Organic and plant-based products continue to gain momentum across Europe’s private label sector, a trend clearly reflected at PLMA’s World of Private Label International Trade Show, taking place on 19–20 May at the RAI Amsterdam. With around 30% of the exhibition floor dedicated to organic, vegan and plant-based offerings, including dedicated organic pavilions organised by Food From Denmark, Consorzio Il Biologico and the Polish Chamber of Organic Food, the event underscores a broader shift towards more sustainable and health-conscious consumption.

Against this backdrop, De BioBorrel, a Dutch non-profit initiative focused on strengthening connections across the organic value chain, will host its Organic Happy Hour networking event on Tuesday 19 May from 18:30 to 19:30 in the Emerald Lounge at the RAI. Founded in 2017, De BioBorrel brings together stakeholders ranging from farmers and processors to retailers and consumers, with the aim of supporting the transition to a more sustainable food system.

The event will feature a keynote by Paul Holmbeck, a recognised authority in the organic sector and former Director of Organic Denmark. Holmbeck now advises governments, retailers and industry bodies across Europe on strategies to accelerate organic growth.

The networking session, which includes organic refreshments, offers attendees an opportunity to exchange insights and explore the commercial potential of organics in private label. Only a limited number of tickets is available for this event, so if you are interested in hearing more from Paul Holmbeck on organics, and what it could do for your company, make sure to reserve your spot directly from De BioBorrel via this link.

Cost: €15 p.p. including two organic drinks and bites.

PLMA’s first ever, annual European Private Label Market Report, titled "A Mosaic of Markets: PLMA’s 2026 Report On The Status Of Private Label Across Europe," is now available online. 

The report details sales results during 2025 of both private label and manufacturer brands across seventeen countries monitored exclusively for the Private Label Manufacturers Association International Council by NielsenIQ. Going forward, it is PLMA’s plan to provide the report yearly to members, retailers and others in the European private label community.

Private label unit sales in the US, on the heels of a strong finish in Q4 of 2025, carried the momentum into the new year with a solid 2.3% gain for the period ending January 25, per Circana's first 2026 report to PLMA. National brands advanced by 2.4%. 

After a subpar start to 2025, the final three months were much improved for retailer brand unit sales as they increased an aggregate of 4.6% over the same period a year ago. 

Own brand dollar sales for the month of January 2026 were also positive, up by 2.3%; national brands were ahead 4.6%.

PLMA’s 2026 US Private Label Report, "Store Brands: A Bright Beacon In U.S. Retail Landscape," which documents the unprecedented levels of market penetration achieved by the store brands industry last year, is available online at www.plma.com.

Too many marketing decisions are still driven by what the company likes or wants—rather than by what its customer actually values. While many organisations proudly claim to be customer-centric, the reality often tells a different story. In marketing and sales, this disconnect can be a costly business mistake.

Ask a consumer why they buy a particular product and you are unlikely to get a reliable answer. Often, people simply don’t know—or they rationalise their choice after the fact. In truth, purchasing decisions are largely driven by emotion. This is where effective marketing and sales succeed: by understanding and triggering the emotions that influence consumer choice.

On 25 March, from 12:30 to 13:30 CET, Sanne Dollerup of Buylogic will host an online webinar exploring emotional customer segmentation and the emotional drivers behind purchasing decisions.

The session is part of PLMA’s Lunch & Learn series and is free for PLMA members and retailers. To request a registration link, click here.

Carmen Silva presents Euromonitor International’s key global consumer trends for 2026, outlining how shifting values are reshaping behaviour and driving disruption across markets.

Carmen Silva is Senior Consultant at Euromonitor International; she leads beauty and fashion research across Latin America. An economist by training, she specialises in beauty and consumer health, combining qualitative insight with econometric forecasting to assess consumption trends and market dynamics across industries.

For more information on the webinar, contact: education@plma.nl

PLMA’s Online Executive Education Programme 2026, 4–5 March, offers executives a concise yet powerful update on the fast-evolving private label landscape. Across two focused morning sessions, leading industry experts will explore the trends, strategies and skills shaping private brand success.

Highlights include insights into global retail trends, private label strategy, sourcing developments, innovation in grocery, shopper behaviour, and the latest packaging design advances. Speakers include Ray Gaul (Retail Cities), Jens Sievert (Daymon), Marijn Overvest (Procurement Tactics), Alexander Bilsing (Simon Kucher), Food by Design, and an interview with former Walmart Vice-President Arjan Both. The programme is moderated by Edgar Elzerman of Elzerman Consulting.

For more programme details, click here.

Nominations are open for the 2026 International PLMA Salute to Excellence Awards, honouring the very best private label products launched in the past year. Retailers can now showcase their company’s innovation, quality, and creativity across food, health and beauty, and household categories. 

In addition, this year, the popular biennial Private Label Wine Awards will take place. For retailers, this is a great opportunity to have their wines blindly evaluated by top wine professionals, like Masters of Wine and Sommeliers, who will then select the finest private label wines for Best Quality and Best Value.

To nominate the top private label products that you introduced in your stores in the past year, contact PLMASalute@plma.nl.

Are you ready to explore the next chapter in private label growth and innovation? Join PLMA’s Lunch & Learn webinar, a one-hour online session designed especially for private label manufacturers, retailers, and wholesalers across Europe who want to stay ahead of the curve.

This session, "The rise of Private Label: How retailers are redefining value and innovation," will be led by Sneha Haria and Stephanie Leung from IGD, who will share exclusive insights from their newly released Trends 2025 report.

Set within the wider retail landscape, this session will provide practical knowledge and strategic inspiration to help your business thrive in a rapidly changing market.

Free for PLMA members, retailers and wholesalers.

Secure your place now and make the most of your lunch hour by investing in your future success. Click here to request a registration link!

PLMA’s online Lunch & Learn programme is designed for private label manufacturers, retailers and wholesalers who want to expand their knowledge of the private label business. PLMA organises several sessions a year, each focusing on emerging industry topics and trends.

The next session is "The rise of Private Label: How retailers are redefining value and innovation," to be held Wednesday 26 November from 12:30 to 13:30 CET with Sneha Haria and Stephanie Leung of IGD.

Participation in PLMA's Lunch & Learn Speaker Series is free for PLMA members, retailers and wholesalers. To request a registration link, click here.

Private labels are no longer the alternative — they’re the growth engine of modern retail. As private brands continue to capture market share across Europe and beyond, the PLMA Annual Private Label Summit will bring together FMCG leaders, manufacturers, and retailers to tackle the question shaping the future of our industry:

What does today’s consumer really want — and how can private brands deliver?

Taking place in Copenhagen on 28–29 October, this year’s Summit promises two days of insight, innovation, and inspiration designed to help you stay ahead in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

Request a registration link here.