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.

Kroger: Sr Sourcing Category Management Analyst-Private Label

Position Summary: Support the day-to-day execution of strategies for assigned categories and focus on reducing organizational spending to improve savings and enhance relationships with business stakeholders and suppliers. Demonstrate the company’s core values of respect, honesty, integrity, diversity, inclusion, and safety. Essential Job Functions: Tactical Sourcing Design and execute sourcing events for pertinent category

Kroger: Sr Sourcing Category Management Analyst-Private Label2022-11-14T16:30:58-05:00

10th Anniversary Vertex Awards Opens For Entries

Since 2012, The Vertex Awards has honored innovative Retail-Owned Brand /private brand/private label /own brand design that demonstrates groundbreaking design solutions to consumer problems. We have proved that strategic, beautiful, creative execution can produce extraordinary results. The Vertex Awards is proudly brought to you by Velocity Institute and Global Retail Brands. The 10th Annual Vertex

10th Anniversary Vertex Awards Opens For Entries2022-11-14T00:42:38-05:00

Walmarts Circular Connector: Meet the 2022 Sustainable Packaging Innovation Award Winners

Democratizing climate action has long been a part of how Bentonville-based Walmart builds sustainability programs such as Project Gigaton or the Circular Connector. The retailer collaborates with partners to create action, whether that’s to advance circular solutions, accelerate collaborations on renewable energy and zero waste or to enable more ambitious goal setting with Walmart’s ambitious

Walmarts Circular Connector: Meet the 2022 Sustainable Packaging Innovation Award Winners2022-11-14T00:43:04-05:00

Albertsons Toasts the Holidays with the Launch of Vinaforé

Albertsons Companies invites customers to toast this holiday season with its new, premium Vinaforé Collection. The Retail-Owned Brand (private brand) collection features five distinctively crafted varietals originating from some of the best wine regions in the world and is now available at Albertsons Cos. owned stores including Albertsons, Safeway, Shaw’s, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Acme, Tom Thumb,

Albertsons Toasts the Holidays with the Launch of Vinaforé2022-11-10T19:42:03-05:00

Free Networking & Cocktails in Chicago This Monday Night!

Join myself and the Velocity Institute team for the final Meetup of 2022. The FREE networking event will be held in Chicago and is designed to bring the industry together over cocktails and conversations. There are no presentations and no sales. End the long day on the PLMA trade show floor with a cocktail

Free Networking & Cocktails in Chicago This Monday Night!2022-11-09T20:08:11-05:00

Pudding it out there: Sainsbury’s Holiday Commercial Features Private Brand

UK grocer Sainsbury’s much anticipated Christmas TV commercial advert premiered earlier this week. Through a light-hearted tale, this year’s advert celebrates the innovation and creativity of the grocer's Retail-Owned Brand (private brand) Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Christmas range. Centering on one of the most divisive foods – the traditional Christmas pudding – the tongue-in-cheek advert

Pudding it out there: Sainsbury’s Holiday Commercial Features Private Brand2022-11-09T19:54:11-05:00

We need your help. State of the Private Brand Industry Research

Today I am excited to launch the last industry benchmarking survey that Velocity Institute will field in 2022. This unprecedented research is designed to speak directly to the industry and gauge how the retailers, manufacturers, and solution partners are viewing the industry, economy, and the future. This project conducted by our research partner VOCCII is

We need your help. State of the Private Brand Industry Research2022-11-08T20:12:32-05:00

Asda Launches Modern Take on Christmas

UK big-box retailer Asda had one thing on their 2022 wish list. To modernize their Christmas Retail Owned Brand (private brand), elevating quality perceptions along the way. British agency OurCreative were tasked with rekindling the Christmas spirit, and they delivered just in time for winter. The creative concept “A Magical Christmas, All wrapped up by

Asda Launches Modern Take on Christmas2022-11-08T19:42:54-05:00

Sweet and Sustainable Wegmans Wild & Raw Honey

As part of Northeastern grocer Wegman's commitment to sustainability, the retailer practices regenerative agriculture, an approach that relies on the sum of the parts – soil, air, water, plants, animals, and humans – working in harmony to create a farm that’s environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable. At the Wegmans Organic Farm & Orchard, they

Sweet and Sustainable Wegmans Wild & Raw Honey2022-11-07T20:08:55-05:00

BIG LOTS: VP, Global Sourcing / Private Brands

Description Responsible for the overall development and execution of a cohesive, integrated, innovative Private Brands strategy and architecture across all channels. Oversees and leads Global Sourcing, Quality Assurance, Product Design, Fashion Trend and Package Design teams to ensure end-to-end brand integrity and consistency. Partners cross-functionally with Merchandising, Marketing and other key business partners to drive

BIG LOTS: VP, Global Sourcing / Private Brands2022-11-07T20:06:22-05:00