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.

Loblaw -No (plastic) stone left unturned

The challenges posed by plastic waste are well documented. Products can accumulate in landfills, pollute our oceans and landscapes, harm marine life, and degrade ecosystems. Inconsistent methods of recyclability make the problem worse by increasing waste volume and demoralizing those trying to do the right thing. “We’re not standing by. As the nation’s (Canada’s)

Loblaw -No (plastic) stone left unturned2023-08-24T22:19:48-04:00

SPINS to Present at Velocity Sustainability Summit

The Sustainability Summit 2023 is a month away, and we’re excited to see everyone again in Austin. Now is a great time to purchase your tickets and travel, and we hope to see you soon. The biggest announcement today is our first presentation. Over the next few weeks, we will reveal all the presentations including

SPINS to Present at Velocity Sustainability Summit2023-08-24T21:59:58-04:00

Albert Heijn Launches “Better in own brand. And you notice that” Campaign

The number of Retailer-owned Brand products in the shopping basket has increased for the third year in a row. Dutch grocer Albert Heijn shares this on the eve of the new campaign “Better in own brand. And you notice that.” which started today. Ahold Delhaize-owned Albert Heijn shows customers that they can choose

Albert Heijn Launches “Better in own brand. And you notice that” Campaign2023-08-25T15:17:33-04:00

30 Days & Counting to the Sustainability Summit

Velocity Institute’s annual Sustainability Summit is fast approaching - September 26-27 in Austin, Texas. This year, we’re going bigger than ever, with more than two dozen speakers and twenty hours of insights and networking events—all in just two days. Register Now! Featuring presentations from: Tom Hermes, VP, Sourcing and Product Development, WHOLE FOODS MARKET

30 Days & Counting to the Sustainability Summit2023-08-24T21:41:26-04:00

Wegmans Kills Private Brand Soda

A popular Wegmans-owned brand product is being discontinued! The Rochester, New York-based grocer announced it is discontinuing its Wegmans brand soda, also known as "WPOP," because of concerns over artificial ingredients in the products. In a statement released Wednesday, Wegmans said the soda fails to meet the requirements of its "Our Food You Feel

Wegmans Kills Private Brand Soda2023-08-24T19:40:02-04:00

CVS Health launches Cordavis

CVS Health today announced that it had launched Cordavis, a wholly-owned subsidiary that will work directly with manufacturers to commercialize and/or co-produce private brand biosimilar products (an FDA-approved biologic medication that is highly similar to and has no clinically meaningful differences from a biologic medicine already approved by the FDA) for the U.S. pharmaceutical

CVS Health launches Cordavis2023-08-24T18:54:18-04:00

Final Velocity Sustainability Summit Presentations Announced

In a post-COVID world, sustainability has become an inescapable buzzword, used to market everything from blue jeans to ice cream. Retailers, including Walmart, Target, Kroger, Whole Foods, Walgreens, and Amazon, have all announced sustainability initiatives and goals that feature sustainability goals for Private Brand products and packaging. The 2023 Velocity Institute Sustainability Summit, is

Final Velocity Sustainability Summit Presentations Announced2023-08-23T13:37:12-04:00

Walmart Grocery Private Brand Sales Up More Than 9% in Q2

This week Walmart Inc. announced its second-quarter results, including strong revenue and operating income growth of 5.7% and 6.7%, respectively. The Retailer sees strength in its omnichannel model across segments with strong comp sales globally, including 6.4%3 for Walmart U.S. The Company raises guidance for FY24 to reflect Q2 upside, confidence in continued business momentum,

Walmart Grocery Private Brand Sales Up More Than 9% in Q22023-08-22T19:41:50-04:00