STR helps retailers build store brands

CANTON, Mass. — As retailers look to add loyal store-brand customers, they are turning to such quality assurance providers as Specialized Technology Resources (STR) to help them improve private label products, protect store brand equity and minimize supply chain risk. The testing program at STR, formerly Shuster Laboratories, is designed to help retailers ensure that their store brands meet consumer expectations through rigorous protocols and strict technical specifications. The program encompasses quality assurance and product safety testing by worldwide laboratories, consumer studies, specification development, methodology, product and supplier trending, and GMP and social compliance auditing. One key component is extensive sensory and consumer analysis, which gives retailers valuable information for improving current store brands and evaluating new products. “We use experienced sensory judges to detect subtle sensory differences between formulations or products and can then quantify the exact degree of differences,” explains Scott MacLennan, director of store brands at STR. “These experts serve as a reliable analytical tool for fast answers to problems and can predict consumer dissatisfaction in advance.”