Once a retailer has chosen a supplier and a label, it’s time to rip open that box of products and get shoppers clamoring for their new loyal brand.
Not so fast; promoting a private label brand takes strategy and, sometimes, patience. “It is all about the story and how it is told,” said Cheryl Hughes, owner of Whole Wheatery, a natural products store in Lancaster, CA. She said the customer wants to know the tale behind the products. “Who makes them? What are their procedures for safety and quality? And, do they provide truth in labeling?”
Commitment is the difference Joni Russell, director of sales, Reliance Vitamin Co. said she sees between retailers with successful private label brands and those that are ineffective. “Developing your own brand is like developing your business in general; you have to reach out to your customers one on one and let them know that you have a solution for them. We find if a retailer is committed to their brand, the sky is the limit, and if they are not, their brand will fail.”
Part of that commitment means staff training. Retailers and their staff members should know their products’ characteristics and be able to compare them to national brands and competing private label brands in the area. Connie Falkenstein, RD, MS, MPH, director of marketing and education, and Dr. S.K. Dash, president and chief scientific officer, UAS Laboratories, said these differences should be emphasized in marketing materials, and experienced by shoppers via samples.
To help educate staff, many suppliers, like Vitamer, Nuvite and FoodScience Corp., offer trainings, in-store demos, data sheets or online tutorials.
And, shelf space is critical. “The appearance of your product on the shelves is as important as the product itself,” said Bob Dunn, brand manager, Nuvite. “You don’t have to be eight products deep and take up two racks of shelving, but at the same time, you don’t want to have two bottles of product sitting in the upper corner of your shelving. Find the balance that works for your store and your budget.”