On the occasion of “The World of Private Label PLMA 2014” trade fair, organized this May in Amsterdam, Brian Sharoff, the President of PLMA International, agreed to answer some questions about the event and the market of private label foodstuffs, for Frozen Food Europe magazine.
How would you characterize this edition of PLMA, compared to the previous one?
It was a very successful show with the highest visitor attendance in PLMA history. Feedback from exhibitors and visitors alike was excellent. Everyone is very enthusiastic about private label.
Please comment on the decision to introduce the Salute to Excellence Awards
The International Salute to Excellence Awards were introduced as a way to dramatize the incredible innovation in products and packaging that retailers are doing with their private label programs. With more than 210 products from 45 retailers in 16 countries, I think we can safely say that the program was very well received and will grow substantially in the years ahead.
Which countries were the most active this year?
From an exhibiting point of view, pavilion organizer s from Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Poland and Austria are always very active. This year, we had new national pavilions from several countries, including Romania. In all, there were 2,266 companies exhibiting from 70 countries. As for visitors, there were more than 11.000 trade visitors from 115 countries at the show.
What are the top trends you noticed this year? Which categories of private label foodstuffs are most active in terms of innovation? I think the winners of the Salute to Excellence Awards are a good barometer of the innovation in food products. I would urge readers to go to the PLMA website at www.plmasalute.com to inspect the products and see what retailers are doing.
Did you notice any particularities concerning private label frozen food products?
With the growing interest of consumers in convenience, the frozen and refrigerated categories have increased in importance at the show. This year, they represented 660 companies (30% of the exhibiting companies) and stands. The key to this growth is continued innovation in product concepts and ingredients so that consumers can buy creative and interesting meals.
How do you believe producers avoid cannibalizing the A brands in their portfolio and the private labels they make especially for retailers?
There is no formula for successfully integrating A-brands and private label in a manufacturer’s portfolio. Each company has to evaluate their total product mix and determine what kind of strategy they want to employ.
How are retailers and producers adapting to and capitalizing on the benefits that technology and internet bring to their business?
This is a complex question since there is no uniformity among retailers or countries regarding the use of new technologies or social media. In some markets, technology is more advanced than others. This frequently depends on the needs and interests of consumers. I think it is clear that technology will play an increasingly important role over the next 3-5 years but exactly how it will evolve is not as clear.