Belgian retailer Colruyt's purchasing director Christophe Dehandschutter has called for greater collaboration between branded and private label suppliers, at a lecture organized by Belgian trade magazine Gondola.
Dehandschutter said that in a market with as much saturation as Belgium, growth can only be achieved through a "collaborative approach between FMCG, industry and retailers".
He added that private label strategies must be "more transparent", and to create an environment in which both brands and private labels can win.
"I think we must ask ourselves what the customer expects from a private label, what it seeks from a national brand and how best to meet these expectations," he said.
He added that by utilizing very strong promotions, as many brands have engaged in to offset the rise of private label, the market is declining, and more should be done to encourage both own-brands and private labels to work together.
© 2015 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
