Velocity Institute

About Christopher Durham

Christopher Durham is the president of the Velocity Institute. Prior to this he founded the groundbreaking site My Private Brand. He is the co-founder of The Vertex Awards. He began his retail career building brands at Food Lion and Lowe’s Home Improvement. Durham has worked with retailers around the world, including Albertsons, Family Dollar, Petco, Staples, Office Depot, Best Buy, Metro Canada. Durham has published seven definitive books on private brands, including Fifty2: The My Private Brand Project and Vanguard: Vintage Originals.
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Private Brands Celebrate #JustOneCup with Fair Trade USA

[et_pb_section fb_built="1" _builder_version="3.22"][et_pb_row _builder_version="3.25" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="3.25" custom_padding="|||" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text _builder_version="3.27.4" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat"]This week Fair Trade USA celebrated its #JustOneCup campaign to aid coffee farmers amid an unprecedented coffee crisis as the pandemic continues. The campaign dominated by retailers and their private brands highlights commitments by 8 of its business partners that bring

Private Brands Celebrate #JustOneCup with Fair Trade USA2021-09-15T09:39:46-04:00

IKEA to Remove Non-rechargeable Alkaline Batteries by 2021

Following IKEA’s commitment to inspire and enable people to live a healthier and more sustainable life at home, all non-rechargeable alkaline private brand batteries will be removed from the global home furnishing range by October 2021. With this decision, IKEA wishes to inspire consumers who need to frequently use batteries to make a switch to

IKEA to Remove Non-rechargeable Alkaline Batteries by 20212021-09-15T09:39:46-04:00

Waitrose Celebrates 10 years of the magic of Heston

[et_pb_section fb_built="1" _builder_version="4.6.5" _module_preset="default"][et_pb_row _builder_version="4.6.5" _module_preset="default"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.6.5" _module_preset="default"][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids="73819,73818,73817,73816,73815,73814,73813" fullwidth="on" _builder_version="4.6.5" _module_preset="default"][/et_pb_gallery][et_pb_text _builder_version="4.6.5" _module_preset="default"]It’s been 10 years since Heston Blumenthal first teamed up with the expert private brand product developers at British grocer Waitrose to bring a host of unique products to the supermarket’s shelves and Waitrose.com. To celebrate the 10-year partnership, Heston has

Waitrose Celebrates 10 years of the magic of Heston2021-09-15T09:39:46-04:00

Sobeys launches its largest-ever Private Brand Ad Campaign

[et_pb_section fb_built="1" _builder_version="4.6.5" _module_preset="default"][et_pb_row _builder_version="4.6.5" _module_preset="default"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.6.5" _module_preset="default"][et_pb_text _builder_version="4.6.5" _module_preset="default"]Canada’s second-largest grocery retailer, Sobeys has launched a new marketing campaign in support of its Vertex Award-winning private brand Compliments. In an article in the online Canadian trade magazine Strategy Sandra Sanderson, SVP of marketing for Sobeys, calls it the “largest private label marketing campaign in our

Sobeys launches its largest-ever Private Brand Ad Campaign2021-09-15T09:39:46-04:00

Ikea to Launch New Plant Based Meatballs

Tomorrow September 28, home retailer IKEA will launch a new plant-based private brand Swedish meatball to its in-store menu. The “plant ball,” the new option—which builds on an existing plant-based meatball that IKEA launched in 2015—is made from yellow pea protein, oats, potatoes, onion, and apple. “At IKEA, we sell more than one billion meatballs every

Ikea to Launch New Plant Based Meatballs2021-09-15T09:39:46-04:00

Chewy – Director, Brand Management

[et_pb_section fb_built="1" _builder_version="4.6.5" _module_preset="default"][et_pb_row _builder_version="4.6.5" _module_preset="default"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.6.5" _module_preset="default"][et_pb_text _builder_version="4.6.5" _module_preset="default"]MPB Careers: Chewy - Director, Brand Management About Chewy Chewy is revolutionizing the pet industry as one of the fastest-growing e-commerce retailer of all time. We offer a convenient way to shop for pet supplies within a highly personalized experience that's fueled by superior customer

Chewy – Director, Brand Management2021-12-15T20:02:54-05:00

Taste the Season With Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Spice Batons

Like their Cocoa cousins, Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Spice Batons are like music for your mouth. These delicate, crunchy Wafer Cookies – carefully crafted by experienced bakers into the shape of a conductor’s baton – are filled with a soft, sweet, pumpkin-flavored cream spiced with a blend of classic pumpkin-pie spices, like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and clove

Taste the Season With Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Spice Batons2021-09-15T09:39:47-04:00

Continente Launches Aluminum Coffee Capsules

Portuguese retailer and Vertex Award winner Sonae MC/Continente has launched a new range of private brand Continente Selection coffee capsules in aluminum, compatible with Nespresso machines. The capsules are available in 4 varieties: Decaffeinato, Seducente, Ristretto, and Possente.   These aluminum coffee capsules are a unique and differentiating proposition in their own brands and reinforce the

Continente Launches Aluminum Coffee Capsules2021-09-15T09:39:47-04:00

British Environmentalist Ella Daish to Speak at the My Private Brand Virtual Sustainability Summit

[et_pb_section fb_built="1" _builder_version="4.5.6" _module_preset="default"][et_pb_row _builder_version="4.5.6" _module_preset="default"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.5.6" _module_preset="default"][et_pb_text _builder_version="4.6.1" _module_preset="default" custom_padding="0px|||||"]British activist and environmentalist Ella Daish will sit down with My Private Brand’s Christopher Durham to discuss her award-winning campaign to eliminate all plastic feminine hygiene products at The My Private Brand Virtual Sustainability Summit October 15, 2020. The campaign calls on supermarkets and manufacturers

British Environmentalist Ella Daish to Speak at the My Private Brand Virtual Sustainability Summit2021-09-15T09:39:47-04:00

Amazon launches “Climate Pledge Friendly” program

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8Y9yS_C32A&feature=emb_logo Amazon is launching Climate Pledge Friendly, a new program to help make it easy for customers to discover and shop for more sustainable products. Customers will now see the Climate Pledge Friendly label when searching for more than 25,000 products to signify that the products have one or more of 19 different sustainability certifications

Amazon launches “Climate Pledge Friendly” program2021-09-15T09:39:47-04:00

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Velocity is the global industry association focused on retailers and their brands across all categories and channels. Velocity is leading the game-changing shift to radically transform the private label industry into RETAIL BRANDCENTRIC & CONSUMER FOCUSED. ALL retailers, manufacturers, and solution partners dedicated to helping to build Retail-owned Brands are invited to join the Institute.

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