UPF-BSM hosts the second edition of the Challenge on private labels and manufacturer brands

26 Noviembre - 2025

The UPF Barcelona School of Management has held the second edition of the Challenge “Crossroads between private labels and manufacturer brands”, an academic initiative led by Josep Francesc Valls and Carolina Luis-Bassa, professors in the Master’s Degree in Marketing at UPF-BSM. The event brought together 25 students from the Master’s Degree in Marketing, the Full-Time MBA, and the Master’s Degree in International Business programs, who worked in teams to solve a strategic challenge highly relevant to today’s retail sector.

A real challenge put forward by industry professionals

The Challenge featured the participation of renowned professionals: Paloma Segura, Regional Director at DIA supermarkets; Antonio Manuel Agustín, consultant for major brands; and Xavier López, Commercial Director at Condis Supermarkets. Together with the organizing faculty members, they formed the jury responsible for evaluating the proposals.

The task assigned to the teams consisted of analyzing the competitive landscape between private labels and manufacturer brands, delving into their business models, and proposing strategic improvements to their commercial approaches. Each group presented their proposal before the jury, demonstrating a remarkable level of analysis, creativity, and understanding of sector dynamics.

Recognition of talent and academic excellence

The jury highlighted the high quality of all proposals submitted, valuing especially the rigor of the analysis and the strategic approach applied by the teams. The winning team was composed of students Laura Lucía Mendoza, Jesús Arellano, Andrea Navas, M. Antonio Sánchez, Carolina Gissell Rebolledo, and Maria Company.

The Challenge organizers expressed their gratitude for the involvement of all participating students and emphasized their enthusiasm, professionalism, and commitment throughout the entire process. This second edition consolidates the Challenge as a leading educational space for addressing real challenges in the retail sector from an academic and collaborative perspective.

Participating teams

The students were organized into five multidisciplinary groups:

Group 1 (Winning team)