From the Editors: What retailers want

What are retailers looking for from the PLMA Live! Private Label Week event?

We asked them, and the answer, not surprisingly, is product that will not only help them make a difference to their consumers, but items that are equal or better than the national brand equivalent.

Retailers say they are turning up the heat on suppliers, demanding better quality and products that will actually get consumers excited and eager to purchase.

Now, as we finish the fourth day of this virtual event, the onus is most definitely on suppliers to make sure they are offering the right mix of products to their retail partners. Fail to do so, retailers say, and they risk the relationship for both the short and long term.

“There are just too many options out there right now,” said one private label buyer for a large supermarket chain. “If one supplier is not going to give us what we want and what the consumer wants, we will find it elsewhere.”

Strong words, for sure, but it seems that retailers are becoming more confident that they can satisfy their customers by shopping around for the best items.