With private-label hitting new heights all over Europe, PLMA's annual World of Private Label trade show is a must-attend for retailers and suppliers alike that are keen to discover the latest trends and innovations in this dynamic sector.
Taking place at RAI Amsterdam on 28 and 29 May 2024, the event is set to welcome 2,850 exhibitors from over 70 countries, spread across 43,000 square metres of exhibition space – including nine food halls and five non-food halls. An additional exhibition hall is being incorporated into this year's show, such is the strong demand for space.
More than 120 countries are set to be represented, featuring some 60 national and regional pavilions. New pavilions to feature this year will include Dubai, Egypt, Georgia, Germany (Thuringia), Italy (Organic), Poland, South Korea, Thailand and the Netherlands.
In total, some 28,000 private-label professionals are set to be in attendance, with products on display to include fresh, frozen and refrigerated foods, dry-grocery items, and beverages, as well as non-food categories like cosmetics, health and beauty products, household and kitchen supplies, auto care products, garden items, housewares, and DIY materials.
Read More: PLMA President Peggy Davies Looks Ahead To 'World of Private Label’ 2024
Both emerging and established private-label trends are set to take centre stage at World of Private Label, with two fifths (39%) of exhibitors showcasing sustainability claims, close to a third (31%) highlighting specific dietary needs, a further 22% presenting vegetarian, vegan and plant-based options, and more than a quarter (26%) showcasing organic products.
As one leading retail executive put it, “World of Private Label is a must-go. We return every year.”
For an in-depth preview of this year's World of Private Label trade show, including a guide to must-visit stands, check out ESM's May/June 2024 edition.
Private-Label On The Rise
One thing that all attendees at this year’s World of Private Label can agree with is that private label is big, and it’s getting bigger all the time.
According to PLMA’s recent International Private Label Yearbook, produced in association with NielsenIQ, store brands gained share in 16 out of 17 European countries last year (MAT W28 2023), with the only country to see a decline – Switzerland – already boasting a private-label share of more than 50%.
On average, private-label share in Europe stands at 38.1%, according to the data, with the highest growth seen in Portugal (+4.4 percentage points), Germany (+2.9 percentage points), Czechia (+2.8 percentage points) and Spain (+2.2 percentage points).
Europe’s largest markets – Germany, the United Kingdom and France – have a collective private-label share of 39.6% – a 1.9-percentage-point increase on last year, the data showed – while the Scandinavian countries – Denmark (35.1% private-label share), Sweden (27.9%) and Norway (21.9%) – have collectively shown a 1.7-percentage-point increase in share. Also, in Eastern Europe, private-label share continues to increase, with Czechia (23.2%), Hungary (29.1%) and Poland (32.7%) among those seeing growth.
Private-label sales experienced significant growth, increasing by €43 billion across the 17 European countries monitored by NielsenIQ. Perishable and frozen foods, paper products, and ambient food emerged as the top three categories in terms of value share, collectively representing an average of 51.3%. In total, these categories accounted for €230 billion in sales.
Idea Supermarket
One of the popular features of the annual World of Private Label trade show is the PLMA Idea Supermarket, a section dedicated to innovation and new-product development, where visitors can discover what’s new in the global store brand market.
At its core is a display of private-label ranges from more than 60 supermarkets, hypermarkets, discounters, specialty stores and drugstores around the world.
Allied to this, the Idea Supermarket also plays host to the New Product Expo, which showcases selected innovations from companies exhibiting at that year’s World of Private Label. At the 2023 edition, over 450 products from more than 300 exhibitors representing 38 countries were on display, with this year’s display set to feature more than 500 innovations, demonstrating the breadth and diversity of innovation within the private-label sector.
Finally, the Idea Supermarket will also showcase the winners of the PLMA Salute to Excellence Awards, which feature award-winning innovations from global retailers across both food and non-food categories.
Pre-Show Seminars And Workshops
On the day before PLMA’s World of Private Label trade show kicks off – Monday 27 May – a seminar programme will take place at the Forum Centre of the RAI Amsterdam complex, highlighting the latest market research and trends by leading industry experts.
The programme will get under way at 1pm, with two workshops, the first of which will see Erik Aapkes, managing partner, Blueprint Europe, explore the topic of ‘Getting to Yes: Strategic Partnership & Creating Mutual Value.’ This will be followed by an examination of ‘Unboxing the Future: The Evolution of Packaging Design,’ hosted by Loe Limpens and Sabine Louet Feisser of Yellow Dress Retail.
At 2pm, the seminar programme will open with a presentation by Ananda Roy, SVP of thought leadership Europe, Circana, on the topic ‘Private Labels: Transformation for Growth,’ followed by Ana Tique, client and insight consultant, Euromonitor, who will present the retail firm’s Top Global Consumer Trends Report 2024.
Following on from this, Vibeke van der Bilt and Fleur Randag, both business leads, private label, Picnic, will delve into ‘The Story of Picnic’s Own Brand’, while Paolo Bonsignore, COO of Coop Italian Food, will explore ‘Coop and its Revolutionary Approach to Private Label’. Furthermore, during this event, the winners of the 2024 PLMA Salute to Excellence Awards will be officially announced.
Participation in the seminars and workshops is free of charge to all registered retailers, exhibitors, visitors, and industry professionals.
Getting To World Of Private Label
Located just 15 minutes from Schiphol, and easily accessible by taxi, train, metro and car, getting to RAI Amsterdam for PLMA's World Of Private Label trade show is simple.
Visitors arriving at Schiphol Airport can take a direct train to Station Amsterdam RAI, a 5-minute walk from the convention centre, or opt for a one-change option by transferring at Station Amsterdam Zuid and taking Metro M52 (direction 'Noord'), which stops directly in front of the RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre at Station Europaplein.
From Amsterdam Central Station, Metro M52 (direction 'Zuid') runs every 4 to 6 minutes and reaches Station Europaplein in just eight minutes.
Tickets for trains (www.ns.nl) and metros (www.gvb.nl) can be purchased at vending machines at the stations or online, with options for payment including debit or credit cards (more info is available via www.ovpay.nl).
If arriving by car, simply follow the signs from the A10 Amsterdam Ring. Onsite parking at RAI Amsterdam costs €5.50 per hour, up to a maximum of €33 per day, while day tickets can also be pre-ordered from www.rai.nl, and cost €27. There are a total of 40 charging points for electric cars, 20 in car park P1 and 20 in car park P4.
Venue And Schedule
PLMA World of Private Label takes place at RAI Amsterdam, at Europaplein 24, 1078 GZ Amsterdam. To ease navigation, PLMA has divided the venue into separate halls for food and non-food products.
The Europe Complex is dedicated to showcasing food, snacks, and beverages, while the Holland Complex features household goods, health, and beauty products. Lastly, the Park Complex accommodates a variety of exhibitors, both food and non-food, and also houses the venue's main restaurant
A floor plan of the venue can be found here. The schedule for the 2024 edition is as follows:
Monday, 27 May 2024
12:00 – 18:00: Visitor Badge Pick-Up
13:00 – 14:00: Workshops
14:00 – 16:00: Pre-Show Seminars
Tuesday, 28 May 2024
08:00 – 18:00: Visitor Badge Pick-Up
09:00 – 18:30: Show Floor Open
09:00 – 18:30: Idea Supermarket & New Product Expo Open
Wednesday, 29 May 2024
08:00 – 15:30: Visitor Badge Pick-Up
09:00 – 16:30: Show Floor Open
Online registration is required, with would-be attendees able to register at plmainternational.com/preregistration. Also note that Tuesday 28 May, from 8am to 10am, is 'rush hour' for entrance badge collection, so collecting your badge outside of those hours is advised.
More information on this year’s PLMA ‘World of Private Label’ trade show can be found at www.plmainternational.com.
