Phillip Russo

Authentic Italian grocery products—Parmigiano- Reggiano, extra-virgin olive oil, Prosciutto di Parma, balsamic vinegar—aren’t just luxury imports anymore. They’re high-growth drivers for American grocery retailers, especially in private label programs that compete on trust, quality, and storytelling. Despite tariffs and supply chain turbulence, Italian suppliers are finding ways to keep their products on U.S. shelves—and in shoppers’ carts.

NOV 16-18, 2025 CHICAGO PLMA’s annual Private Label Trade Show has experienced tremendous growth and success. Over the past two years, exhibitor and visitor attendance have increased about 30%. The 2025 Show, Nov. 16-18 in Chicago, will feature more than 35,000 food and nonfood products, about 3,000 booths, and nearly 2,000 exhibitors. PLMA has added over 100 new booths to the Show floor this year after adding over 200 booths last year.

U.S. store brands retain a sizable lead over national brands in both dollar and unit sales gains, per YTD data ending August 10, provided exclusively to PLMA by Circana and available to association members and retailers on plma.com. Store brand dollar sales were ahead 4% and store brand unit sales were up 0.3% for the period. By way of comparison, national brand dollar sales were plus 1.3% while national brand unit sales fell 0.5%.