Putting A Bow On 2022

Arrivederci, 2022.

If you’re like me, you’re probably trying to figure out where the year went. I was told once by my elders that time goes faster the older you get. They failed to tell me that some days the passing of time is something akin to the Millennium Falcon flying through hyperspace. After all, she was the fastest ship in the galaxy.

But I digress.

It’s been another fascinating year, both from a business perspective and on a personal level. Back in April, I joined the Store Brands team as executive editor and associate publisher. My timing couldn’t have been better.

The industry – our industry – is in the midst of tremendous growth and opportunity. Consumers have turned to private label products in an effort to save money in the face of rising prices. While able to stretch their dollars, it’s safe to say that many consumers have discovered products that equal or exceed the quality and taste of the national brands they have been buying for years.

This is a testament to the efforts of retailers and suppliers to develop unique items that meet the many needs of today’s consumers who expect more, and rightly so, from the products they buy, be they store brands or national brands.

As I write this in mid-December, my thoughts have already turned to the New Year. While the past couple of years have shown that flipping the calendar to January needs to be done slowly while wearing kevlar, the coming 12 months will again provide its own set of unique challenges, great moments, and opportunities to further evolve the private label industry.

I look forward to the New Year, and the chance to share the multitude of great stories that will happen across the private label industry. I wish everyone a very happy, healthy holiday season and much success in 2023.