Shanghai Private Label Fair

Presented by the New York-based Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA) and the Shanghai International Sourcing Promotion Center, the 2013 Shanghai Private Label Fair is designed to serve all of China's retail market: supermarkets, drug chains, convenience stores, wholesalers, trading companies and distributors. This year's fair, slated for 11 to 13 December in the international commercial centre of the city, will focus on PB (as private label is known in China) in categories ranging from food and beverages to household products and health and beauty care.

With more than 1 billion people, China is seen by many as the market of the future, PLMA notes. Walmart, Carrefour, Tesco, Metro and Watsons are opening new stores in cities across the country. Chinese retailers such as Lian Hua, Wu Mart and Vanguard are matching them and adding even more momentum to the modernization of Chinese retailing. Although private label is still in its infancy in China, both international and domestic retailers see opportunities for their own brands.

The largest obstacle for PB development in China has been sourcing. Although there are many Chinese manufacturers of food and non-food products, they generally do not have experience with PB. This reality has created an opportunity for international manufacturers, especially in product categories that reflect the Western lifestyle such as pizza and snacks.

This year, 18 retailers' brands from 12 countries will be presented in the Idea Supermarket, PLMA says, which helps both retailers and suppliers understand the history and current situation of private label. For international suppliers, PLMA also offers a special seminar program and visits to typical supermarket formats in Shanghai.

This year's show will be held in the new Shanghai International Sourcing Center Base, a completely new convention facility in Shanghai's Changfeng Ecological Business District. Architecturally dramatic, the new state-of-the-art facility for shows and fairs cost more than US$200 million to construct.

For more information about the Shanghai Private Label Fair, including transportation and hotel details, or to register, visit www.plmainternational.com and go to "Shanghai Private Label Fair" or visit www.plfasia.com/en