New and Noteworthy

Fattorie Giacobazzi wins annual Private Brand Blind Taste Test

Fattorie Giacobazzi Srl, an Italy-based supplier of private brand balsamic and other vinegars, took top honors in the third annual Private Brand Blind Taste Test. Store Brands magazine and ECRM, Solon, Ohio, partnered to host the event, which was held in Atlanta on April 12, in conjunction with ECRM’s Store Brands Food & Beverage and Health & Beauty Care EPPS events.

This year, nine private label food vendors put their specialties up against their national brand counterparts. Eight judges representing a variety of food retail companies performed “blind” tastings of each pair of products, noting their preference between the two. When all was said and done, Fattorie Giacobazzi Srl earned the highest score overall for its balsamic vinegar, with almost all of the judges preferring it to the national brand.

Three companies tied for second place honors: Earth Circle Organics, Auburn, Calif.; Italian Rose Gourmet Products Inc., Riviera Beach, Fla.; and SanoRice Holding B.V., the Netherlands. SanoRice is a repeat winner, having tied for first place honors in the 2015 Private Brand Blind Taste Test.

Look who’s speaking at Store Brands’ Innovation & Collaboration Summit

Store Brands’ Innovation & Collaboration Summit (“Brand Building Happens Here”), slated for Aug. 15–17 at the Hyatt Grand Cypress hotel in Orlando, Fla., will feature a distinguished lineup of speakers representing retail store brand, market research and other industry segments. The event promises an innovation-focused education program that will help retailers, suppliers and service providers take today’s store brand programs to the next level. In addition, the summit will provide opportunities for private meetings between retailers and private label suppliers/service providers — and plenty of networking time for everyone.

Summit topics will run the gamut from European success stories and own-brand health and wellness opportunities to omnichannel and regulatory challenges.

Created with the guidance of Store Brands’ Advisory Board, the event is the only store brand conference in the United States that includes private retailer-supplier meetings and cutting-edge educational content. Attendees will learn how to identify untapped or under-tapped private brand opportunities, achieve greater profitability and faster time to market, and forge mutually beneficial collaborative partnerships.

For more information and to register for the summit, visit www.storebrands.com/summit2016.
— K. Canning

Speakers and panelists at this year’s summit will include:

• Adam Salzwedel, own brand lead, Meijer Inc.
• Sean Barrett, vice president of own brands, Albertsons Companies.
• Doug Baker, vice president, industry relations, the Food Marketing Institute.
• Linda Severin, vice president of marketing, Topco Associates LLC.
• Carrie Mesing, director of private brands, FreshDirect.
• Keith Winters, private brands manager, Supervalu Inc.
• Mike Paglia, director of retail insights, Kantar Retail.
• Kora Lazarski, strategic alliance manager, SPINS.
• Geoff Smith, chief marketing officer, CrowdTwist.
• And many more!