Tier expansion, product and packaging innovation and a focus on categories that are not heavily marketed by national brand manufacturers yield the highest returns for retailer store brands.

In order to tap the true growth potential, all players – retailers, manufacturers and third party partners – must develop new capabilities and strategic focus.

Retailers, branding strategists and design experts at a Store Brands Decisions’ roundtable identified how to elevate the store brand game through savvy branding and creativity in premium packaging and design.

Workshop speakers present a shelf optimization case study, forecast store brand growth categories, and highlight new product innovation flavor and other product attribute trends.

More store brand retailers are requiring manufacturer testing and certification, but forward thinking operators also use quality assurance services for other innovative applications such as brand marketing, resource allocation and vendor evaluations.

With the benefits of store brands growth come increasing business challenges. How do retailers use consumer insights to reduce the risk of new product development? What's the optimal shelf space for store brands? How can new products and packaging get on shelves faster? These questions and more are being answered with new innovative tools that can simplify processes and increase profits.

Whether its Wal-Mart's product lifecycle system to support its sustainability initiative or Supervalu's shelf management technology to optimize profits, one thing is clear -- retailers are using better and more sophisticated tools to manage store brands.

Editor's Note: This is the first part of a series on store brands innovation, leading up to the PLMA Private Label Trade Show Nov. 15-17 in Chicago. Subsequent articles will feature case studies and focus on topics such as consumer insights, product testing and certification, packaging design, strategy and branding, product lifecycle management and supply chain logistics.

Thought Leadership: Andres Siefken, Daymon Worldwide

As CPG companies wrestle to minimize profit erosion caused by store brands -- and try to distract retailers with even heftier promotional allowances -- retailers must recommit to their store brand strategies for long-term and sustainable growth.

The grocer’s Preferred Pet line is one of its most developed brands in the non-foods category, but a new health and remedies brand and a separate beauty care brand are set to expand quickly.

Editor’s Note: This is the last article in an exclusive four-part series on A&P’s revamped store brand’s program. The first part, “A&P’s Store Brands Transformation,” focused on the grocer’s overall strategy and plan. Part II, “A&P’s High Hopes for Premium,” highlighted Via Roma, Hartford Reserve and AC Gold. Last week’s Part III, “A&P’s ‘Green Way’ to Sustainability,” featured the new natural and organic brand.

Rolling up organic, natural foods and earth-friendly products and packaging under one storewide brand, A&P launched Green Way, which includes everything from food and beverages to household cleaners.

  This is the third in an exclusive four-part series on A&P's revamped store brands' program. Part I, "A&P's Store Brands Transformation," focused on the grocer's overall strategy and plan. Last week's Part II, "A&P's High Hopes for Premium Store Brands," focused on Via Roma, Hartford Reserve and AC Gold. The final part of the series next week will spotlight the grocer's health care, beauty care and pet brands -- Live Better, Market Spa and Preferred Pet.

A&P created Via Roma, a first-class brand of Italian specialty foods, and launched top-shelf Hartford Reserve and AC Gold, two 'better-than' programs that will be used selectively.

Editor's Note: This is the second of an exclusive four-part series on A&P's revamped store brand's program. Last week's article, "A&P's Store Brands Transformation," focused on the grocer's overall strategy and plan. Subsequent weekly articles in the series will feature Green Way, A&P's natural and organic brand, as well as its health care, beauty care and pet brands -- Live Better, Market Spa and Preferred Pet.

In less than 18 months, Doug Palmer and his team revamped A&P's entire store brands portfolio and developed more than a half dozen new product lines to address the unique needs of various customer segments.

This is the first of an exclusive four-part series by Store Brands Decisions on A&P's revamped store brands' program. Subsequent weekly articles in the series will focus on the grocer's new and redesigned brands including premium lines such as Via Roma, Hartford Reserve and AC Gold; Green Way, its natural and organic brand; as well as its health care, beauty care and pet brands -- Live Better, Market Spa and Preferred Pet.

Super Dollar Discount Foods, which predominantly features store brands, enables KVAT to more effectively compete against Wal-Mart Super Centers and Aldi's limited assortment stores.