Exhibitors participate in PLMA Global through online booths, showcasing their products, promotional videos, downloadable files, company details, and more. Video conferencing tools, scheduling, and other digital features allow exhibitors to fully participate in the virtual environment. In preparation for the March 28-31 event, Store Brands interviewed PLMA's Executive Vice President, Anthony Aloia, about this year's PLMA Global activities. PLMA President Peggy Davies said, "The platform will support PLMA member exhibitors in connecting with representatives from top supermarkets, drug chains, mass merchandisers, superstores, specialty retailers, dollar stores, club stores, convenience stores, and other forms of buyers."

A: The simple answer is Covid-19. However, the deeper reason for PLMA Global is right before us; store brands are likely looking at a historic growth opportunity that requires deeper and more frequent conversations between retailers and all of their store supply partners. The pandemic brought a series of challenging circumstances that will define consumer behavior and shopping habits for the next decade and beyond, and retailers who treat private label as a strategic development will be better positioned to build consumer loyalty and thrive. With the world under lockdown, employees working from home, governments forced into unprecedented monetary policies, and a surge in demand for goods and services. Today, supply chains are strained, and physical store shelves are impacted by out-of-stocks.
Inflation is at a 40-year high, and consumers are witnessing a surge in household expenses. Nationwide economic challenges, such as inflation, almost always favor store brands because shoppers seek maximum value without sacrificing quality while providing for their families. Quality, innovation, and cost of goods will always be elements that retailers value in their store brand supplier partners, but currently, product availability, continuity, and on-time delivery are paramount.

A: Establishing stable and direct communication channels between retailers and suppliers. Another reason is the expansion of online shopping. This is the new normal for many consumers today, forcing retailers and suppliers to adapt accordingly by developing a range of new home delivery services and curbside pickup solutions. In addition, many new e-commerce companies have crowded into the retail space and are entering the market with a private label-first strategy.

Our online show is the ideal place for agile suppliers and innovative retailers to collaborate and develop successful brands or continue to build market share. To be sure, store brands are on the right growth trajectory. We just received the first data for 2022 from our partners at IRI. Product sales across all US retail channels were up 4.2% compared to the same period in 2021. According to data exclusively provided to PLMA by IRI, this increase is almost on par with the 4.4% increase in sales of national brands. With this kind of growth, PLMA Global is the right event at the right time to bring together all players in the private label industry—existing partners, potential partners, and past partners.

A: Exhibitors at PLMA Global represent thousands of different products, from food, snacks, and beverages to health and beauty, home, and pet. These are seasoned private label companies from the US and Canada, Europe, and Asia. Our online platform will highlight product attributes throughout the search process, including finding exhibitors through keywords, attributes, and social concerns. Retailers must continue to adapt to consumer demand for more health and wellness products and take action on social issues such as sustainability. Aggregate search queries from our previous Private Label Weeks show that retail buyers focus on product attributes such as vegan or gluten-free or organic, and social concerns such as environmentally friendly packaging.

A: We want to provide buyers with the tools necessary to streamline the online sourcing process and maximize their time; therefore, buyers will be able to schedule video calls in advance with exhibiting companies.

The PLMA Global platform is open 24/7, providing each visitor with a scheduling calendar to arrange meetings accordingly. During video calls, participants can share screens for further collaboration and send documents to each other through the platform. The event schedule also calls for a showroom preview day for buyers on Monday, March 28, so they can find and flag preferred exhibitors and schedule meetings. Exhibitors will staff their booths from March 29-31. Buyers can also connect directly with online exhibitors one-on-one. Visitors and suppliers can also exchange business cards and communicate via email.

A: Trade shows are all about products and people, and these elements are central to the PLMA Global platform. Products are front and center in each booth, where four individual items can be showcased in a horizontal photo configuration. Each product displayed is accompanied by an extensive product description, highlighting attributes and ingredients. Company personnel also have a significant presence in the digital space. Booths can accommodate up to nine people, and a new feature this year is the ability to upload headshots for everyone. Upon logging into the show, personnel will be listed with their titles and identified as "online." Including photos of exhibiting personnel and flagging who is "online" and "offline" makes the booths and the showroom more vibrant. In addition, exhibitors can showcase four corporate videos within their online booth, showcasing their products, company, or manufacturing capabilities, and share downloadable materials such as brochures and catalogs. With all these features, it's no wonder we've themed the program: Connecting the Private Label Industry. We believe that for the final four days of March, our platform will be the digital hub for the retail private brand business.