true for your own brands too, they need to express a mission, a reach, a higher-order aim, and you want your consumers to know their purpose. All of this crystallization around Mission has a galvanizing effect if done right, and it can simplify your strategies and tactics if you all agree upon the aim.

continued on next page >

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RULE #4

Simplify Your Visual Language And Packaging The voice of your own brand packaging is critical, and today many retailers understand this, but still end up in creating some visual and iconic clutter. Badges, claims, icons, multiple fonts, clashing color language and beefing up many packages so that they are hierarchically dense.

I love how Waitrose executes much of their design portfolio, but particularly like their “Cooks Ingredients” line for its simplicity, and messaging that alludes to the product benefit. Private brands get caught in mimicking all the claims of leading CPGs, and often it is not necessary, and fights against originality. Keep your visual language simple.

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / MARCH 2022

RULE #5 Simplify Your

Brand Portfolio We are riddled with strata, tiering, sub-brands, power brands and the like, and there many retailers who have overpopulated their strategic portfolios. One of the reasons for this, though it might be heretical to say, is that it is inherently fun to create brands. Brand managers like to put their stamp on the business, and we often unnecessarily create brands that address niches and pockets in a category or department. I believe Amazon has created too many brands, and the result is they become strategically difficult to corral, tough to balance from a media/investment perspective, and it becomes difficult to express the “brand purpose” outwardly for each and every one of them. Many of them become anonymous. While Costco’s Kirkland Signature is too austere and monolithic a strategy for many retailers, I believe the pendulum can return back. Simplify your own brand portfolio and look for the opportunity to reduce the number of brands versus creating more.

RULE #6

Eliminate Ingredients Where Possible And Brag About It Consumers readily understand the idea that “fewer is better” and that “less is more”, because purity is powerful. This principle need not only apply to your Natural, Organic, Clean and “Free From” brand platforms, it should apply to your product development (and marketing messaging) more broadly. You only have to look to brands like Haagen Dazs’ “Five” product line, where the ingredients are listed on the front-of-pack and not enumerated on the back. There is nothing technically “organic” about their Five brand, but it feels that way because of the ingredients, all known, nothing artificial, and all blatantly presented.

Another great example of lessis-more is the company “Public Goods”, who have taken on the virtue of simplicity holistically – yes, fewer ingredients, but also simpler product variety and minimal packaging. Consumers may not understand the food science behind every ingredient, but they do gravitate to the idea that monosyllabic, understandable and fewer ingredients are better for them and their families.

RULE #7 Develop Simple

Creative & Brand Briefs Living in the agency world for a good chunk of my career, it is often the agency that has its own style of Brief and shares it with the client. But retailers and own brand suppliers often take their first crack at outlining their version of a Brief, which from a proactive sense is good. It is always great to hear from the client in an unvarnished way first. However, these briefs are often way too complex and dense, including every bit of subordinate information and IRI/Nielsen data under the sun. My recommendation on any new product or brand you create or redefine is to start simple. If you can’t create a one-page brief, then start over. “What are you trying to transform” in a sentence, what is “the big idea”? Put it all on a page, be clear on the aim and expected advantage, and align from there. Simpler is better at first.

RULE #8 Simplify Your

Meetings And Meeting Schedules If you talk to anybody with truth serum they will say they hate meetings. Too many meetings, too many that go off topic, too many people attending that don’t really have to be there, etc. Meetings are not loved, and some you don’t control. But for the ones you do control, you really can simplify them and it will do a world of good. While the leading CPG environments have 6-8 meetings a day (and retailers too), you could be more efficient with a sparing touch. Only invite people who need to be at the meeting (no sympathy invites), ensure the purpose and the agenda of the meeting are clear, and always take notes/ follow-ups. Yes, less is more with meetings too, and given that they occupy so much of our days in the own brand and retailing world, Rule #8 may be the toughest to implement but it will have the most positive results.

THE NET EFFECT While the 8 rules I have outlined won’t be a cure-all for all the day’s complexities, if you embrace them, you will be more productive, efficient and grow. Leading CPGs are plagued by this complexity and often have immovable cultures where these rules become tougher to implement. In the own brands and retailing worlds, if you can embrace the virtues of simplicity, it could be a real advantage for you, your company and your brands.

PERRY SEELERT Strategic Partner and Co-founder EMERGE Perry Seelert is 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

HOW TO SIMPLIFY THE SEARCH FOR A TECH-ENABLED SERVICE PROVIDER Technological innovation represents one of the biggest disruptive forces within the marketing supply chain. Automation, AI, and mass integration opportunities are routinely returning to businesses their most precious commodities: time and money. But the speed in which new solutions are developed, implemented, and subsequently superseded presents a challenge in building a technology strategy that meets current requirements while simultaneously accounting for what is around the corner. The market is clear—organisations that embrace technology adoption have seen growth rapidly outstripping those who fall behind. Accenture finds that Technology Leaders have been growing at 5x the rate of laggards on average in the past three years. The opportunity is then also clear: for huge upside in commercialising technology solutions that drive the sort of value that continues to benefit industry leaders. But a willingness to invest in technological innovation is only just the start. How can an organisation next craft an RFP that optimally guides progress amidst a rapidly developing technology ecosystem? We share three tips to help any organisation navigate the cluttered and confusing world of selecting a service provider that enables technology to deliver tremendous benefit.

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / MARCH 2022

The technology landscape is innately complex. Numerous applications, programmes & solutions all boast similar benefits often with similar or overlapping functionality. ‘We can reduce speed to market by XX%, saving you Y$$ dollars per month.’ It can feel confusing and overwhelming to see the wood through the trees, and to understand what technology solutions are right for your circumstances. Keeping the brief simple and focused will ensure that potential vendors are forced to contextualise their own technology offerings in a way that is focused to your needs. When you think about requirements, consider the mandatories and the nice to haves, to establish the correct weighting of these features early in the process.

Service providers that utilise technology can tend to focus on selling the bells and whistles of their solution to differentiate themselves from the pack—highlighting features meant to impress. As a result, organisations then can experience buyer’s remorse over a proposed solution that ‘over delivered’ but did not actually provide the value as originally intended. It is also worth considering that additional features naturally can bring with them additional complexity. Avoid issues with training, implementation & critically unforeseen cost by keeping sight of your valued requirements when assessing vendor options.

Simplify the Brief

Focus on Benefits, Not Function

THOMAS HOPLEY Senior Consulting Associate SGK

If the proposed solution is meant to save stakeholders’ time or ease the painstaking parts of their duties, then select metrics and KPIs centred around those values, confirm they are quantifiable, and ensure they play a central role in the responses provided by potential vendors. Integration and API opportunities will be critical to consider here as well, because if a potential solution doesn’t fit within a broader technological eco-system, it can create unforeseen and unnecessary work. Utilise a minimum viable product to track the effectiveness of solutions in real time as it is developed to ensure your solution roadmap stays close to brief.

3. Develop Modular Solutions Prioritise vendors that can deliver modular solutions. No two organisational circumstances are perfectly alike, so when potential vendors boast of “off the shelf solutions that can do it all,” tread cautiously. It is not that these solutions do not exist, but rather that is impossible to be sure of the value any technology solution can drive that doesn’t fully consider the wider technological context of an organisation. It is critical to understand your requirements in terms of highest to lowest priority, and to diagnose and build solutions with the support of the potential vendors solution architects. Doing so provides the balance between a specific enough solution with general enough features to meet the circumstance.

A vendor that employs modularity allows can more easily combine the basic building blocks of their technology with bespoke solutions to fit any organisation. This can also be a deeply collaborative process, informed by stakeholders across an organisation through-out the implementation. What a marketer requires will differ from procurement, which will differ from IT groups. A modular approach ensures the basic components are easily understood by— and beneficial to—all parties. Modularity allows for these parties to continually inform the solution as it is built, implemented, and tested. The vendor benefits by having flexibility when selling their solutions, while the organisation gains organic input into the final product. As a given, a potential partner should know your organisation well. A deep understanding of organisational context, your strategic business goals, limitations, and technology infrastructure. A modular approach allows for a solution to drop into this context for maximum benefit.

Though it seems like the technology landscape is becoming more complex, this does not need to be the case. The potential reward for embracing the technological evolution is too significant to ignore. Following the above steps to simplify the process of selecting third party solutions as well as maintaining focus on where the value is will help drive transformational change in your technology ecosystem. Thomas Hopley Tom graduated with a Masters in Political Economy and is a Prosci Change Management and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt practitioner. At SGK he has worked on key Consultancy projects across CPG and Retail, spanning process improvement, financial analysis, cost reduction, KPI measurement and resource modelling. Tom has also been involved in managing the development and implementation of innovation products.

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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

T R A D E FA I R S

PLMA’S “WORLD OF PRIVATE LABEL” TRADE SHOW RETURNS The biggest and most important business platform of the private label industry is back in Amsterdam to once again connect retailers and manufacturers 31 MAY - 1 JUNE 2022 AMSTERDAM

The Private Label Manufacturers Association announces that its “World of Private Label” International Trade Show will be back in Amsterdam at the RAI Exhibition Centre on 31 May and 1 June. The show - themed “Connect. Source. Grow.” - is experiencing high interest in participation both from manufacturers and retailers. “The industry looks forward to the dynamics of a live trade show, the buzz of doing business, touching, testing and tasting products, walking aisles, searching for new products and innovation, making new contacts and strengthening existing relationships,” says Peggy Davies, president of PLMA. This year’s “World of Private Label” will be the place to be for the whole industry, including trusted private label suppliers and buyers from all over the world. The trade show floor will welcome more than 2.500 exhibitors of food and beverages, health and beauty items, household products, and housewares and DIY items. On display will be the latest consumer trends in food and non-food in view of health and sustainable choices, including environmentally friendly products, fair trade, free-from, vegan, vegetarian, organic and special dietary needs.

The “World of Private Label” exhibition area covers all exhibit halls of the RAI Exhibition Centre. It will be divided over three main complexes: • RAI’s Europa Complex is devoted to food products. • The Holland Complex has exhibitors displaying non-food products. • Park Complex accommodates both food and non-food exhibitors. PLMA’s “Idea Supermarket,” a big attraction at the show, is back in its full grandeur showing retailers’ and manufacturers’ views on product development and innovation. It includes displays of new and inspiring private label ranges that have been launched in the last year by more than 60 retailers worldwide, as well as more than 500 new and innovative products offered by this

year’s exhibitors. The winning products of PLMA’s 2022 International “Salute to Excellence Awards” will be displayed in PLMA’s Idea Supermarket as well. The Awards honour retailers for their commitment to their private label programme, and innovation and quality in private label. One day prior to the opening of the trade show, PLMA will hold a seminar programme at the Forum Centre at the RAI. There will be presentations by industry experts as well as the announcement of the winners of the 2022 International “Salute to Excellence Awards.” To learn more: www.plmainternational.com www.plma.com

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T R A D E FA I R S

MARCA BY BOLOGNAFIERE IS BACK ON-SITE 12 - 13 APRIL 2022 BOLOGNA With more than 900 exhibiting companies, the presence of Grocery Retail groups and national and international buyers, MarcabyBolognaFiere 2022 will reaffirm its credentials as the reference exhibition platform for the leading players in the Private Label sector, for both food and non-food products. Marca by BolognaFiere has renewed the well-established partnership with ITA – Italian Trade Agency, that allows the participation of a substantial delegation of Buyers – from the most valuable international markets - interested in the best Made in Italy private label products.

On the occasion of MARCA 2022, BolognaFiere continues the International Buyers Programme, a financed plan devoted to category managers and buyers of international distribution chains, aimed at nurturing the B2B meetings between exhibitors and top international attendees (retailers and importers). Marca by BolognaFiere offers an extensive hospitality package, including services and benefits to make the experience of the Fair more engaging and sociable:

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / MARCH 2022

MARCA BY BOLOGNAFIERE 2022 – DIGITAL SESSION MARCA Digital Session will also be reconfirmed, to be held from 4th through 11th April, as a preview of the Fair, to meet exhibitors, discover what’s new and plan the agenda of the on-site event.

Last year, to face travel limitations imposed by the sanitary situation, MARCA by BolognaFiere concentrated all efforts and resources in an online event, Marca Digital Session. Given the good results, this Digital Session will be available again to create a preview of the fair, allow contacts between buyers and exhibitors and schedule appointments on site during the two very intense days of the Exhibition. The Digital Session will also host virtual meetings for buyers who will not be able to attend in person, should travel restrictions persist for certain geographical areas. MARCA Digital Session, scheduled from 4 to 11 April 2022, aims to increase the opportunities to establish new bonds with the many buyers who attend the Digital Preview through the video

platform and start connections that can be developed during the course of the Fair, with B2B meetings that will take place either at the International Buyers Lounge or at the Exhibitors booths. The Digital Agenda is hosted on the B2Match platform: it will include virtual-only sessions (4-11 April) and on-site only sessions (during the Fair: 12-13 April).

HOW DOES IT WORK? Participants (exhibitors and buyers) can request one-to-one meetings according to their specific business interests (i.e. trade requests, country, product sector, etc) using the platform’s matchmaking system and advanced research filters Once meetings have been accepted and scheduled, they can take place online through the integrated video system and in person during the fair! There is no additional charge for participation in the Digital Session for MARCA Exhibitors and Buyers.

For More information: www.marca.bolognafiere.it.org

T R A D E FA I R S

VELOCITY CONFERENCE + INNOVATION EXPO MAY 16-18, 2022 CHARLOTTE CONVENTION CENTER Velocity Conference + Innovation Expo on May 16-18, 2022, at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, NC. The premier event of the Retail Brand (private brand) industry brings together retail executives, manufacturers, and solution partners to grow the private label industry.

INNOVATION EXPO

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Innovation Expo is the heart of the Velocity Conference and the hub of networking at the event. Opening Cocktail Reception, morning and afternoon networking breaks, and lunch will take place in the expo area. 10x10 tabletop booths for as low as $2000.

The competition is an unprecedented opportunity to present new ideas to retail leaders that can accelerate private label innovation. A select group of Retail Brand manufacturers, agencies, brokers, service providers, software companies, printers, ingredient manufacturers, researchers, etc. will get their chance to pitch directly to retail senior executives on the Velocity main stage. If it all sounds a bit like ABC’s Shark Tank, that’s because the TV show helped inspire Velocity Fast Track.

Don’t miss your first opportunity in more than two years to network, pitch, connect and grow your business at a dedicated private brand event. Speakers and attendees are the decisionmakers you want to meet – Confirmed speakers include senior executives from Kroger, CVS Health, Loblaw, Family Dollar, Lowes Home Improvement, and Sobeys. With more to be announced over the coming weeks.

HOW IT WORKS

Being an Innovation Expo exhibitor is an exciting way for your company or organization to have a visible presence at Velocity.

VELOCITY WILL INCLUDE: • 5 0 curated Innovation Expo exhibitors featuring the goods and services that will help you innovate and win. • V elocity Fast Track: A NEW Shark Tank-style competition designed to uncover new and innovative products and services. • W inner’s Circle Happy Hour: Cocktails and networking in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. • Vertex Awards Ceremony: Celebrate the 2022 winners of the world’s largest Retail Brand package design competition.

PITCH TO KROGER, CVS HEALTH & FAMILY DOLLAR Retailers are seeking innovation that takes their private brands to the next level. That’s the reason for the creation of the Velocity Fast Track pitch competition. This inaugural contest from the Velocity Institute will be part of the Retail Brand (private brand) industry’s signature event, the 2022 Velocity Conference + Innovation Expo, held at the Charlotte Convention Center, May 16-18. Exhibit Booths are Now Available.

Velocity Fast Track entrants will complete an application and submit a 5-minute pitch video. The applications will be reviewed by teams from three major retailers partnering with Velocity Institute on this initiative. Those retailers are Kroger, CVS Health and Family Dollar. Five finalists will then be selected and invited to present live on stage at the Velocity Conference. Each finalist will have five minutes to pitch directly to a panel of leading retail executives from the three retailers.

For further information, please visit velocityinstitute.org

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T R A D E FA I R S

COSMOPROF WORLDWIDE BOLOGNA 28 APRIL - 2 MAY 2022 BOLOGNA, ITALY The 53rd edition of Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna, scheduled from 28 April to 2 May 2022 in Bologna, is preparing to welcome the international operators of the cosmetic industry with customized services and facilities to experience the event in complete safety. Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna 2022 will remain consistent with the pre-pandemic editions, with over 2,700 companies confirmed to date, coming from 71 different countries: the exhibition area will comprise 34 pavilions, including 26 Country Pavilions. Cosmoprof represents the renaissance of the cosmetic industry and its ever-growing global community, with over 30% of exhibitors attending for the first time or returning to Bologna after a few years of absence, pleasantly impressed by the ability of the event to renew itself and adapt to new business tools. After a two-year hiatus, coming back in person at Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna, following the necessary safety protocols, will resume conventional commercial activities by discovering new products and establishing new business relations. The event currently features the attendance of buyers from more than 80 countries.

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / MARCH 2022

“The 2022 edition of Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna will be an opportunity to relaunch the cosmetics industry worldwide. We expect remarkable participation of international operators, who will be able to connect with consolidated business partners and new collaborators, finally in person. After two years of virtual events, the business community shows great expectations and excitement for the return of the Exhibition in real life”, said Gianpiero Calzolari, President of BolognaFiere. “We return to Bologna with great enthusiasm, ready to seize the numerous opportunities that only an in-person event like Cosmoprof can offer”, states Renato Ancorotti, President of Cosmetica Italia. “The cosmetics sector has never stopped, on the contrary, it has proved its significance in daily life and the strong dynamism of its companies. The pandemic has imposed some slowdowns and changes; however, the surveys are showing us a recovery of exports (the preliminary figure for 2021 indicates growth close to 13%), and keeping the focus on investment, research and innovation has placed the cosmetic industry among the excellence of Made in Italy. Thanks to the collaboration with our partner BolognaFiere Cosmoprof, we will be able to highlight these important considerations at the most important event dedicated to the beauty world.”

“Being in contact with companies and professionals on the daily basis, we understand the importance of returning to the event in person. In the last two years, manufacturers and brands have had to look for new digital ways to present the new launches. However, the fair, with its networking and in-depth analysis opportunities, remains an essential experience for developing new projects and building strategies for the future”, said Enrico Zannini, General Manager of BolognaFiere Cosmoprof. “The 2022 edition will be absolutely in line with the results of 2019, a record year for Cosmoprof. For the 2022 edition, our goal is to offer a top-quality event to stakeholders, with the most suitable services and tools to deal with the new post-pandemic scenario.”

T R A D E FA I R S

BUYER PROGRAM AND COSMOPROF MY MATCH: TOOLS TO FACILITATE SUPPLY AND DEMAND To offer a fitting program of visits and dedicated services to international operators, Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna has increased investments in the Buyer Program. This project aims to favour the exchange between supply and demand. Thanks to the Buyer Program, buyers, retailers, and distributors can receive support and indications to better organize their experience at the event and discover the most valuable products and services to develop their business. Managers, importers, distributors, wholesalers belonging to all represented sectors and distribution channels can participate in the Buyer Program. For 2022, thanks to special projects with media partners and trade associations, the presence of Italian and European large-scale retail chains and perfumeries will be encouraged, as well as distributors and importers from the area of Middle-East and Gulf countries.

To optimize the experience at Cosmoprof and organize business meetings beforehand, Cosmoprof My Match is the digital match-making platform created by Cosmoprof. The service has constantly evolved, and today it offers live chat and virtual tools that facilitate networking between company and operator. Cosmoprof My Match and the Buyer Program offer a double service to professionals. Exhibitors have at their disposal a virtual showcase to present product launches and to invite the most qualified and valuable operators to

their stand for the development of new collaborations. At the same time, visitors from worldwide can play an active role in the purchasing process. They can select the most suitable brands and suppliers for their business, discover the main trends worldwide, and get inspired by the most innovative proposals present at Cosmoprof.

For further information, please visit www.cosmoprof.com

www.globalretailmag.com

T R A D E FA I R S

A SPECIAL EDITION OF COSMOPROF ASIA 2022 RELOCATED TO SINGAPORE 16 -18 NOVEMBER 2022 SINGAPORE The organizers, BolognaFiere Group and Informa Markets, announced today that Cosmoprof Asia 2022 will be relocated from Hong Kong to Singapore, from 16-18 November 2022 at Singapore Expo as a special edition. This decision was made after extensive discussions with business leaders, exhibitors and partners who have contributed to the success of the event over the years. The current entry restrictions for travellers to Hong Kong has meant a potential disruption to both exhibitors and visitors for Cosmoprof Asia in November, as inbound travel to Hong Kong is likely subject to quarantine restrictions. Asia’s premier beauty event, strongly supported by the world’s leading cosmetics suppliers in the past 25 years, will continue its mission of “Connecting All Sectors of Beauty Industry in Asia- Pacific Region”. Keeping the same show dates 16-18 November, it will be more convenient for exhibitors and visitors from across Asia and the rest of the world to make plans for 2022.

“The APAC region remains a crucial reference for global economics, and Cosmoprof Asia is continuing its growth in the area,” said Antonio Bruzzone, General Manager of BolognaFiere Group and Director of Cosmoprof Asia Ltd. “In 2022, Singapore is the best location to welcome stakeholders and professionals again, offering a not-to-be-missed experience to do business in person”. Cosmoprof Asia and Cosmopack Asia 2022 will take place at Singapore Expo, a world-class exhibition center. From the cosmetic supply chain to finished products and brands, all sectors of the beauty industry will gather under one roof, buyers can easily source from 10+ product sectors all in one venue. “This special edition of Cosmoprof Asia in Singapore will figure as the most important gathering of international beauty stakeholders, supplier and buyers since our last edition in 2019.” said David Bondi, Senior Vice President – Asia of Informa Markets and Director of Cosmoprof Asia Ltd. “Our proactive decision to relocate the fair from Hong Kong to Singapore shows our determination to help the industry to reconnect in 2022. We are confident in Singapore’s strong reputation as a

GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / MARCH 2022

preferred destination for business events, and look forward to welcoming our delegates from around the world in the Lion City this November.” While waiting to meet each other face-toface in November 2022, Cosmoprof Asia’s beauty community will have the opportunity to participate to the virtual event Cosmoprof Asia Digital Week, from 27 June to 5 July 2022, a match-making platform for buyers and sellers to consolidate and facilitate business connections.

For further information, please visit www.cosmoprof-asia.com

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