2026 Agenda

Inflation, tariffs and ongoing supply chain pressures are among the challenges facing retailers, manufacturers and consumers alike. Grocers are seeing margins squeezed even tighter as they partner with suppliers to deliver shoppers the best value while still operating efficiently and profitably. These dynamics are driving the growth of private-label products. According to a recent shopper survey by RDSolutions, 86% of consumers choose store brands for at least some of the items they regularly purchase. Consumers looking to save money are finding store-brand items to be at least as good as – or, in some cases, better than – their branded counterparts. And retailers are developing private-label product lines to deliver exclusivity that fuels consumer loyalty in the competitive marketplace.

Back when private brands were called “generics,” pricing and positioning for these “white-label” value-based products was straightforward. But now that we’re increasingly seeing private brands going head-to-head with national brands, we’re finding strategies, on both sides, to be all over the place, including more instances where private-label items are priced higher than their national-brand equivalents. 

This session will explore the evolution of private label and how real-time market intelligence can push grocers toward private-label profitability, including pricing strategies as well as wholesaler and retailer insights on how store brands can be a win-win for all stakeholders.