Executives from Walmart, Kroger, and Walgreens will be among the featured speakers at next week’s PLMA virtual event.

The event, which runs Feb. 1-5, is the Private Label Manufacturer Association's first major online event for store brands in the U.S. It will be presented and hosted by PLMA Live!, the association’s all-new, proprietary trade show platform.

“PLMA's digital experience was created so retailers everywhere can continue growing their store brands programs in 2021, source new and innovative store brands products, connect live with top suppliers, and share information across a single, secure, intuitive and easy-to-navigate platform,” organizers said.

The conference will include:

  • Streaming a daily schedule of original, on-demand programming covering the latest marketing and consumer research
  • Retail and private brand strategies
  • Insights and analysis
  • Category profiles
  • Product trends
  • Individual interviews with retail winners of PLMA’s Salute to Excellence awards for new and innovative private label products

A full program is available online here and here

Each morning also will feature a special keynote presentation by a leading retail executive or industry expert, according to PLMA.

The featured speakers include:

  • Bill Simon, former president & CEO, Walmart U.S., who will address private label and the economy.
  • Kroger’s Brad Studer, senior director of Our Brands, who will discuss the “artful economics” of store brands growth.
  • Albertsons’ Chad Coester, SVP Own Brands & Albertsons’ own brands leadership team, who will speak on collaboration and innovation.
  • Walgreens’ Andrea Collaro, senior director, brand management & product development, who will address the past, present and future of Walgreens owned brands.
  • Dr. Nada Sanders, professor of supply chain management, Northeastern University, who will speak on supply chain strategies and survival.
  • A panel on Friday, Feb. 5, PLMALive! will stream a top-level executive panel on the outlook for store brands, featuring Perrigo CEO Murray S. Kessler, TreeHouse Foods CEO Steve Oakland, Vi-Jon CEO Rich Koulouris, and moderated by PLMA’s Tim Simmons.

On Feb. 2-3 the show will specifically focus on beverages and center store foods.

More than 600 retailers from nearly 300 retail companies are already registered to participate in PLMA's all-new digital experience.

Created for retailers everywhere to discover new and innovative store brands products, connect with leading manufacturers for live, face-to-face video calls, and share contact information, product and sourcing requirements across a single, secure, intuitive and easy-to-navigate platform – the Private Label Week platform is open to search for private label products 24/7 and will continue to be accessible to all participants for private label business up to 90 days.

For information on exhibiting or attending Private Label Week, visit www.PLWEEK.com.