In this theoretical article we are discussing the main aspects of private label management in retail. With growing importance of private labels in retail, this topic is being constantly addressed by researchers and brand managers, trying to highlight the main aspects of PL management and specifics of marketing. We explore and present research streams, discussing private label concept, profiling customers and depict the main aspects of competition between private labels and national brands. We define and explore each research stream and provide insights on successful private label management, which can be adapted both by private label and by national brands managers who are facing competition between these two types of brands. Keywords: private label management, retail, consumer profiling, national brands.Šiame teoriniame straipsnyje aptariame pagrindinius privataus prekės ženklo vadybos mažmeninėje prekyboje aspektus. Su augančia privačių prekės ženklų svarba mažmeninėje prekyboje, susidomėjimas šia tema auga tiek akademinėje bendruomenėje, tiek verslo aplinkoje, stengiantis apibrėžti esminius privataus prekės ženklo vadybos principus ir rinkodaros ypatybes. Analizuojame ir pristatome esmines tyrimo sritis privataus prekės ženklo tyrimuose -privataus prekės ženklo koncepciją, vartotojų profiliavimą ir pagrindinius konkurencijos skirtumus tarp nacionalinių ir privačių prekės ženklų. Apibrėžiame ir tyrinėjame kiekvieną tyrimo sritį, pateikdami įžvalgas, vedančias link sėkmingos privataus prekės ženklo vadybos. Praktiniai straipsnio aspektai gali būti pritaikyti tiek privataus prekės ženklo vadyboje, tiek kitų prekės ženklų vadyboje, ypač prisitaikant konkurencinėje aplinkoje tarp šių dviejų prekės ženklų rūšių. Raktiniai žodžiai: privataus prekės ženklo vadyba, mažmeninė prekyba, vartotojų profiliavimas, nacionaliniai prekės ženklai. indrė BRaZauSKaitĖ Viltė auRuŠKEViČiEnĖ Rima GERButaViČiEnĖ IntroductionPrivate labels (PLs) are brands owned by retailers and sold exclusively in their stores (Bushman, 1993; DeWulf et al., 2005) being part of retailers' business. The importance of PLs in retailers' strategic decisions is emerging. The relevance of PL management as a research topic is identified by top retail journals, indicating that Indrė BRAZAUSKAITė -ISM Vadybos ir ekonomikos universiteto doktorantė. Adresas: Arklių g. 18, Vilnius. E. paštas: indre.brazauskaite@stud.ism.lt.Viltė AURUŠKEVIčIENė -socialinių mokslų daktarė, ISM Vadybos ir ekonomikos universiteto profesorė. Adresas: Arklių g. 18, Vilnius. E. paštas: vilaur@ism.lt.Rima GERBUTAVIčIENė -dr., Lietuvos sveikatos mokslų universiteto docentė. Adresas: Eivenių g. 12, Kaunas. E. paštas: rima.gerbutaviciene@lsmuni.lt.

The current research depicts the relationship between new product innovativeness and its performance, which was addressed in previous studies; yet the results remain contradictive with little focus on environmental settings. The paper aims to reveal the role of commercial environment towards new product performance, which allows forecasting the performance on the basis of expected settings and exploring the link between new product innovativeness and its performance in a more detailed way. In the study, moderating environmental settings are defined as a set of marketplace characteristics on market level, company commercial characteristics, and a set of sales channel characteristics on retailer’s category level. Research contributes to the following areas: reveals the role of environment towards performance and allows forecasting new product performance on the basis of expected settings.

The paper explores the link between new product innovativeness and performance, as well as its moderation by commercial environment in retail. It analyzes the linkage and context built on marketplace,  company’s characteristics and retail category management decisions as an integral commercial environment. The research employs a unique data set - new product introductions with their actual sales results as a performance indicator. The research concludes that the innovativeness – performance link cannot be evaluated unilaterally, confirming the role of the commercial environment as a moderator of the link. The commercial environment is associated with a favorable and non-favorable economic climate that leads to performance-related opportunities or barriers in the marketplace for product innovations. Findings add value to the theoretical development of innovativeness-performance linkage studies, and also are valid pratically. It provides practical guidance to the integral understanding of commercial environment to which companies might be able to adapt during the new product launch.