Mc Bride Private Label in Personal Care Products

McBride has an extensive range of Personal Care, skincare and toiletry products. They are expanding their offer all the time. With three Personal Care liquids factories - in the UK, Belgium and Poland private label, 2 Personal Care aerosol factories in the UK and France, a specialist Skincare facility in The Czech Republic and Personal Care and skincare factories in Malaysia and Vietnam they are increasing their global scale in this dynamic market.

The Personal Care categories McBride manufacture include:

• Baby care
• Bath and shower products
• Hair care
• Body care
• Mens grooming
• Oral care
• Skin care

Baby care ranges
Mc Bride manufacture a complete range of baby toiletries including baby shampoos, bath foam, cleansing lotions and oils.

Bath and shower
Bath and shower ranges include bathfoams, shower gels, mousses and liquid soaps including latest aromatherapy formulations to deliver a relaxing bathing experience.

Hair care
McBride develop shampoos, conditioners and hair styling solutions for all the family needs.

Body care
We manufacture roll-on and anti-perspirant deodorants and body sprays, as well as body performance products including body scrubs.

Mens Grooming
Mc Brides range of mens grooming products includes shaving gels and foams, mens deodorant's and body sprays, plus shower products and skin care ranges for men.

Oral care
Mc Bride produce sensitive, whitening, kids and family formulations of toothpastes, as well as single and dual phase mouthwash formulations

Skin care
Mc Bride's latest innovations include cocoa butters and aloe vera creams, as well as general body and foot care, make-up removal lotions and self-tanning creams.

Private Label Manufacturers Association ( PLMA )

The Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA) conference, held annually in Chicago, was chalk full of market drivers and growth incentives for retailers and suppliers in 2011. As reported by PerishableNews.com, attendance was up more than 15 percent, according to a PLMA spokesperson, despite the sluggish growth private label experienced in 2010.

Brian Sharoff, president of PLMA said large Chinese retailers need to jump on the bandwagon and begin to develop private labels because of the huge market potential, according to PeopleDaily.com.

"In developed markets, such a strategy has had a history of more than 20 years after retailers tried to seek more profit to differentiate themselves from the competition," Sharoff said. "In China, it is still relatively new but has very big potential."

PeopleDaily.com reported private label products are priced 20 to 30 percent below name brands, and they account for more than one-third of retailers’ total stock in the United States or Europe. China only accounts for 5 percent, per the Shanghai Commission of Commerce.

Private label Increase Supermarket Share in Europe

Private label reached record market shares across Europe last year as retailers relied more than ever on their own brands to offer value to shoppers coping with the great recession, according to Nielsen data prepared exclusively for PLMA's 2010 International Private Label Yearbook.

For the first time, private label accounts for at least 40% of all products sold in a total of five countries. Overall, private label gained in 14 of the 20 countries tracked by Nielsen and currently represents one of every five products in all but two of the countries.

The gains came in the western national markets such as France, Germany, Spain, The Netherlands and Belgium, but were especially strong in emerging retail markets such as Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Turkey. This growth is creating a solid foundation for more growth as retailing matures in these countries.

Switzerland remains the overall leader with a 53% market share, followed by the U.K. at 47%. Market share climbed to over 40% for the first time in Spain and Slovakia. Germany remained over the 40% market share, while Australia s poised to reach that level soon.

The biggest share gains were in Spain and Turkey. In Central and Eastern European countries, private label climber as western retailers opened more stores. Slovakia led the way, followed by the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland.

Why Don't Supermarkets Have Brands?

Why Don't Supermarkets Have Brands?
It may come as a surprise to the category of supermarket chains to learn that almost to a fault, none of them owns a brand. They think they do, but they do not. The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. The only reason to invest in the building and maintaining of a brand is to increase your preference or increase your margins. Against that acid test, supermarket chains come up sucking hind teat.

There are a few major exceptions, and we will disclose them as we proceed, but the battle for supremacy in the supermarket gambit has come down to location, location, location. Look around at your own neighborhoods and you will quickly see the reality of the situation. Supermarkets, like their poor stepsisters the pharmacy chains, are in a rush to build more and more stores. They realize that in order to dominate a local market, they need to be the closest purveyor to the shopper's home. That is not exactly the pure definition of a brand is it?

The Business Model Tells the Story

They recognize this fact in their bones which is why their business model has them scampering to build new stores as close as possible to developing residential areas. Yet, they pretend to themselves (and their stockholders) that they have a brand. To Harris Teeter, ACME Markets, Lowes Foods, A&P, Pathmark, PUBLIX, GIANT, Win-Dixie and the Piggly Wigglies of the word I have a short and pointed warning... Watch Out! Wegmans is coming!

Harris Teeter, for example, believes they have a brand. They believe they are "the upscale choice" but deep down they recognize the fallacy in that claim as they build more and more stores in more and more neighborhoods. They realize that their brand is not a destination, and that aside from the "brand" of habit, shoppers will not ride by a competitor's store on a regular basis to shop at a Harris Teeter. They know that their store does not represent a "destination" -- there is no sense of arrival, no sense of specialness and therefore no REAL brand.

Wegmans is a Juggernaut

What makes Wegmans so formidable? They learned their brand lessons well and are playing brand hardball. Borrowing on the specialty marketers like Whole Foods, Fresh Market and Bread & Circus, and the upscale brands of Four Seasons and Ritz Carleton, they recognized that brands that differentiated the customer enabled these brands to become destinations. They became a magnet for those seeking specialness, specialty, high quality foods, and experience -- within a geographic area. When the shopper believed they were a more discriminating shopper(what we call a Brandface),these shoppers were willing to inconvenience themselves by traveling a greater distance to satiate that self-identifying need. They would also be willing to pay higher costs for that same self-identification.

Remember that brand, the kind of brand that makes a category player a destination, is not a description of the store, it is the self-description of the customer -- who they believe they are. The greater the store's ability to satiate that self-description, the more powerful the brand. Does the Harris Teeter or Publix shopper believe they "have arrived" when they shop? Do they see themselves as smarter, mores discerning and erudite? Not according to Harris Teeter or they would not need to build a new market every 1.8 miles!

Think Differently

Wegmans took the lessons from Fresh Market and Starbucks and recognized that the modern grocery shopper wanted to have an experience when they shopped. They believed that shoppers wanted to have access to and be surrounded by "the world of fine choices" even when they were simply shopping for Campbell's Soup. The baby boomers, Gen-x and Gen-y customers believe the shopping experience should be as entertaining as utilitarian and that the yearning fordiscovery was woven into the fabric of their being.

Does it cost more to create a Wegmans than it does a Lowes Foods? You bet it does. It requires an investment in brand, brand management, architecture, interior design, customer anthropology, and world-class buyers. However, these costs are dwarfed by the short term solution of the escalating construction costs of duplicating sores in repeated markets within saturated residential areas.

The Category's Problem

Why then, is the supermarket category so stale and delinquent in its own space? It is not because they lack talented people or smart planners. It is because they have bought into an old and stale idea of brand. They have come to believe that they can differentiate themselves from the competitive set by restating generic category descriptions like fresh, quality, selection and fair prices. They think they can OWN a position that is the providence of the entire category... like, "the beef people."

Where is the Future?

What does this mean for the future of the category? It means the stakes are being raised because the category is demanding more. The real problem for the major players can be found in the existing store space. The sooner they invest in their brands, the better for their shareholders because an investment in today will ultimately cost less than a forced investment tomorrow. Experience and discovery has as its table stakes; larger more open square footage, broader specialty departments, and an understanding of the preceptive fabric of the target audience. This means existing store locations may be inadequate in the future.

Bigger is not necessarily better, it is only better when bigger incorporates entertainment, discovery and experience. These are the hallmark of the busy and demanding shopper of today, as well as the shopper of tomorrow. Will a Starbucks coffee bar differentiate your brand? Not on your life.

Tom Dougherty CEO, Senior Strategist at Stealing Share, Inc. (http://www.stealingshare.com) Tom began his strategic marketing and branding career in Saudi Arabia working for the internationally acclaimed Saatchi & Saatchi. His brand manager at the time referred to Tom as a “marketing genius,” and Tom demonstrated his talents to clients such as Ariel detergent, Pampers and many other brands throughout the Middle East and Northern Africa. After his time overseas, Tom returned to the US where he worked for brand agencies in New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. He continued to prove himself as a unique and strategic brand builder for global companies. Tom has led efforts for brands such as Procter & Gamble, Kimberly Clark, Fairmont Hotels, Coldwell Banker, Homewood Suites (of Hilton), Tetley Tea, Lexus, Sovereign Bank, and McCormick to name a few. Contact Tom at tomd@stealingshare.com.

Carrefour French Supermarket Download

French supermarket operator Carrefour is taking a step into uncharted territory by launching an online portal where customers can now download digital music, video games and software. Available via the address carrefour.fr/download, the new site was developed in partnership with Nexway, one of Europe’s leading games and software developers.

The site offers a comprehensive music library containing more than 3 million songs. An added feature exclusive to Carrefour will see the company offer free downloads to users from new and emerging artists. The existing carrefour.fr portal is already the 7th most visited site in France according to Nielsen Mediamétrie, and customers can now shop for their favourite online media offerings while at the same time purchasing food and non-food items.

Carrefour Supermarket update

Carrefour supermarket has revealed it has formed an alliance with India's Future Group, which should pave the way for the French supermarket to open anywhere between 150 and 300 stores in the country over the next five years. Carrefour has so far been unable to enter the Indian market, as local laws only permit foreign companies to operate in the country through franchise deals with local businesses.

Carrefour aren't the first international retailer to enter the Indian market in recent months - the Bhharti Group recently announced a tie-up with Walmart, while Tesco have teamed up with Tata Group to open storesin the country.

The Future Group operates the Big Bazaar chain of hypermarkets in India, and it is thought that Carrefour supermarket could move into some of these locations.

PLMA Amsterdam 2010

Brian Sharoff, president of the PLMA since 1981, has witnessed the irrestistible rise of private label. He spoke to ESM about his hopes for 2010.

ESM: How has the rising importance of private label affected the show?
Brian Sharoff: PLMA’s annual trade show in Amsterdam has definitely enjoyed a considerable amount of growth as more manufacturers add private label to their core business.

ESM: How excited are you about this year’s show?
BS: I think this year’s show will be very exciting. We have exhibitors from more than 60 countries and buyers from more than 90 countries, so the international flavour of the show is truly underscored.

ESM: PLMA is now recognised as a very important show. How has it grown over the years?
BS: PLMA’s World of Private Label has generally reflected the growth of the private label industry. We started with 50 exhibitors in Paris in 1985 and now present nearly 2,000 exhibitors. The growth of the show mirrors the greater and greater importance of private label in the retail marketplace.

ESM: You were an early promoter of the PL concept. What five things have been most crucial in its development across Europe?
BS: The most crucial factors in the success of private label have been retailer commitment to quality, assortment, product innovation, attractive packaging and consumer responsiveness.

ESM: What current trends do you see in the PL business at present in terms of geography and quality?
BS: In terms of geography, we are seeing improved private label quality drive private label sales in Central and Eastern Europe. This can be a large market for private label. Volume market share is already above 30 per cent and it can reach 40 per cent in a few years.

Q: Do you believe European PL is more developed than America?
BS: I don’t think you can compare private label by country or continent. I would say that you need to judge private label by retailers and on that basis the major retailers of Europe and America are on the same path.

Q: What other interesting recent trends have you observed across the world?
BS: The most interesting trend would be the rapid development of private label in parts of Asia. The potential for vast growth in Asia is quite real.

Q: Is there a possibility that PL will become more important than the brands?
BS: I think that private label and brands serve complimentary functions. They are all part of a system offering consumers the greatest choice in products and prices. I don’t think one can ever be more important than the other.

Q: What new trends do you see in PL packaging?
BS: The most obvious trend is the excellence of the design and graphics that retailers are using to package their own label products. Private label today is just as visually exciting as any A-brand.

Q: What top tips would you give to a new standholder at the show?
BS: My advice to new standholders is to plan for the long-haul. Private label is not a one-show-one-year business. Retailers are looking for new suppliers and new products, but they are also looking for companies who can demonstrate experience and knowledge. Therefore, my best tip is that when the 2010 PLMA show is over, renew immediately and promote your company to the retailers who attended the show.

Private Label Supermarket News

AMS Sourcing, arguably the most far-reaching of the ‘big five’ supermarket sourcing alliances, counts among its members some of Europe’s top retailers, including Albert Heijn, Delhaize, Système U and Migros. Stephen Wynne-Jones chats to the company’s managing director, Bert Swartsenburg, about the challenge of maintaining such a comprehensive buying network.

With a customer base of over 80 million shoppers per week across 20 European countries, and a combined member sales value of over €100 billion, AMS Sourcing is one of the largest strategic buying alliances operating in Europe. As one of the ‘big five’ European buying groups (alongside Alidis, BIGS, Coopernic and EMD), AMS is the parent company of the popular Euro Shopper discount brand, and sources both Europe-wide and country-specific private label products for approximately 10,000 stores in Europe. As managing director and former Ahold vice-president European sourcing Bert Swartsenburg explains, there’s never been a better time to be a major player in the private label business.

“The recession certainly worked in our favour,” he explains. “Customers are looking more and more for value for money products. Private label is increasingly being seen as an opportunity to boost their brand, and as well as using our Euro Shopper brand, most of our members now offer up to three tiers of private label, from premium national brand equivalents to the economy range. In some cases, such as Albert Heijn and Migros, we’re seeing as much, if not more innovation than with some A-brand suppliers.”

AMS was created in Switzerland in 1987 to “create synergy in commodity buying” for Europe’s top supermarket groups. A relocation to a new headquarters at Schiphol, Amsterdam, followed in 2006, and since then, the group has grown significantly; there are now eleven shareholder partners, Ahold, Dansk Supermarked, ICA, Jeronimo Martins, Kesko, Migros, Morrisons, Superquinn, Esselunga, Delhaize and Système U, with the latter three joining the group just last year. In addition, Booker, Elomas, and Hagar are Euro Shopper distributors. According to Swartsenburg, AMS is traditionally strong in the “dry grocery” segment, but has recently invested heavily in its fresh offering, which “requires close co-operation, very skilled people and a constant focus on product development.” As well as Euro Shopper, which recently underwent a brand overhaul, AMS buys multiple-tiered products for its partners, who are responsible for the logistical operations in their respective countries.

“We mainly buy across three tiers for our partners,” says Swartsenburg. “Economy products represent only a small part of the total – around 10 per cent of our business is focussed on the sourcing of the Euro Shopper range, and the remainder is spent on other private label ranges. The decision in what areas to introduce new products is taken by our partners themselves. Each of the partners is responsible for their own operations, whether that be private label development, logistics, these sort of issues. All individual retailers develop their own private label and marketing strategy, including the entry-level price.” AMS has recently also started an A-brand initiative for its members, and is in regular contact with top brand manufacturers to discuss enhanced cooperation on a European scale.

With shareholders hailing from ten different European countries, it’s unsurprising to learn that communication plays a vital role in the group, with regular meetings between partners and visits to different markets to allow members to understand the different business environments. It’s all about sharing knowledge, and communicating experience.

“All the partners meet on a quarterly basis in the AMS advisory board meeting,” says Swartsenburg. “From a logistical point of view, our location beside the airport here in the Netherlands is ideal, and in most cases we have one-day meetings and our partners fly in and fly out the same day. A lot of our partners do speak English so it’s not that much of a problem to communicate with each other. That said, of course, the cultures are different, and while we are first and foremost a sourcing organisation, discussion is also very important, so our partners should be fully aware of the challenges of the different markets. It’s a very attractive part of our job – we talk to people right across Europe, and it makes it a very exciting organisation to work for.”

Supply and Demand

With a large, pan-European supplier portfolio, AMS relies on a database of market and supplier intelligence, which allows the group to create an efficient, transparent sourcing process across all product categories, and the ability to align product specs and packaging as much as possible without ignoring local consumers preferences. “It’s crucial to have a very accommodating structure in place,” Swartsenburg explains. “We have a very fixed six-step sourcing process. Ideally, at the start of a project, we will have a buyers meeting, where our partners come to our office and we discuss which items are to be sourced, which suppliers to invite, where and how can we harmonise specifications and packaging. We then invite suppliers to quote, we start into negotiations with these suppliers, and then we reach step number six, the signing off of the contract.”

As food is the core assortment of all our partners, AMS sources most of its products in Europe, although the company is currently expanding its joint sourcing efforts in Asia. Around 90 per cent of the food in the company’s Food & Beverages and Fresh & Frozen segment originates in Europe.

As new members come into the fold, as Delhaize, Essenlunga and Système U did last year, so the sourcing reach of the group expands, with each bringing their own suppliers and ideas to the table. “It’s a very structured process,” Swartsenburg explains. “With new members, we start building a few cases, and they participate in a few projects to build their own experiences, not only when it comes to buying conditions, but also in terms of the whole way of working. If that’s successful, then they speed up and accelerate in their participation. In the case of the three newest members, the first experiences have been very successful. We now source almost everything by now for Delhaize, at Système U we source most of the Bien Vu economy range, and have increased participation in other private label ranges. Each partner’s interests are a little bit different.”

The Euro Shopper range, however, is available to all members, however some members choose to opt out of the programme, to focus on their own key private label tiers. While commodity items make up the bulk of the Euro Shopper range – “we are mainly focusing on products with a proven track record,” explains Swartsenburg, “each member has the freedom to source local Euro Shopper products for their home market, and suggest products that could work for other partners. In total, the Euro Shopper range consists of more than 1,000 items, but only 450 of those are available to all 16 markets. “If you take a very Dutch product, like chocolate hail, nobody else will stock it in Europe,” says Swartsenburg. “It’s very much a case of Albert Heijn sourcing it themselves for their home market. They can use the Euro Shopper branding, but it’s a locally sourced product.

“Of course, in our buyers meetings, we share a lot of knowledge, and we all bring in a lot of the experiences from our home markets, which means products that are sold in one market could be sold in other markets in the future.”

United We Stand

It’s testament to the sense of community at AMS that none of its members have hit a financial dead end, even when faced with some of the most challenging market conditions the European economy has seen in decades. Swartsenburg points to the example of Hagar hf, the largest retailer in Iceland, and a member of AMS, as an example of a retailer that is continuing to make strides, despite the country’s near collapse last year.

“We have been in partnership with Hagar since 2005,” he explains, “and from the beginning, there have been no issues affecting this relationship. Even though Iceland has been hit hard with the collapse of the banking system, AMS has not been affected at all by the situation; on the contrary, in fact. Sales were up 18 per cent for the Euro Shopper brand in 2009 compared to 2008, and despite the recession and collapse of the banking system, Hagar have fulfilled all their obligations towards their suppliers and are up to date with all payments to vendors.”

With the addition of three retailers last year, and the continued growth of private label, you would expect AMS to be actively seeking further additions to what is already proving itself to be a very strong partnership. On the other hand, it could be argued, a sudden influx of new members could disrupt the flow of the group. Swartsenburg is adopting a measured approach.

“Being interviewed for this position with AMS [he took on the role of managing director last year], I think I was the only candidate that did not talk about proactively hunting for new partners. If you take into account at the end of 2008 we welcomed Esselunga, System U and Delhaize – very big partners, that really added value to the existing partners. If you go back another year, to 2007, Migros joined AMS, so all of a sudden we grew incredibly fast.

“I really think there’s still a lot of potential among our existing 11 partners. I think that if we are able to increase the participation level of all our partners in AMS, there’s a lot more that we can achieve. That said, if we do meet a potential interested partner – a Spanish or German partner is high on our list – we would act of course. But partner expansion is not the first priority. We have a lot of requests from retailers from across Europe, and we will talk to everyone, but it’s important that any new partner adds value to the existing partners in the group.”

Innovation, on the part of both retailers and suppliers, is crucial to the future development of the group, and Swartsenburg hails the development of new sub-tiers (such as the ‘Pure and Honest’ range in Albert Heijn) as an indication of how retailers are constantly evolving their private label ranges. “In recession times, I think it’s important to stay innovative, and many suppliers slow down when it comes to innovation. I think even in times of recession, you should not only take on the competition in terms of pricing or positioning, but also distinguish yourself from your competition and stay active in terms of innovation.

“In the case of Albert Heijn, it’s a retailer with a long-lasting history of private label brands; since the company was founded, they have had private labels. Customers grew more and more confused by the claims being made on packaging in terms of things like sustainability, or ethical sourcing. Albert Heijn created an umbrella brand for all these labels, and called it Pure and Honest. Other retailers are at different stages in their private label development, of course, and I’m very impressed by the premium range of Migros – the packaging is brilliant and the product itself is a very high quality product that would have no problem competing with any A-brand.”

The continued growth of private label is something that AMS have been predicting for some time; back in 2005, the company’s former managing director, Arjan Both, predicted that “private label turnover [would] be doubled as a result of market share growth as well as entry into new categories.” Five years on, private label development has far exceeded that prediction, and has gone on to penetrate almost every sub-category of the supermarket industry. Swartsenburg believes that while private label has developed to a stage where it is finally able to tackle major brands head on in terms of quality and range, it wouldn’t be wise to start writing off the big brands. “I think there will always be room for private label, and there are retailers that have developed such a strong private label position over time that it will never disappear. But every label has to prove itself on the shelf. It’s important that retailers stay innovative in terms of their private labels, as you can be certain that A-brands will continue to innovate and develop concepts further.

“Our partners need to be very careful in terms of how they balance our private label assortment and A-brand assortment, and I think they are doing that. After all, at the end of the day, it’s the consumer that makes the choice.”

Private Label News

MMM, Selection, Gourmet, Exclusive, Select, Quality, Fine, Luxury, Exclusive… supermarket shelves are filling up with new and improved premium private label products. Ben Webb feasts his eyes on the brand new menus coming to a supermarket near you…

When a major supermarket chain launches an economy private label range the grocery industry shrugs its shoulders and asks one question: what’s the price? The consumer, who expects a lot of simple white packaging – Waitrose essentials, is a fine example – asks exactly the same question and waits for a heart-warming affect on the weekly budget.

But when the industry hears about a new premium private label range, it gets very curious. There are so many questions to ask: How good is it? Is the packaging revolutionary? Will it extend their brand? Is it good enough to beat the national brands? Is it good enough to suck in new customers and grow market share? Is it, supermarket executives ask nervously, better than ours?

The consumer also starts to ask a host of more sophisticated questions. Just how good is it? Is it good enough to replace a restaurant meal and save the bill? Is it sufficiently superior to the discount and standard private label brands to merit the higher price? Will it save me time cooking and still satisfy the family? Is it good enough – if I disguise it – for a dinner party?

It is a very interesting time in the European supermarket private label premiumship. As the worst of the recession becomes an unwelcome part of our shared history, there are signs the consumer is opening their purses a little wider and trading up to higher quality options. And supermarket chains are very keen to boost their sales of premium private labels.

Trading up, of course, means higher margins. Tesco's chief executive Terry Leahy, basking in the glow of his Christmas takings, revealed a quarter of all festive season shopping baskets contained a ‘Finest’ Product’. "We've delivered a very strong performance over the Christmas and New Year period," he declared.

Edward Garner of TNS Worldpanel confirmed such green shoots were not just a figment of Leahy's imagination. Other retailers were prospering, with many showing good sales of premium private labels, suggesting an end to recessionary buying behaviour. “We are now seeing a growth in Premium ranges,” he said.

Tried and tested labels like Tesco’s finest and Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference have been around a while, but there is new momentum building towards the development of enhanced private label offerings. Across

Europe, new or improved products are hitting the shelves. Auchon’s ‘MMM’ and Migros’ ‘Selection’ are wowing critics. Launched last autumn, Rewe’s ‘Feine Welt’ looks fabulous on the shelf. Ahold’s ‘Excellent’ is excelling as part of the company’s well-hone private label hierarchy. The new ‘real, - SELECTION, is another new premium range turning heads.

A glance at the names alone reveals the battle for the discerning consumer is on. Fine(st) is the choice of the marketing men at Tesco, Coles in Australia, and Co-op in Switzerland. Select(ion) is the vital word chosen by the gurus at Migros, Carrefour, Real and both Safeway and Kroger in the US.

As Joanne Denney-Finch, Chief Executive, IGD said: “In such a vibrant marketplace, in which new shopper loyalties are emerging, retailers and food manufacturers are responding very rapidly to the challenges presented by the recession. They are each vying to excel at delivering value – and the most effective are reaping the rewards.”

It could be a truly fascinating decade of innovation as supermarket chains go head-to-head in a brazen beauty parade as they battle to produce ever more sophisticated premium private label products. IGD’s research conducted with shoppers in France, Germany, Spain & UK gives an insight into what is happening. Investment in the quality and variety of supermarket own-label is paying off as almost a third (31%) of shoppers in these markets are buying more own-label.

Big questions spring to mind. What will be the price strategy for premium private labels compared to the brand leaders? Is it possible that we will soon be talking about the rise of super-premium private labels? What will happen to the variety of brands in the market? The balance of power between the big brands and private label that has stood for many years has shifted, it seems, and is set to shift further still.

Premium private label and the crunch
In the glorious years BC – Before the Crunch – premium private label was going steady, especially in the UK where Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference and Tesco’s Finest had both established their place as firm family favourites. However, when it came to quality and innovation, new packaging ideas and great design, the brands remained superior.

At the opposite end of the market, the economy private labels were pottering along quite happily. In the years AD – After the Depression – however, the focus was on discounting and these economy range private labels started to flourish. More than 30 Million people are now opting for supermarket own labels in an attempt to save money, according to a new report by www.uswitch.com.

Edeka’s CEO Markus Mosa reported sales increases of 30 to 40 percent for its economy private label products and warned brand manufactures they have to lower their prices if they want to stay competitive. Some 73 per cent of consumers are buying own brands compared with 25 percent last year. A further 74 percent of consumers use coupons, compared with only 26 percent last year.

Price is clearly now vital, but as the first shock waves from the crunch start to subside, it seems as though value and not just price is becoming part of the equation. In other words, consumers will pay more as long as they know they are getting a good deal. Such consumer behaviour is perfect for supermarket chains with a superb premium label proposition.

A Verdict Research report on major retailers’ private label relaunches during the economic downturn revealed that although the rapid growth seen by private label is coming to and end, branded FMCG are set for a rough path ahead. Consumers’ loyalty shift from branded to private label lines is permanent and the new battle for market share will be contested between retailers and within existing range architectures. Across the EU, private label will emerge as one of the winners.

Here is an interesting question: as grocers plan their new premium private label offerings, will they be ambitious enough to take on the brands and try to surpass them?

Why premium private label?
The desire to expand premium private label in the present economic climate is entirely logical. Grocers love to hook customers with value and then get them to trade up. What’s the margin on a €0.45 tin of economy private label plum tomatoes? What’s the margin on €1.00 of premium private label finest?

Having said that, there is clearly a benefit to attracting spend on private label at all price points – supermarkets want a balance of sales at discount, standard and premium. The mantra at Sainsburys is “good, better, best” when it comes to its own brands. It’s not hard to imagine Justin King striding the aisles of his kingdom for chinks in his private label armour. If it’s there, he’ll want to fill it.

In the recession, supermarkets lured in new customers of own label by relaunching their products and often cutting prices or offering promotions. “In September 2008, we relaunched our standard own-brand range, which accounts for over 40 per cent of sales, with our ‘Switch and Save’ campaign,” King says. “This offered savings of at least 20 per cent when selecting Sainsbury’s equivalent product over the leading brand.”

The quality of the ‘good’ product is very important. If it is good enough, then the shopper who has switched from the brands may stick with it. The supermarket can start to build trust in the private label proposition. The next stage in the process is to encourage the customer to trade up to the ‘better’ and the ‘best’ products. It’s no secret.

“Customers have increasingly looked to own-brand products during the year to help them save money and they have unrivalled trust in Sainsbury’s own-brand products,” Justin King told the rapt audience at the Sainsbury’s AGM.

“’Taste the difference’ remains an important part of the product offer. In the current economic environment the range allows ‘savvy shoppers’ to make conscious decisions about the quality they want for different ingredients and meal occasions. In particular, ‘Taste the difference’ ready meals are fulfilling a trend towards customers treating themselves at home rather than eating out or buying more expensive takeaways to eat at home.”

Suddenly, premium private label goods are not just about taking the fight to the big brands with their huge development budgets and marketing resources, but our very lifestyles. Don’t pop down to the local restaurant. Treat yourself at home with a premium ready-meal. Private label strategies are so sophisticated they allow supermarkets to talk to their customers in an increasingly effective and strategic way.

Sainsbury’s ‘Feed your Family for a Fiver’ campaign used a mix of ‘Taste the difference’, standard and ‘basics’ products in meal ideas. “It helps customers manage tighter budgets as they make their own choices to substitute individual ingredients to get significantly below the £5 threshold or add more premium products if they wish,” King explained.

All the time, the level of trust – reliance, even – between supermarket and customer is being increased. Adding more premium products to the portfolio has enhanced opportunities for strategic advertising and marketing. A recent campaign for Tesco’s Finest Champagne in the build up to Valentine’s Day illustrates the idea. The quality bottle of bubbly was a snip at €24.99 [check] but, and here’s the interesting part, it was only available in certain stores. In other words, with all the vital demographic data and purchasing trends revealed by the Tesco Card, premium products do not have to be stocked universally. They only need to appear on the shelves in areas with consumers prosperous enough to make it worthwhile.

The premium label ranges
Rewe has launched a premium range called Rewe Feine Welt – or Fine World – to boost its private label penetration from 20% in its full-range grocery stores in Germany to 30%. It includes about 100 fresh and ambient products sourced from around the world and is priced around 15 per cent lower than branded goods of comparable quality. In complements the economy line ja!, the standard store brand REWE and the organics offer Rewe Bio. More products are inevitable. Martin Brüening, Rewe’s head of corporate communications, says: "’REWE Feine Welt’ was launched last year very successfully and will be expanded to about 115 products in 2010.”

Similarly, Real launched ‘real, - SELECTION’ in December 2008 with 50 different product lines – such as chocolate, potatoes, cold meat and vinegar – and plans to extend it to some 200. The most successful product is ‘Original Swiss Dark Chocolate’. “One important aspect of our strategy is the placement of ‘real,- SELECTION’ products beside comparable premium branded goods,” says Dirk Koenigsfeld, division manager own brand management.

“A premium brand like real,- SELECTION is not supposed to be a "mass-market" brand, but sales figures show real,- SELECTION is increasing in popularity. Therefore we expect a positive development for the future.”

Packaging, he adds, is vital. “A high-value packaging is essential for establishing a successful premium private label. The relation between design, packaging and product quality has to fulfil customer's expectations towards a premium brand.”

Migros Selection
Across the border in Switzerland, both the name and story are the same where the Migros Selection brand is doing well, with the desserts proving a stand-out performer. Monika Weibel says: “The packaging is very important - it must display its own uniqueness and indicate at first glance, the quality and value of a product. The Sélection range promises our customers (not only our core values of freshness, value for money, sustainability, and Swissness) interesting innovations and novelties,.

“Customers expect good value at Migros, a large and varied selection of products in different price ranges. Selection products that are the most expensive, we tend to run as a niche product. Despite the economic crisis the sale of these products has met our expectations. With the demand for these products generally down, the customer tends to choose them for special occasions especially on holidays.”

It is interesting to note that organic products are also standing up. Weibel adds: “Despite the recession, the organic label products are in high demand despite the fact that they are 30 to 40% more expensive than conventional products,” she says. “In our annual customer survey, we found that many customers want an enlargement of the choice of organic food - a demand we intend to meet.

Rise of premiums hits restaurants
The timing is also ideal as in the economic climate Rewe’s customers are looking to eat at home more – cutting expenditure, but not quality. “Recession seems to enforce a general tendancy towards cocooning,” Brüening explains. “Customers rather tend to stay at home than to go out. So it’s important for retailers to be able to offer a premium private label particularly in times of recession. Those premium private labels enforce the entire brand image of the retailer. People invite friends in order to cook together and to enjoy something special: REWE Feine Welt to soothe their souls.”

Bad news for restaurant owners has been a boon to purveryors of premium private label. Meike ter Braak, Albert Heijn’s brand and marketing manager for private label, says the AH Excellent brand, which is pitched above the standard Huismark brand, is faring well. “We have seen some general trading down in the current economic climate,” she says. “On the other hand, with fewer people eating out that means they may prefer to buy an “Excellent” product to re-create that ‘eating out’ feeling.”

Private label architecture
When Superquinn launched SQ, a range of Superior Quality food, it wanted to product food that was "unbeatable among supermarkets for taste and quality". After an initial investment of more than half a million euros, the first 100 lines appeared in neat and effective packaging. It was the first step in Superquinn's product development strategy to offer an extensive range of food products to meet every taste and budget.

Bruce Langlands, Head of Product Development at Superquinn, said: “Our aim was to develop a top range of products for all stores, without compromising on quality. We tasted over 400 different recipes and products before choosing the select 100 that we are launching. The SQ Collection represents a badge of quality for these products where we've gone that extra mile to ensure taste and provenance of the ingredients is unrivalled and we have worked very closely with our suppliers to develop recipes that consistently reach this high standard."

SQ is a success as Superquinn claimed 22 titles at the 2009 ‘Great Taste Awards,’ in

London, the Oscars of the food industry. It took home five 3 star gold awards, the highest level of prize any producer can aspire to. The SQ Ultimate Chocolate ice-cream produced in Fermoy, Co. Cork and SQ Blackcurrant Preserve which is produced by a family run business based in Offaly were very highly praised. .

The “good, better, best” hierarchy of private labels mentioned by Sainsbury’s Justin King is becoming the norm. "Selection", the gourmet line of Migros, is expanding all the time. Monika Weibel, from the Migros corporate communications department, says: “We have a clear brand strategy. Discount Products (M-Budget), product pricing in the mid-price range (M-Classic) and new products in an upmarket (Migros Premium: from mid-year) as well as products in the upper price range (Selection, the gourmet line).

The foreign brands make up only about 5% of the total inventory.”

Offering a private label at three price points also boosts loyalty. “Premium private labels strengthen customer loyalty,” Brüening says. “Many customers who appreciate "REWE Feine Welt" products are also interested in other private labels like REWE quality label or REWEbio. On the other hand, customers who are already convinced of REWE quality label and REWEbio also buy REWE Feine Welt products - because they already trust REWE's private labels.”

A striking and admired premium private label range can speak volumes for a brand. A glitzy advertising campaign showing off superb products enhances all aspects of a supermarket’s proposition. Consumers will find it more attractive which builds loyalty and trust. Brüening adds: “REWE Feine Welt" serves as differentiation and helps to create an emotional relationship between the customers and REWE's retail outlets as well as the REWE brand.

Battle with the Brands
Will the premium private labels ever surpass the brands. The answer, at present, is clear. Monika Weibel from Migros says: “When we speak of Selection - then no.

Brands also have a number of shopper trends in their favour. Almost half (49%) of French shoppers say that a major strength of brands is their reliable "taste and quality", compared to over a third (37%) of Spanish shoppers. Some 27% of shoppers in the UK particularly favour brands because they have “grown up” with them - the highest figure compared to its European counterparts and no surprise as strong heritage has become an important attribute for UK shoppers.

Will premium private label ever beat the main brands? Real’s Dirk Koenigsfeld says: It is not our intention to replace brand products with real,- SELECTION. But with real,- QUALITY as well as with real,- SELECTION we used the chance to replace ineffective B- or C-brands. Furthermore our own-brand products are used to distinctive from our competitors. They also have a positive advertising effect, when a lot of products with the company's logo are present in customer's fridge.

REWE’s Brüening says: “Private labels are self-contained brands which shape today's picture of REWE essentially. We are not able to predict if main brands will be beaten by premium private labels in the future. As a matter of fact, the unaided awareness of REWE's private brand "ja!" is at 68%.It is mentioned more often spontaneously than some other main brand. Nonetheless, the main brands will definitely not dissolve.”

Box – The Supplier’s tale
The rise of premium private label is an opportunity for existing suppliers to rethink their offerings and for a whole new raft of suppliers to expand their client base. Cranswick, for example, the premium pork product supplier, enjoyed a surge in third-quarter sales. The company supplies the meat to Britain's four biggest supermarkets, which use it for their own label lines. As the worst memories of the recession recede, consumers seem to have started trading up to the grocers' premium own-label lines, such as Sainsbury's Taste the Difference, which Cranswick supplies. Total sales at Cranswick soared by 31 per cent to £200m in the three months to 31 December. Sales were boosted by the acquisition of CCF Norfolk in June 2009 last year, but the company still boasted an underlying growth of 17 per cent. You know success is in the air when TV celebrity chef Jamie Oliver gets involved and he has signed a joint venture with Cranswick to supply him with all the meat for his own range of fresh pork joints, marinated ribs, bacon and Italian charcuterie.

Carrefour Private Label

Europe’s largest retailer Carrefour private label has been rejuvenated during the past 12 months under the charismatic leadership of its Swedish boss Lars Oloffson, but recent poor results from the groups Belgian interests have clouded the picture somewhat.

The recent departure of Geert Uytterschaut, Carrefour’s director of hypermarkets in Belgium, came after 1st quarter results for 2010 showed it has slipped to third place behind rival chains Delhaize and Colruyt. After discussions with Carrefour Belgium’s CEO Gerard Lavinay, and intense speculation that the two men’s relationship had broken down, Uyttershaut fell on his sword.

Carrefour’s share of the Belgian supermarket trade dropped by 2.21% in the first three months of this year, leaving the group with 23.41% of the market after suffering its largest ever fall in numbers. To compound matters Carrefour Belgium’s director of purchasing, Olivier Langlet, has also left the company. Langlet, formerly director of purchasing, had been acting as the temporary director of marketing in more recent times.

It now appears that Carrefour Belgium is in need of a strong guiding influence as further doubts emerge over the danger of its share of the retail trade in the country shrinking further. Speculation in certain quarters has suggested it could possibly fall below 20%. With Delhaize firmly established as the leaders in this particular arena with a market share of 26.14%, and Colruyt intending to build on their newly acquired status as the best of the rest having risen to a mark of 24.1%, Carrefour Belgium has a fight on its hands to stop the rot.

It is not only Delhaize and Colruyt that Carrefour private label will have to contend with in Belgium, as changes in the retail sector there have mirrored those in other European nations. The rise of discount operators like Aldi and Lidl creates cause for even greater concern, and with the two German based companies already holding a combined share of 16.8% and planning further expansions, there can be little doubt that Carrefour Belgium desperately needs to broaden its appeal.

Private Label vs Branded Goods Europe

The constant battle ground between the Private Label and Branded Goods means manufacturers are focusing on key strategies to stay on top of the game.

Colour cosmetics is one area where the traditional branded goods have been more dominant that in other segments. However economic downturn enables private label to gain foot holds in certain areas of this market. Combined with the ease of mimicking top brand and being able to maintain a high quality of product helps to add market share to the private label Color cosmetic market.

Household Cleaning Products to share Ingredients

This article by Vanessa 0'Connell regarding household cleaning products maybe having to give details of ingredients could be good news for the household cleaning private label companies and outsourcing manufacturers.

Under a successful ruling the big brands would be required to give more information about the ingredients enabling private label companies to duplicate new formulars quicker with out the attached development costs. Good news for the private label industry? What do you think.


Household Cleaning Products Article
Are you one of those people eager to know more about the ingredients in household cleaning products? Like, you know the difference between Isopropylamine Dodecylbenzene Sulfonate and Polyquart Ampho 149?

Well, depending on how a New York state court rules, you might be in for some good news.

A group of six environmental and public-safety groups, including the Sierra Club, the American Lung Association, and Earthjustice are awaiting a judge’s ruling in a lawsuit that seeks to force makers of a range of household cleaners to reveal the chemical ingredients of all of their products and any research about them. Their lawsuit was filed last year against Procter & Gamble, Church & Dwight, Reckitt Benckiser and Colgate-Palmolive Co.

Their complaint alleges that a 1971 law that’s often not enforced gives the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation the power to force manufacturers to disclose the ingredients of their products as well as any health or safety studies. Although the plaintiffs are targeting just those four companies, the New York regulation requires all manufacturers who sell their products in New York to disclose their product ingredients, they contend.

Keri Powell, staff attorney with Earthjustice, who is handling the case for the groups, says she filed a bunch of notices to cleaning-product manufacturers in fall 2008, saying they had a legal responsibility under the law to disclose ingredients. Some manufacturers– such as Seventh Generation and Method Products, both of which market environmentally-friendly lines of cleaners—filed reports of their ingredients with the states right away. The four defendants resisted.

Lawyers for the four manufacturers argued in court filings that the activists have no right to bring the lawsuit in part because a private right of action is unavailable under the Environmental Conservation Law. The Soap and Detergent Association, a trade group, weighed in informally, issuing a statement describing the lawsuit as unfounded, and saying it lacks legal standing and makes claims that aren’t supported by state law.

In January, the trade group launched a Web site intended to help satisfy the desire among some people to know more about what’s in cleaning products.

Activist Powell of Earthjustice says she remains concerned because the manufacturers aren’t volunteering as much ingredient information as required by New York’s regulation—they don’t go down to as small of an amount, for instance. She also points out that the companies aren’t disclosing information about the research they have done into the health and environmental impacts of the ingredients.

Currently there’s no requirement that chemicals be tested and proven safe before they go in consumer products. However, earlier this month, New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg introduced a bill to require manufacturers to provide information about chemicals in consumer products instead of presuming substances are safe until proven dangerous.

Private label Cosmetics is Still Big in Europe

Retailers and distributors are opting in lieu of secret label cosmetics. This allows them to earn a elevated profit on the same instance bear a brand and logo of their own with manufacturer having rejection endanger.

Private label Cosmetics Industry
Cosmetic industry is a multi billion money industry around the globe and at hand is titanic competition in it. This has led to the coming out of many secret label cosmetics. Now many might ask I beg your pardon? Is secret label cosmetics. It is brand sponsored by a seller, retailer, dealer, or trade, as distinguished from a brand posture the label of a manufacturer or producer. These inhabit order the manufacturer in lieu of a specific consequence and vend it under their own label. These products are moreover referred to as secret brand.

Retailering adapt private label stratagy for there cosmetic lines
Large retailers are the prime movers behind secret labeling as they develop their own brand. Manufacturers more often than not bear portly advertising expenditures while a secret labeler is able to swallow the same goods on a junior cost and as a result vend them on competitive prices. The cosmetic industry is as eternally growing secret label cosmetics brands and this competition has made the brands take their quality to the then level. Hip niche markets large players observe it obstinate to live on while secret brands with their own USP in matter take care of to boom in such markets.

The retailers moreover advantage from the reality to facilitate they don't bear to invest on some manufacturing plants and can start their own brand with very little assets investment. Private label cosmetics moreover provide an opportunity to create your own unique line of cosmetics, skin carefulness and spa products. You can brand your consequence under your label and bear your own logo in lieu of the consequence. The profit margin in advertising a consequence under one'e own label is many period elevated than to facilitate of vending and distributing a name else's consequence.

Most of the retailers who launch their secret label cosmetics take to the matter in imitation of having been in the retail or distribution of to facilitate consequence in lieu of about instance. They bear accomplished advertise skill on the order of the consequence and can quickly stature absent the possible of a consequence if it is manufactured under their secret label cosmetics brand. They would know the exact requirement of a customer in a clear geography and can focus on bringing absent current consequence under their brand label.

Private label cosmetics industry not individual proves to be beneficial in lieu of the retailers but in lieu of the manufacturers too. The large manufacturers benefit from such a company as they decline down on the endanger while manufacturing a consequence. Money inflow from the retailers stays smooth and as a result it lessens endanger while manufacturing the products. The small retailers take carefulness of the advertisement of their own products and as a result manufacturers make sure of not bear to discomfort on the order of advertisement and promotions.

Many giant sized manufacturers are engaged in specialized manufacturer secret label cosmetics and other skin carefulness products. The manufacturers are producing technically innovative, state-of-the-art, natural skin carefulness products in lieu of the secret label cosmetic brands. The manufacturers have available absent regular quality checks on the products to check in lieu of some irregularities. They moreover provide tremendous customer service to their clients.

Big manufacturers moreover have available absent regular study and development of their products to recover their quality and experience the advertise needs. Slight retailers who order in lieu of their own secret label cosmetics cannot afford such study and development opus due to the excessive cost issue. And moreover the reality to facilitate they many to bear the technical expertise to have available absent such study. Private label cosmetic bear gained titanic popularity in the new history and titanic growth is estimated in this advertise in the close to outlook.

Private Label Household Carpet Cleaners

EN household cleaners in Germany: cleanliness need not be expensive.

Household cleaners and household carpet cleaners are clearly the need to purchase, not a choice, which increases private label offering. However, the largest branded products shelf space and offers more choice than private label collections. However, there are private label equivalents to all the best sellers, and private label ranges penetrate the multiple segments of the specialty.

Furthermore, many product categories there are also several varieties to choose from private labels, such as a fragrance. Most private label products tend to be placed in the bottom of the shelf, especially in supermarkets, but to some extent also in pharmacies. price differences are significant: in many cases, prices of private label alternatives is half or even less compared to the leading premium brands.

Broadest and deepest ranges of private label is offered by a network of drugstores such as Schlecker, dm-drogeriemarkt, Rossmann and Müller.

Supermarkets and hypermarkets offer a much narrower scope, specialty cleaners and innovation is mainly branded products.

Petrol Stations as Aldi, Lidl and Penny Markt mainly selling private label products, according to their general approach to retail. Therefore, their private label ranges are slightly wider than the supermarkets. In addition, various specialized cleaners and innovation can often be found in their non-permanent offer in the weekly magazine brochures and leaflets with special offers.

Dm-drogeriemarkt
Dm-drogeriemarkt is the second largest drugstore network in terms of turnover. All their household cleaners are part of the myth Denk - second range is Die Profis for cleaning apparatus, such as brush or cloth. The new product is the nature of myth Denk, dishwashing tablet that contains no phosphates, conservatives or perfumes. The tablets are packaged in plastic soluble. Similar product can also be found in the ranges of all the other networks drugstore. One of the latest innovations, including a dishwasher card was Denk mit Multi-Power Revolution. Apart from a 5-in-1 functions (cleaning, washing special salt, glass protection and protection of metals) has improved the security of silver, shelling and functions under the care of the machine. What's more, they were first card in the range Denk myth that has been wrapped in plastic soluble.

Money is usually the products for black and white robes, wool and fine fabrics, as well as Waschmittel Pur, skin-friendly detergent that is free of odors, and colors of the conservative skin-friendly utensils as a cleaning agent. Pre-wash sprays are available in the standard model, and as part of a brand OxiEngergy with stain remover.
Dm drogeriemarkt employs myth Denk own brand range of household cleaners.

Denk mit field also bleach fabric at € 1.35 per 1 liter compared to € 2.25 for Ace Procter & Gamble. Fragrances include fabric softeners African Nights, Paradise Beach, as well as several traditional, such as the Ocean Breeze, Balm and Peach. The unique smell of liquid hand dishwashing Apple & Pear is, along with other varieties, such as balsam and sensitive skin. toilet cleaners are available in all possible formats: liquids, tablets, foam and gel. Mit field Denk many niche products such as ceramic cleaner or small sachet descaler for electrical equipment. Air fresheners are also part of the myth Denk.

Rossmann
Household cleaners Rossmann, Germany's third largest drugstore network, are sold under the brand umbrella Domol. Multi-purpose cleaners are available in fragrances Alpine freshness, grapefruit and lemon, all charged € 0.89 per 1 liter. Unique specialist cleaning laminate floors and cork floor cleaner and cleaner in both € 1.49 per 1l.

Domol detergent for washing the scope covers all major market segments, including several unique flavors and niche products. Examples include a detergent smell Tropic color, color card, hygiene scrubber (to remove bacteria to hygienically clean laundry), and detergents travel. Fragrances are softening Sensation Blue, Green Harmony, Hypoallergenic Lotion - Peach classic and ubiquitous.

The dishwashing detergent, the extent of the ecological Domol variety Domol ökologisch, sold at 3.19 € per package 32nd Other products include advanced Domol 7-in-1, also sold at € 3.19, but there are 40 pieces in the package. In addition to the standard 5-in-1 functions, offers a cleaning booster and low temperature system. However, Reckit Benckisers Calgonit Powerball costs 5,99 € per parcel 40th

Dishwashing liquids are available in the scents pretty standard: Classic, Orange and Sensitive Lotion. Other products include specialized Domol cleaner power, the air freshening sprays, electric airfresheners (in Flowers and Fragrances Magic Anti Tobacco), cleaner and cleaner electric power, dissolves grease spray, refreshener textile and carpet cleaner.

Schlecker
Schlecker is by far the largest network of chemists, but in terms of pace was the end of both dm and Rossmann in recent years. All Schlecker label household cleaning products are sold under the name AS. Money usually include a number of standard and universal color washing powder, detergents, fine material, a product specialist in black, and laundry detergent - standard and color - for sensitive skin.

Tropical varieties are softening Fresh Aloe Vera and Morning Fresh, all of € 0.99 per liter, and Sensitive (€ 1.19). Bottle of Lenor, one of the leading brands, usually amounts to € 1.99. AS niche products is the veil of the detergent and textile refreshener (€ 1.29 per 500 mL compared to € 3.99 per 500-ml bottle of Febreze Procter & Gamble). Hand dishwashing liquid scents are for Apple, Lime, and Ultra Balm Power, while the dishwasher tablet varieties Classic (€ 3.19 per pack of 60), All-in-One (€ 3.19 per pack of 36) and All In One Ökoline, environmentally friendly alternative (€ 2.99 per pack of 26).

Household vacuum cleaners includes descaler for cleaning bathrooms, washing windows, cleaning ceramic, stainless steel, cleaning and descaling based on organic citric acid.

In the supermarket channel, the major recent development was the emergence of a few average price of the brand: real, - Quality of Metro real, - hypermarkets beyond the scope of TiP economy, Rewe Rewe brand out of me! The economy and the Kaiser's Tengelmann in Starmarke outside the A & P. But at the time of this writing, only the real, - Quality of cleaning products contain any of the household, while both Rewe Kaiser's Tengelmann and still sell all the household cleaning products in their economy ranges.

Subway
Products under the new Metro Real - Quality range includes 3-in-1, 5-in-1, and 7-in-1 dishwashing tablets, all in the price of € 4.99, but the contents of the package ranges from 32, 30 to 28 tablets. Hand dishwashing products are available in scents for Apple Fresh, Lemon Fresh, Power Gel and Sensitive, all at € 1.29 per 600ml bottle.

Real, - the quality of toilet cleaners are available in the scents and Lemon Lemon Ocean, both at € 1.29 per 750 ml.

TiP products still exceeds the number of real, - Quality of cleaning products. Examples include various washing, such as Black Touch black clothing, fine fabric detergents and various detergent for colored fabrics, including varieties of apples or the smell of oranges. TiP fabric softeners include smells of spring, fresh, mild and soft and Flower & Vanilla. TiP products are dishwasher Lotion (hand dishwashing) and 5-in-1 dishwasher tablets, sold in packs of four. Multi-functional varieties of citrus are cleaner and Classic Soap.

Other products TiP is to clean the bathroom in the Apple and citrus scents, fresh, sold in a bottle with spray trigger.

Rewe
Meanwhile, in Rewe's me! The range includes over 35 products representing all major segments. In this way, wash me! products include various detergent powder (standard, concentrated and concentrated color), and liquid detergent (standard, color and fine fabric detergents).

fabric softeners contain varieties of the Rose Garden, Spring Fragrance and Schmuseduft (which translates as scent for Kissing). to remove stains are sold in 750 g of small buckets, and the variety and the White Power Oxi Oxi Stain Remover. Apple varieties are hand washing, fruit, orange and lemon.
Standard different dishwashing tablets in most areas of private labels, including myself!, Is now 5-in-1 claims, which are sold in packs of 40th Multi-purpose cleaners are available in Lemon Fragrances, Mix, Ocean and vinegar for cleaning and scrubbing Milk and products are available in the toilet and smells of Lemon Ocean. I! It also includes glass cleaner.

Edeka
Edeka, Germany's largest grocery retailer, has a relatively small scale and most EN EN products, which do not appear very clearly in the stores visited by the magazine International PL.

All items are part of the Gut and gunstige range of products of the economy, and the previous Blütenweiss sub-brand has fallen. Most major segments of the Gut and gunstige offer, usually in the normal smell and / or package size. fabric softeners are sold in the exotic scents Touch, Soft Dream, Cool Breeze and Spring Feeling.

Like most other characters, address ranges, where a segment of the Gut and gunstige is the current innovation dishwashing tablets, which offers a 7-in-1 variety, € 2.99 per pack of 40, in addition to standard tablets per € 3.19 60 per pack - the pack leader Calgonit 7-in-1 is € 5.99 for 28 tablets.

Lidl Discount Stores
Lidl discount stores, household cleaning products are sold in two main brands - Formil washing, W5, and most other detergents. The third brand Doussy, used exclusively for fabric softeners, which are available in Active Fresh Fragrances, jasmine, and Asian Spirit Softcare.
Formil range includes various standard and compact powders, liquids and tablets, including tablets for colored fabrics. The latest innovation is a new system for dissolving the dye added to the standard Formil Aktiv, a new model Formil Ultra Plus with increased efficiency in white robes and a temperature of 20 degrees too low.

With the new subbrand W5 Eco, Lidl is a private label with the largest number of environmentally friendly products. Until recently, this segment has been an Ecover Dutch company, but recently I saw an entry from the line Henkel Terra Activ. Several other private label ranges offered dishwashing tablets are environmentally friendly. They are also available as part of the W5 (€ 2.89 per pack of 26). But in addition, the W5 is also part dishwashing liquid (€ 1.15), vinegar for cleaning (€ 0.65) and toilet cleaner (€ 1.29).

At the time of writing, there were no similar products in other areas of PL, although it may be only a matter of time before they emerge. W5 standard range is relatively wide and deep, more than for example on a permanent rival Aldi Süd. In addition to all common dishes, and multi-purpose cleaning products, W5 well as fat dissolving chemicals, stainless steel, ceramic and glass cleaners, glass cleaners, shoe polish and the choice of toilet care products.

Aldi Discount Stores
Aldi, Germany's leading hard drive prices, has a core range of basic household cleaning products, which is regularly supplemented with the offer of specialized cleaners. Operation is split into Aldi Süd Aldi in southern Germany, Aldi Nord in the north.

PLI visited shops in the south. Key brands are the Tandil laundry, dishwashing Alio, Bims general cleaning products and specialist Zekol forces and cleaners.

Products sold as a temporary offers during January-February 2009 period included the Black and White Tandil Tandil, liquid deteregent to black and white robes, Tandil liquid fine fabric detergent, or Lily-Rose and smell or for sensitive skin.

Trends in Private label

Euromonitor analyst Carrie Lennard noted some general trends in beauty, including a move to more budget and private label color cosmetics brands, a continued presence by minerals and naturals and strong performance within facial makeup, namely foundation and formulas with antiaging properties. With high-profile exits in 2009 — such as Max Factor withdrawing from the U.S. market — the decision by other players to enter the sector during such a difficult year remains questionable.

Premium fragrance vendors, such as the Estée Lauder Cos. Inc., are shifting toward smaller packs to keep prices down for money-strapped consumers. Celebrities will still fuel fragrance sales in 2010, said Lennard, and fragrance will also move even closer to masstige positioning and distribution.

Hair care “has been hit by the threat of private label, like in shampoo, which is more of a commodity,” Lennard noted, adding hair color has done well as consumers cut back on visits to the hairdresser. “Products such as Clairol Root Touch Up target those cutting back on the salon,” she said.

Department stores are taking a knock in sales as consumers move toward mass channels, such as supermarkets, drugstores and even discounters. “Even though we are seeing an improvement in the economy, people find it easy to trade down, but more difficult to trade back up,” Lennard said. This trend is being seen especially in the men’s category as “there has been a shift toward mass, even though men’s started in prestige. It has shifted down. Men’s skin care is also beginning to mimic women’s with tinted moisturizers.”

According to Euromonitor, a trend toward “cross-category ‘spread betting’ and increased brand diversity has emerged as a key strategy for many players in beauty and personal care as it is seen as being lower risk than putting all one’s eggs in one basket,” said a recent report by the data firm. “Even though the beauty industry is starting to show signs of recovery, 2010 should see more companies shifting their category focus. Euromonitor International predicts that the most popular choices for new category entry will be skin care and men’s grooming.”

Resource: wwd.com