Published in OJ No. 2009/S 121 of 27/06/2009

Call for tenders ENTR/2009/31

The Commission would like to obtain an in-depth competitiveness analysis on the impact of private labels on the competitiveness of SMEs within the EU agro-food industry. Private label products encompass all products made by third parties upstream in the food supply chain and sold under retailers' brand. The introduction of private label products by retailers is a growing trend in the retail sector. While they widen the range of available products and thus represent an additional source of competition, they may lead to foreclosure effects as suppliers of branded products become direct competitors to the retailers. Similarly, while private label products provide opportunities for their producers to have access to a large customer base, they may also reinforce their dependency towards a particular retailer. Nonetheless the effect of private label products on buyer power and on innovation in the agro-food industry will continue to deserve attention.