PLMA planning 'landmark' event for 2020 trade show

The Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA) is planning a "landmark event" featuring international products for its 2020 Private Label Trade Show.

The event, called “The Year of a Thousand Flags,” will bring together exhibitors from Europe, Asia, South America, the Mideast and Africa to give retailers in the U.S. and Canada access to thousands of products with an international flavor for their U.S. private label programs. “The Year of a Thousand Flags” will be a central theme of the show, set for Nov. 15-17 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill.

Brian Sharoff, president of the PLMA, said the reason for “The Year of a Thousand Flags” is because consumer interest in international products has climbed as retailers have become more diverse with foods from the Mideast, South America, India and Asia, while regional and local foods from Europe are enhancing traditional tastes.

“Add to this trend American consumers' desires for organic, natural and alternative foods, and it’s clear that the U.S. market is dramatically different than it was and is ready for new international flavors,” Sharoff added.

Also, the U.S. retail market is quickly becoming more like the market in Europe where private label share has reached 30% or more in several countries, Sharoff added.

“As a result, the popularity of store brands, as they are known in the U.S., has risen rapidly,” he noted. “Retailers like Walmart, Costco Wholesale, Kroger and Amazon have given store brands status as genuine brands, and as a result consumers have responded at the checkout.”

Manufacturers interested in participating in “The Year of a Thousand Flags” can contact Anthony Aloia, PLMA’s corporate vice president, at 212-972-3131 or [email protected].