Supermarket Perimeter - December 2020 - 6

the

WIRE
2021 Winter
Fancy Food Show
canceled; virtual
event announced
The New Yorkbased Specialty Food
Association (SFA) has
canceled the 2021 Winter
Fancy Food Show which
was scheduled to take
place at the Moscone
Center in San Francisco
Jan. 17-19.
The cancellation of
the 46th annual
winter show was
driven by the
closure of
the Moscone
Center due to
the COVID-19
pandemic,
ongoing travel
restrictions and general
safety for all participants.
SFA will host a virtual
event, Specialty Food
LIVE!, in place of the inperson show Jan. 19-22.
The online show
in January will be
the second iteration
of Specialty Food
LIVE!, which had its
ﬁrst successful run in
September. The virtual
event will include an
all-inclusive digital
marketplace event,
where members and
buyers can conduct
business and continue
6 - DECEMBER 2020

to put specialty food on
store shelves, safely and
economically.
" While we are
disappointed that the
Winter Fancy Food Show
has been canceled, we're
excited about our new
series of virtual events,
Specialty Food LIVE! "
said Bill Lynch, interim
president, Specialty
Food Association.
" Our initial launch this
past September
generated
signiﬁcant
positive
feedback.
With more
than 11,0000
connections
between buyers
and makers, and buyer
demand to extend the
event by an extra day,
we are conﬁdent that we
can continue to build on
that success and deliver
more opportunities
for our members to
grow their business in
January. "
The January event
will also include new
educational programs,
virtual networking
events, and the SFA's
new and popular
Virtual Product Tasting
Experience, which
allows buyers to sample

pre-delivered specialty
food products while
listening to makers
describe them.

FMI: Private brands
have increased
opportunities
during pandemic
The Arlington, Va.based FMI - The Food
Industry Association
released its 2020 Power
of Private Brands report,
which identiﬁed that
there is an increased
consumer demand for
private brands amid the
COVID-19 pandemic.
" The rise in demand
for private brands in part
due to the COVID-19
pandemic has created a
tipping point, " said Doug
Baker, vice president
of industry relations
for FMI. " Now is the
time for senior leaders
in private brands to
energize their company
and create private brand
ambassadors from the
C-suite to marketing
and merchandising to
frontline store-level
personnel. "
The report was
compiled with sales data,
consumer and industry
survey responses and
industry interviews. Key
ﬁndings include:
* Ecommerce and
private brands: The
majority (83%) of
food retailers expect
to boost private
brand strategies
for ecommerce as
more consumers
utilize online grocery
shopping options.
Retailers are looking
to enhance the
www.supermarketperimeter.com

merchandising and
assortment of private
brands in their online
grocery shopping
experiences.
* Assortment
Opportunity: Almost
all retailers (97%) are
rethinking private
brand assortments
and supplier
strategies because of
experiences during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
About 77% of private
brand retailers said
they plan to focus
more on price/valueoriented items and
73% are focused on
items that support
home cooking and
meal preparation.

More than 83% of food
retailers said fresh
foods, such as bakery
and deli, represent a
major opportunity for
private brands.
* A Role for the C-Suite
in Private Brands:
When asked how
important private
brands are to their
organization, 93%
of food retailers said
either extremely
or very important.
Building on enhanced
shopper interest
in private brands,
food retailers can
emphasize private
brands from the store
level up through the
C-Suite.

Now is the time for senior leaders in private brands
to energize their company and create private brand
ambassadors.
http://www.supermarketperimeter.com
Supermarket Perimeter - December 2020

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