Sweets & Snacks Europe » private label

Private label gains as trade promotions decline

admin — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 11:59:43 +0000

Private label is picking up market share across Europe not as A-brands cut back on their trade promotions, says the PLMA.

A new report from SymphonyIRI found that the number of trade promotions is declining, with the trend particularly noticeable in the UK, where the level of trade promotions was the highest. France, The Netherlands, Germany and Spain also experienced a decline in the use of trade promotions in the second quarter of this year.

SymphonyIRI says that shoppers, which previously sought value by taking advantage of the growing number of multi-pack promotion offers from brands, are now reaching their limit in how many deals they can buy. In the first half of 2011 consumers in the UK and Germany started to make cuts in the number of items they purchased as well.

The research shows that in Italy and Greece retailers are promoting their private label products more frequently, which may be having an impact on the brand’s promotion strategies in those countries.

Bar manufacturer VSI opens new plant

admin — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 20:20:24 +0000

The non-branded contract manufacturer VSI has broken ground for a new bar production plant in the Netherlands. This new site is VSI’s third plant in Leerdam and is scheduled to be fully operational in January 2012. Already the Number One player in the European bar market, VSI expects to strengthen its global position with this expansion.

VSI has expanded its production capacity over the years. This latest investment will create 50 to 60 new jobs in Leerdam in 2012, in addition to the current 135 employees. Once in full operation, its third plant will enable VSI to produce up to 250 to 300 million bars annually. Previously, a second plant was opened in August 2010, which boosted production by about 40 Million to a total of 150 Million bars a year.

VSI is already the leading non-branded bar producer in Europe, with clients spanning the continent as well as the Middle East, Australia, South Africa and South America. Gerard Janssens, the company’s CEO, says: “With the latest investment in capacity, we expect to further strengthen our position worldwide. By being able to offer higher quantities, we hope also to grow in other markets outside of Europe’s borders.”

Too much privacy in private label

admin — Thu, 26 May 2011 12:12:17 +0000

The press office obviously said that private label is growing in its show preview and there was no denying that the halls were pretty full with both exhibitors and visitors at the PLMA’s World of Private Label show in Amsterdam.

The show featured a very strong selection of confectionery and snack products from across Europe with chocolate and crisps particularly strongly represented as well as a wide range of companies that both represented their own brands and private label. People were naturally hesitant to talk about private label innovations but the foldable collapsible popcorn box that removes the need for grease-repelling fluorotelomer coatings on the packaging was interesting while eco, natural and free-from were heavily represented.

My main problem as a journalist is the secret nature of private label. I know that manufacturers can’t discuss specific projects or name the retail partners they are working with but I still believe that discussing their companies, products, USPs and opinions on the current and future market will be beneficial to the buyers reading this and could create new contacts without compromising any existing relationships. So I hope to hear from many of the people I met at the show and report on the private label market at regular intervals.

A-brands go online to compete

admin — Tue, 10 May 2011 12:44:14 +0000

A-brands in the UK are looking to online sales as a way to compete against the growing number of private label products on supermarket shelves, says industry analyst IGD. According to the report in the PLMA Scanner, the analyst notes that food firms are growing online sales, both directly and through third-party sites.
IGD says A-brands hope the online activity provides solutions for “some of the most commonly found barriers suppliers face when dealing with bricks-and-mortar stores. These include space constraints and the rise of private label.”
The analyst says that suppliers face a number of challenges establishing their own e-stores, “These include setting up an efficient, cost-effective home delivery supply chain, and ensuring that the delivery fee and overall pricing are competitive. Deciding on which brands and categories to sell online also remains a growing issue for many.”

Exhibition space increases at the World of Private Label trade show

admin — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 17:05:38 +0000

PLMA’s 2011 “World of Private Label” International trade show, to be held 24-25 at the RAI Centre here, will feature almost 3,600 exhibit stands, a significant increase over last year’s event. This is the largest exhibition ever for the world’s largest private label trade show.

There will be nearly 2,000 exhibitors, including manufacturers and suppliers of fast-moving consumer goods, both food and non-food, from more than 70 countries worldwide. National and regional pavilions are highlighted at the trade show and this year’s event features more than 40. Many of the pavilions are expanding the size of their exhibition space this year.

Brian Sharoff, President of PLMA, says, “The impressive expansion of this year’s ‘World of Private Label’ International Trade Show reflects the ever-growing importance of private label products in the marketplace. Through the recession and into the emerging recovery, private label is gaining popularity in both the developed markets as well as the developing markets.”