2023 Private Label Hall of Fame: Kristin Provost, Topco Associates
16 leaders from the world of private brands were recently honored as the newest inductees to the Private Label Hall of Fame.
During a ceremony held during the Private Label Manufacturers Association’s (PLMA) Annual Meeting & Leadership Conference in Orlando, Fla., members of the Class of 2023 shared stories of the challenges each has overcome to succeed in a highly competitive industry.
Created in 2006 to recognize those who have made significant contributions to the growth and development of the global private brand industry, this year’s event featured updated categories that each included two retail and two supplier honorees. The categories are Next Gen Private Label Leader, Private Brand Innovator, Private Brand Champion and Lifetime Achievement.
“We proudly celebrate the outstanding achievements of these proven leaders and innovators,” said Peggy Davies, president of PLMA. “Their hard work and dedication are instrumental to the success of the store brands business.”
“The 16 honorees represent the best of the best from across the world of private label and showcase the depth of talent the industry has to offer,” said Greg Sleter, executive editor and associate publisher of Store Brands. “This august group of retailers and suppliers have had a major impact on the private label business and will continue to do so in the years ahead.”
This special section features profiles of each of the new Hall of Famers.
Kristin Provost
Senior Manager, Category Insights
Topco Associates
Next Generation
In her role with Topco Associates, Kristin Provost oversees Category Insights of the private label provider, working directly with category managers to help grow and innovate the company’s various private brands. But that alone doesn’t encapsulate the scope of her work.
She seeks ways to improve the selection and quality of the company’s private brand products and is integral in developing partnerships with local suppliers and vendors. In 2022, Provost worked to improve Topco’s Category Business Plan (CBP) process by helping category managers focus more on strategies and improving storytelling abilities.
After years of developing CBPs, Topco leaders say it now has a stronger and more powerful process than ever before, and it is growing sales, thanks to Provost’s leadership.
“I found the key to being a successful category manager was taking the time to talk with the members to understand everything from their unique markets and particular challenges to how different competition can look from region-to-region,” said Provost. “I then took their goals, challenges, and needs into consideration to craft the most meaningful and strategic recommendations I could around how to maximize their private label and overall category performance.”
Provost has also helped build a strong, seamless, omnichannel shopping experience at Topco member stores by leveraging technology to enhance the shopper experience and ensure that shoppers have access to the same quality across all channels. By doing so, she has also allowed more customers to find value in private label products by making them easier to access, which in turn helps drive loyalty among shoppers.
A large part of what has led Provost to have such a strong passion for her work at Topco is her connection to the company. Her parents met working at Topco, as her father had a nearly 40-year career with the company.
“I had done ‘Take Your Child to Work Day’ as a young kid and thought the Quality Assurance (QA) lab was the best place to be,” said Provost. “My 7-year-old impression was that they just ate all day, so naturally my first job at Topco was in the QA lab.”
Looking ahead, Provost said her goal is to continue working with member stores to innovate and stay ahead of the grocery curve.
“The last 14 years have been a collection of special moments that just continue to build upon each other,” she said. “While it’s really hard for me to pick just one, I think the success has been in working as a team cross-functionally at Topco and with our members and suppliers to ensure we are meeting the constantly changing needs of consumers. I would like to continue to work strategically within the membership to better anticipate what’s next and how to prepare for it.”