Momentum for private brands continues to build, according to the latest FMI report based on IRI data. The 2019 edition of FMI’s Power of Private Brands: From the Consumer finds that food retail private brands are advancing in several ways.

Succeeding in private brands requires great products, but that’s not all.Increasingly it’s also about pursuing key strategies to accelerate the business. A number of strategies were discussed at the recent FMI Private Brands DC Summit.

While we're optimistic that the government will stay open past November 21, we encourage members to be prepared in case of a federal shutdown. Any food retail operation that may need to renew or apply for a new Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) license in the coming months should do so immediately.

According to The Food Retailing Industry Speaks 2019 report, 93% of grocers who responded to the survey use community support and ties as a service differentiation strategy and 73% see it as successful—the highest of any strategy. These stats make me think that while, yes, community support might be a strategy for a grocery store to set themselves apart, perhaps since so many are using this strategy and seeing success, community support is really just a part of the core nature of grocers.