PLMA 2015: private label remains important for European retail
The increasing number of exhibitors and visitors, along with the interest showed by everyone at PLMA’s 2015 “World of Private Label” revealed, once again, the importance of the private label in European retail.
More than 11,000 retail buyers and other trade professionals from 115 countries attended PLMA’s 2015 “World of Private Label” International Trade Show at the RAI Exhibition Centre Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
The award-winning products could be seen at the Idea Supermarket at the show, where the visitors could also see products from retailers across Europe, North and South America and Asia.
PLMA’s 2015 International Salute to Excellence Awards related to bakery and confectionery industry are:
The winner in the “Bakery” category was Gruppo PAM Spa, Italy, with the product “Le nuove delizie” – Colomba Classica con Mandorie e Canditi.
The winner in the “Breakfast” category was Penny Markt GmbH, Germany – Penny to go – “Fruhstucksmusli mit Sauerkirschen”.
The winner in the “Cereals &Muesli” category was Dunnes Stores, Ireland, with “Simply Better Irish Made, Fruit & Multi-Seed Musli”.
The winner in the “Children’s Food” category was Tesco SR, Slovakia, with “Kids strawberry yoghurt with sponge cereals topping”.
The winner in the “Chocolate Confectionery” category was Carrefour, France, with “Selection Carrefour – Pepites de Poire Noir”.
The winner in the “Cookies & Biscuits” category was HEMA B.V., the Netherlands Hema – with “Stroopwafelblik”.
The winner in the “Pizza” category was Penny Markt GmbH, Germany, with “San Fabio – Pizza Rucola e Pomodorini”.
The winner in the “Special & Dietary Foods” category was SPAR Osterreichische Warenhandels AG, Austria, with “SPAR free from – Mini Crackers Rosmarin und Zwiebel”.
The winner in the “Sugar Confectionery” category was Dunnes Stores, Ireland, with “Simply Better – Irish All Butter Vanilla Fudge”.
The award-winning products were selected by an international panel of industry experts, including chefs, former retailers, academics, nutritionists, journalists and packaging specialists. They judged more than 350 retailer brand products in both food and non-food categories. The products were introduced in the past year by supermarkets, hypermarkets, drugstores and specialty retailers in 22 countries across Europe.
“The innovation at this year’s “International Salute to Excellence Awards” was really impressive,” said Brian Sharoff, President of PLMA, “it reflects a long-term trend. Private label no longer relies on me-too products for its appeal to consumers. Many retailers now have a very strong spirit of innovation and this is displayed in the award-winning products.”
In the food categories, innovation by retailers focused on new ingredients that offered health benefits or unusual flavors.
2,400 exhibiting companies
The visitors from PLMA included retailers representing supermarkets, hypermarkets, discounters, drugstores and department stores, as well as importers and exporters, manufacturers, consultants, sales agents and packaging and design experts.
On the trade show floor they had the opportunity to visit more than 2,400 exhibiting companies. The exhibitors were manufacturers and suppliers of fast-moving consumer goods, including food and non-food products from more than 70 countries. Featured on the trade show floor were nearly 60 national and regional pavilions. New pavilions this year included ones from Finland, Latvia, Serbia, Greece, Macedonia, Czech Republic, Lithuania and South Africa.
The “World of Private Label” exhibition area covered 12 exhibit halls in the RAI Exhibition Centre, divided over two main complexes. The Europa Complex was devoted to food products, while the Holland Complex had exhibitors displaying non-food products.