2023 Private Label Hall of Fame: Shane Brown, Giant Eagle
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.
Shane Brown
Director, Own Brand Sourcing
Giant Eagle
Private Brand Champion
Talk to Shane Brown about private brands and the work he’s done at Giant Eagle, and his passion for the business is quite evident.
A 2023 Private Label Hall of Fame honoree in the Private Brand Champion category, Brown oversees the grocer’s Own Brand sourcing operation. During his tenure at Giant Eagle, he is cited by colleagues as the driving force behind the company’s private label success and expansion of its supplier base. Today, the regional grocery chain has nearly 600 supplier relationships and contracts that contributed to its private brand efforts.
“I love working in the private label industry and I don’t see myself moving away from it anytime soon,” Brown said. “I love working with vendors, and negotiating amazing deals with cost savings to pass along to our customers in the form of amazing deals.”
Those who work closely with Brown talk about the impact he’s had on Giant Eagle’s private label efforts and has been a champion of change. He is lauded for providing perspective and guidance to teams across merchandising and finance to help convey the benefits of developing and growing and the company’s private brands program.
Retail, however, was not Brown’s first calling. His college studies focused on hospitality as he targeted a career in the hotel industry. But advice from a friend changed his career path.
“After I graduated, a friend of mine told me about a grocery store chain that was hiring and thought I should interview,” he said. “Once I interviewed for Aldi, I knew that it was something I needed to pursue, and I’m glad I made the decision.”
He pointed to his first supervisor, Tom Becek, as the person who had a major impact on his career.
“I was 18 when I started working at (Becek’s) hotel, and he mentored me and gave me so many opportunities for someone my age,” he said. “I was very young when he put me into the Manager Training Program. Tom really took an interest in my career and for nine years, helped develop my leadership skills. I owe him my entire career.”
The move from hospitality to retail with a spot in Aldi’s Corporate Buying Department led to a memorable moment in Brown’s career. He was given an opportunity to overhaul and develop the grocer’s assortment of nuts and dried fruit, two categories that at the time were less than familiar to him.
“In the first year, I was able to work with current vendors to develop the entire program,” he said. “I then took the next several years to increase the supplier base to continue to develop the category. I created many valuable partnerships during that time, and I still work with several of those partners today in my new role.”