Bakgrund Detaljisterna på den svenska livsmedelsmarknaden har bland annat genom koncentration fått ökad makt gentemot leverantörer. Då de tre största detaljisterna står för 87 % av marknaden är det av betydelse för leverantörerna att få sälja till dessa detaljister. Detaljisterna säljer inte bara leverantörernas produkter utan även egna märkesvaror. Detta leder till att leverantörens kund, detaljisten, även är deras konkurrent. Genomförande Vi har genomfört en kvalitativ studie för att undersöka hur leverantörerna kan konkurrera med de egna märkesvarorna. Vår empiri är grundad på intervjuer med åtta leverantörer och två detaljister. Vidare har vi genomfört tre fokusgrupper med totalt tolv konsumenter. Resultat Leverantörerna måste göra sig attraktiv för både detaljister och konsumenter. Genom att driva produktkategorin kan detaljisten göra sig attraktiv för detaljisten då försäljningen av de egna märkesvarorna ökar om produktkategorin växer. Produktutveckling och reklam är två sätt att driva en produktkategori. Konsumentens krav på leverantörernas produkter är att de skall hålla högre kvalitet varför det är viktigt för leverantörerna att ta hänsyn till detta. Eftersom detaljisterna har stor makt är det viktigt för leverantörerna att minska beroendet till dessa. Detta kan uppnås genom att leverantörerna ingår i koncerner. Då minskar beroendet av ett enskilt varumärke. Leverantörerna kan även sprida sina risker genom att sälja till olika marknader, så som restauranger och storkök samt till andra nationella marknader. / Background The retailer in the Swedish grocery market has increased their power throw concentration. The three largest retailers have a market share of 87 %, and for the suppliers it is important to sell to these retailers. The retailers doesn’t only sell the suppliers products, they also sell their own private labels. This means that the suppliers’ costumer, the retailer, also is their competitor. Execution This study is conducted as a qualitative study to examine how the suppliers can manage the competition from the private labels. Our empirical data is collected throw interviews with eight suppliers and two retailers. Three focus groups with a total of twelve consumers have also been made. Results The suppliers have to satisfy both consumers and the retailers. By research and development the supplier satisfy the retailer because the public labels sales increase as the product category increases. Advertising is another way to increase the sales of the product category. The consumers’ demand of the suppliers’ products is that they should have superior quality. This aspect is important for the supplier to have in mind. Though the retailers’ has a great power, suppliers must the decrease the dependence to the retailer. This can be accomplished throw selling to different markets, such as restaurants and other national markets. The suppliers can also join a group of other suppliers, and the effect will be that the dependence of a single brand decreases.

The four grocery chains Axfood, Bergendahls, Coop and ICA, all providing private labels, dominate the Swedish grocery market. Through private labels, it may be possible to convey an image about the grocery chain's overall brand. Furthermore, it is important that the grocery chain's employees have a fairly consistent understanding regarding the company's image to achieve success. The main purpose of this study is to examine how the intended image the Swedish grocery chains head offices will communicate through private labels is perceived among the store employees. The study intends to provide an expanded view among the grocery chains' work on internal communications regarding the image of private labels. The research method is qualitative. Further, personal semi-structured interviews were conducted with grocery chains' head offices and stores. The survey shows that the need for internal communication is, in some cases, a higher priority among key offices than among the stores. Distinct differences can also be distinguished between grocery chains, where the main offices and stores perceptions of private labels in some cases differ. The survey also shows that the grocery chains' efforts with private labels differ depending on whether the private labels are possible to associate with the grocery chain's overall brand or not. / Den svenska dagligvarumarknaden domineras av de fyra dagligvaruhandelskedjorna Axfood, Bergendahls, Coop och ICA som alla tillhandahåller egna märkesvaror (EMV). Genom EMV kan det vara möjligt att förmedla en image kring dagligvarukedjans samlade varumärke. Vidare är det av stor vikt att dagligvarukedjans medarbetare har en någorlunda samstämmig uppfattning gällande företagets image för att nå framgång. Studien syftar till att undersöka hur den avsedda imagen, som svenska dagligvaruhandelskedjors huvudkontor ämnar förmedla genom egna märkesvaror, uppfattas bland butiksmedarbetarna. Undersökningen har för avsikt att ge en vidgad uppfattning kring dagligvarukedjornas arbete med den interna kommunikationen gällande EMVs image. Studiens forskningsmetod är kvalitativ där personliga semi- strukturerade intervjuer har genomförts med dagligvarukedjornas huvudkontor och butiker. Undersökningen visar att behovet av intern kommunikation i vissa fall är större bland huvudkontoren än bland butikerna. Tydliga skillnader går även att urskilja dagligvarukedjorna emellan, där huvudkontorens och butikernas uppfattningar kring EMV som fenomen i vissa fall går isär. Undersökningen visar vidare att dagligvarukedjornas arbete med EMV är olika beroende på om de egna märkesvarorna är möjliga att associera till dagligvarukedjans samlade varumärke eller inte.

Our aim is to examine from the marketing perspective how a food retailer such as AB Vassilopoulos approaches organic private label products sold in its premises under the brand “AB Bio”.

Pagrindinis darbo tikslas yra išanalizuoti privačių ženklų keliamas grėsmes gamintojų ženklams ir atlikus tyrimą aprašyti galimus grėsmių sušvelninimo metodus. Darbas yra sudarytas iš trijų dalių: teorinė analizė, situacijos analizė ir projektinių sprendimų. Privačių prekių ženklų produktai, tai produktai, kurie parduodami tik tuose prekybos tinkluose, kuriems šie prekių ženklai priklauso. Juos kontroliuoja mažmenininkai, kurie turi išskirtines teises į šiuos prekių ženklus. Ilgą laiką privatūs ženklai buvo asocijuojami su maža kaina ir prasta kokybe, bet šiame darbe atliktas tyrimas parodė, kad privačių ženklų produkcija ir jų kokybė yra gana teigiamai vertinama . Šio reiškinio pasekmė yra nauja ir daug sudėtingesnė bei kelianti vis didesnes grėsmes gamintojų ženklams. Trečioje dalyje bus pateikti metodai , kaip būtų galima sušvelninti keliamas privačių ženklų grėsmes. / The main aim of the work is analyzing threats that private labels pose to manufacturer brands and, upon the completion of a research, describing methods of mitigating these threats. The work consists of three parts i.e. theoretical analysis, situational analysis and project solutions. Private label products are the products which are sold in stores of retail networks which own these private labels. They are controlled by retailers which have executive rights for these private labels. For a significant period of time private labels were associated with low price and low quality, but the research carried out in this work demonstrates that private label products and their quality are evaluated quite positively. The outcome of this phenomenon is new and more complex as well as posing growing threats to manufacturer brands. The third part presents methods of mitigating the threats which private labels pose.

The main aim of my thesis was to assess the current state of organic food selling in retail chains in terms of assortment range, requirements and sale culture and to suggest appropriate measures based on the data obtained. The theoretical part is focused on defining the concept of organic farming, through organic products right to organic food. The empirical part is focused on the evaluation of the supply list with specific types of organic products offered in individual stores, comparing the offer of organic food between retail units, and finally comparing the offer of organic food within the former districts. The analysis contains also summarized findings resulting from a questionnaire survey among retail business organizations. The conclusion of the empirical part is focused on answering presented hypotheses and proposing recommendations.

abstract: Private label growth in emerging markets has not kept pace with the growth in private labels elsewhere. For instance, in Europe and North America, private labels now constitute an average of 35% of total retail market share, compared to emerging markets, where market shares vary between 1% and 8 %. This dissertation examines the possibility that differences in private-label performance between developed and emerging economies is not driven by one mechanism, but arises from a variety of sources, both structural, and behavioral. Specifically, I focus on manufacturers’ market power, retailers’ private label portfolio strategies, and consumers’ perceptions of private labels. In most emerging economies, national brand manufacturers tend to be the sole producers of private labels. As a result, manufacturers have inherent market power and can deter retailers from pursuing aggressive private label strategies, which results in low private label market shares. Moreover, some retailers in emerging economies now carry their private labels as part of a multi-tiered portfolio. However, a small price-gap between the quality tiers results in high intraportfolio competition leading to cannibalization and lower private label market shares. Last, private label market shares in emerging economies may be smaller than in developed economies because low-income households prefer higher priced national brands. This counterintuitive phenomenon is driven by two interrelated factors. First, social influence implies that low-income households are upward-comparing, they contrast themselves with high-income households whom they believe are better-off. Because higher-income households purchase national brands, upward-comparisons lead to a preference for national brands. Second, low income households are unknowledgeable about private label advancements hence they prefer national brands. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Agribusiness 2016

abstract: Private labels command a growing share of food retailers' shelf space. In this dissertation, I explain this phenomenon as resulting from "umbrella branding," or the ability of a single brand to reach across categories. Conceptually, I define umbrella branding as a behavioral attribute that describes a shopper's tendency to ascribe a performance bond to a brand, or to associate certain performance characteristics to a private label brand, across multiple categories. In the second chapter, I describe the performance bond theory in detail, and then test this theory using scanner data in the chapter that follows. Because secondary data has limitations for testing behavioral theories, however, I test the performance bond theory of umbrella branding using a laboratory experiment in the fourth chapter. In this chapter, I find that households tend to transfer their perception of private label performance across categories, or that a manifestation of umbrella branding behavior can indeed explain private labels' success. In the fifth chapter, I extend this theory to compare umbrella branding in international markets, and find that performance transference takes its roots in consumers' cultural backgrounds. Taken together, my results suggest that umbrella branding is an important behavioral mechanism, and one that can be further exploited by retailers across any consumer good category with strong credence attributes. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Agribusiness 2014

Empresas multinacionais têm se deparado com a necessidade de adotar práticas sustentáveis, ocorrendo o mesmo com grandes redes varejistas. Estas empresas, assim como toda sua rede de fornecimento, devem estar em sintonia com a responsabilidade social e ambiental. Os produtos marcas próprias, sendo de responsabilidade dos varejistas, poderiam se adequar aos padrões sustentáveis. Esta pesquisa contribui com a literatura do varejo, pois há poucos estudos envolvendo marcas próprias e seus aspectos socioambientais. Tem como objetivo investigar como e quais são os aspectos socioambientais contemplados pelo varejo em relação aos fornecedores de marcas próprias. Mais que isso, pretende entender quais certificações e indicadores são utilizados para assegurar se os padrões sustentáveis têm sido respeitados. Para isso, o método de pesquisa adotado foi o qualitativo, tendo como forma de coleta de dados entrevistas semiestruturadas com os três principais varejistas do Brasil, três fornecedores de marcas próprias e a Abmapro, além de consulta a documentos. A análise dos dados foi feita com a técnica de análise de conteúdo, sendo os dados agrupados em categorias temáticas. Como resultado, foi possível encontrar que as certificações BRC e FSC estão presentes nos contratos entre varejistas e fornecedores de marcas próprias. E que a verificação do cumprimento desses quesitos é realizada por empresas terceirizadas (SGS e Bureau Veritas) que auditam os fornecedores periodicamente. / Multinational companies are facing the necessity of adopting sustainable practices. The big retailers suffer with the same problem. They, besides of all supply network must be tuned with social and environmental sustainability. The private label products, which are by retailer\'s responsibility, could fit with the sustainable patterns. This research contributes with the retail literature, because there are no many papers about private label and environmental and social sustainability thematic. The objective is to investigate how and which environmental and social criteria are important are important for retailer in relation with private label products supplier\'s - is innovator. Besides this, this research intends to comprehend what are the certifications and indicators that are used to assure if sustainable patterns have been followed. For this, the adopted research method is qualitative study, and collecting data are semi-structured interviews with the three main retailers of Brazil, three private label product supplier\'s and Abmapro, besides document consulting. The data analyses are done with content analyses technique, being the data grouped into thematic categories. As a result, it was possible to identify that BRC and FSC certifications are in the contract between retailers and private label supplier\'s. And that accomplish of these requirements is done outside enterprises (by SGS and Bureau Veritas) that inspect often suppliers.

Private labels have been developing in Europe for a long time, but China is still in the primary stage. Compared with the developed countries, Chinese retail enterprises, especially supermarkets, have a lower level of their private label development. With the expansion of Chinese retail business, private labels have been adopted by more and more enterprises. However, the existing supermarkets’ private labels are not well known to Chinese consumers. The purpose of this study is to compare the different opinions regarding private labels from Chinese young consumers and Swedish young consumers towards RT-Mart and ICA respectively. Both the Chinese supermarket RT-Mart and the Swedish supermarket ICA have a large number of stores and quite a lot of influences in the local area. This study uses a case study method to study from the perspective of the consumer. This paper first introduces the background of private labels, and then analyzes the actual situation of ICA and RT-Mart. From the consumer perspective, we studied the different ideas of young consumers in two countries on their private labels. The analysis is based on young consumers of different nationalities.

The thesis deals with the issue of corporate social responsibility (CSR). Specifically, it focuses on responsible purchasing of raw materials for the production of private labels products. The way to achieve the sustainability of private labels is explaind on the example of Ahold Czech Republic. The thesis is divided into two parts. In the theoretical part, the author explains basic definitions and concepts of CSR, and also deals with the reporting of the results of CSR activities. In the practical application, the author introduces critical commodities together with its environmental, social and economic risks, which are connected with irresponsible and unsustainable way of cultivation. An essential part of the work is the introduction of certification systems that provide certification for farmers and other supply chain actors. Certification guarantees sustainable cultivation. In the final part of the work the author compares the process of individual and group certification and proposes a tangible advantageous solution for Czech suppliers.