“Over the last twenty years, stores have come to think of themselves as a brand, rather than as a place. When you begin thinking of yourself as a brand, you learn that you’ve got to differentiate your brand to be successful.” This is according to John Helferich, executive in residence of the College of Business Administration at Northeastern University and a Batten Fellow at the Darden School of the University of Virginia.

During an exclusive interview with Packaging World senior editor Anne Marie Mohan for the magazine’s January 2008 Special Report on High-Volume Retailers, Helferich explained the origins of this shift—from place to brand—and observed how consumer packaged goods companies are being called upon to help retailers to differentiate themselves.

Highlights of this interview are available in the following 11-minute Podcast.

When it comes to retail packaging, this shift, he explains, has transferred the “power dynamic” from the CPG companies to the high-volume retailers, which now demand products and packaging that support their brand and fit in with the shopping experience they are trying to create. “What retailers like Wal-Mart are now trying to do is create the demand, rather than fulfill the demand,” says Helferich. “This is a fundamental shift in the way retailers think about themselves.”