The transition to Signature Select is underway across stores including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco and Shaw’s and is expected to be complete in early 2024.

“Signature Select is our flagship brand offering shoppers an incomparable assortment of quality products at an incredible value,” said Jennifer Saenz, EVP and chief merchandising officer.

“We are incredibly proud of our Signature family of brands and by bringing these sub-brands together under one name, we are building greater brand recognition, driving brand loyalty and creating customers for life.”

Signature Select is the largest brand in the company’s Own Brands portfolio with more than 8,000 products, such as packaged salads, ice cream, frozen pizza, coffee, paper goods, pasta, snacks, canned vegetables and fruit, as well as ground beef, pork and chicken.

The master brand will feature the new Signature Select logo with a unified package design across its assortment of product categories so shoppers can identify the brand throughout the store. The Signature Select consolidation and rebranding follows recent updates to the company’s Own Brands portfolio, including the evolution of the O Organics brand and redesign of Open Nature.

These innovations are supported by a recent survey commissioned by Albertsons Cos. revealing that consumer demand for private labels continues to grow, with 93 percent of Americans embracing and expanding their purchases of store brands. Respondents cited price, quality and availability as the main drivers of these purchases, with a large number writing in that better taste was a factor when choosing a private label brand.

To celebrate Signature Select, the company debuted a new summer campaign appearing now in print, social, online and streaming channels. The creative highlights imagery of how Signature Select elevates life with alternatives to national brands.

“When developing the marketing campaign to accompany our expanded Signature Select flagship brand, we knew we wanted to celebrate the brand’s virtues of quality, taste, value and convenience,” said Brandon Brown, SVP of Own Brands.

“Our Signature creative showcases warm, welcoming scenes that puts the Signature Select brand at the center of life’s moments. We’re creating an emotional connection with our customer and showing her how everyday occasions can have their own signature flavor and style.”

Signature Select is part of the Own Brands portfolio, which includes O Organics, Lucerne, Open Nature, Primo Taglio, debi lilly design, waterfront BISTRO, Soleil and Value Corner. Shoppers can find Own Brands products at Albertsons Cos. stores.

The post Albertsons Consolidates Product Lines To Create Signature Select appeared first on Shelby Report.

The study also shows that pandemic habits persist with 68 percent of respondents indicating that they are shopping more online, with delivery speed and flexibility being the No. 1 factor (85 percent) driving where they shop.

The report, “Post Pandemic, New Recession: 2023 Global Guide to Consumers,” provides insights on what is driving shoppers to buy online in the midst of higher prices, rising layoffs and continued worry about a possible recession.

This survey of more than 6,000 shoppers from the U.S., France, Germany, Great Britain and Australia found that despite current economic uncertainties, product quality is more important to consumers this year than discounts, with 81 percent saying product quality is the No. 1 factor that keeps consumers loyal to the brands they love.

“The pressure is on this year as consumers become much more selective about their purchases. While price is a key factor in purchasing decisions, it’s not the only thing that is swaying these careful consumers,” said Cara Wood, head of research at Salsify.

“Product quality is under much greater scrutiny, and more than half of consumers said they wouldn’t buy a product with bad product content that doesn’t include enough information or includes low quality images. In fact, strong product content is so important that shoppers are more likely to purchase products from unfamiliar brands or those with bad reputations than those with missing or bad information.”

Additional insights from the study revealed the following trends:

Private-label products winning likes from consumers

As companies develop premiumization strategies with specialized products and services to drive higher revenues, consumers equate some cost savings with store-brand or private-label products, with 63 percent choosing private labels because of their low prices. Shoppers are also willing to buy the store brand product in most categories, so commodities like groceries and cleaning supplies brand names are often the most vulnerable to being replaced.

The new U.S. shopping war is parents versus non-parents

While brands have long engaged in marketing to parents for kid products, U.S. brands may be missing an opportunity to tap into how differently parents think about purchases across categories.

Brand trust matters to the majority, but it holds slightly less clout with parents. Fifty-six percent of parents compared to 65 percent of non-parents say they spend more when it’s a brand they know. However, ethical standards matter more to parents (34 percent of parents versus 23 percent of non-parents).

Shopping and social issues differ by income and gender

As brands work to win over careful consumers, they cannot ignore social issues such as climate change. The survey showed how these issues are impacted by income and gender.

Income may inherently play a role in a lower carbon footprint. Low-income homes are the least likely to return products. Eleven percent said they never return items bought online vs 2 percent of those higher-income homes.

The survey also showed that 24 percent of men research a company’s sustainability practices before buying, compared to 17 percent of women. Men are also more likely to research a company’s public stance on social or political causes with 21 percent doing so, versus 16 percent of women.

For more merchandising news from The Shelby Report, click here.

The post Study Reports Shoppers Choosing Store Brands, Private Labels appeared first on Shelby Report.

The Private Label Manufacturers Association convention is finally back, and better than ever. There’s always a lot to take in at PLMA, and this year was no exception. Experienced con-goers noted big crowds and big energy – but beyond that, there are a few trends worth keeping an eye on as you choose products to stock your shelves in 2023.

Plant-based picks up steam

Plant-based products have been making waves recently, and they aren’t slowing down. Where vegan and vegetarian options used to be fairly niche, they’re now popping up everywhere. Some of that is helped by the fact that modern meat substitutes taste much better than they did even ten years ago, but plant-based is appearing on more than just meat or dairy substitutes. Many traditionally plant-based products are now calling it out on their labels where they haven’t before. Even meat- or dairy-based products are supplementing their recipes with plant-based ingredients. 

Driving this trend are people who are attempting to reduce their consumption of animal products, often without fully eliminating them, because of perceptions about their impact on climate. This is separate from the “usual suspects” of veganism and vegetarianism, who are primarily concerned with animal welfare and personal health. Additionally, “plant-based” does not have a history of scrutiny as a labeling claim, making it easier to use than other health-related claims. 

Spotlight on sustainability

Sustainability is another consumer concern that has gone from niche to mainstream. There is rising demand for products that are produced in an environmentally conscious manner, from sustainable farming practices to green manufacturing processes. Of course, this takes increased transparency in labeling and in marketing materials, so a good relationship and clear communication with your suppliers is critical. 

Focus on flavor

As global flavors enter the mainstream, consumer palates are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Foods that were once novel and mostly accessible through ethnic restaurants or the rare home cook are now commonplace and have entered the vernacular for more and more home cooks. With that shift comes increased demand for once specialty ingredients and seasonings, which are making appearances in everyday dishes and not just special occasions. Home cooks are looking for ingredients that help them create layered, nuanced flavors. This is driven by the home cooking renaissance that has followed in the wake of COVID-19. 

The bottom line

If there’s one constant you can count on, it’s evolving consumer tastes and trends. Keeping up with those trends takes time, attention and a supply partner who understands them and can offer key insights. 

The post PLMA 2022: Three Trends Worth Noticing appeared first on Shelby Report.

Matt Reese, EVP of Nashville, Tennessee-based food brokerage the Reese Group Inc., sees the lingering effects in stores and customer purchasing habits. Manufacturers began having issues producing products, grocers had trouble keeping name-brand items on shelves and customers began trying private brands.

“A lot of people were hesitant about private label in the past and bought them and liked them,” Reese said. “And they realize it’s just as good a quality as the name brands.”

Brand loyalty is something Reese said retailers have had to contend with for years. But that loyalty is waning in the face of inflation and supply chain shortages. It also has become less pronounced among younger consumers.

“Millenials and the younger generations are not as brand loyal,” Reese said. “People in the past would only go in and say they only buy Kraft mac and cheese. They will always buy that mac and cheese. Now, the younger crowd doesn’t really have those loyalties. 

“Let’s say somebody only eats Green Giant green beans. But they can’t find Green Giant green beans. People are picking up the private label and again, realizing it’s of the same quality.”

Rising prices also have led more consumers to private label offerings. 

“We’ve had a lot of price increases from other manufacturers. And it’s not been just one, it’s been four or five over the last year and a half,” Reese said. “People have changed the way they shop because of COVID.”

Reese noted that shoppers could develop brand loyalty for private label. “Now that people are kind of forced into trying the private labels, they’ll see those are just as good as the name brand.”

Reese added that successful retailers have taken the time to understand their customers who are shopping private labels and are responding accordingly. They are becoming more stringent on the quality of their products and are continuing to expand the variety. 

The effects of inflation on private labels can also be seen in the pricing. Reese compared the price of a can of vegetables, saying that it has risen from about 65 cents to $1.25. 

“We’ve had like six price increases on vegetable oil,” he said. “It’s gone up over about 120 percent…the price of cans has gone up. Steel cans have increased up to 50 cents. It’s crazy.

“People are still comparing those prices and seeing the benefit of private labels, but everything has gone up.”

In addition, shoppers are moving toward buying in bulk. Membership stores, which have always touted private labels, are benefiting from them greatly, according to Reese.

“They’ve been pushing it long before this shift happened,” he said. “I think that’s helped things along. People are buying in bulk. More people are going to Costco and Sam’s Club and are trying their private labels. It all goes back to people trying to save money, realizing that the private labels are just as good as the branded and sticking with it.”

For more information, visit reesegroupinc.com.

To read more private label news from The Shelby Report, click here.

The post Price Hikes, Product Shortages Have Cut Into Shopper Loyalty appeared first on Shelby Report.

And the numbers to which she was referring show that retailers have seen a steady increase of private label sales since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The figures could reach an all-time high. 

“Store brand dollar sales in the U.S. continue their steady gains for the first nine months of this year,” Davies said. “Overall, sales increased by double digits, or plus 10.2 percent, through Oct. 2. That’s nearly twice the growth of national brands, which improved by 5.6 percent, according to IRI,” she said. 

Store brands are on pace to reach “close to $220 billion” in sales for 2022, according to Davies. September saw a 12 percent advance in private label, while national sales added 6.5 percent. Store brand sales to date have accounted for 18.4 percent market share this year, or about $168 million. 

Store brands continue to outperform national brands in unit sales as store brands are off just 1.5 percent, while national brands have declined 4.2 percent, Davies said. “In September, store brand unit sales were nominally even, at negative .8 percent while national brands shed 4.9 percent. Comparative unit sales figures are seen as a good indicator of shoppers switching to store brands from national brands.”

Private label has seen growth across departments, Davies explained. 

“Looking at the 17 individual food and nonfood departments for the 52 weeks ending Oct. 2, store brand sales are up in 15 of them. That includes double-digit increases in nine – deli prepared, floral, liquor, beverages, refrigerated, bakery, produce, deli meat and general food.”

Only home care and tobacco store brand sales are down. 

The increase, according to Davies, can be attributed to a number of factors. In the face of mounting issues such as record inflation, supply chain problems and threats of a recession, consumers are adapting and shopping smarter. 

“We believe that during this difficult economic time, consumers have been able to maintain their ability to purchase high quality, great value food and non-food grocery items by purchasing store brands for their families,” Davies said. “We aren’t surprised by this buying behavior. During the 2008 recession and the years following, store brand sales increased sharply.”

In a PLMA survey at the time of the 2008 recession, shoppers nationwide reported a “high degree of satisfaction” with store brand products they purchased for the first time.

“We’ve learned there’s a significant positive carry-forward effect for store brands each time an economy-related bump in sales occurs,” Davies said. 

Alongside economic factors, private labels market themselves based on shopper preferences. As holistic health and product knowledge becomes more prevalent among consumers, retailers have made strides to keep their products up to standards.

“Overall, quality and innovation have been driving the industry. In fact, with our upcoming show in Chicago we’re seeing unique categories such as plant-based foods, CBD-hemp, wine and spirits and international offerings emerging,” Davies said. 

Set for Nov. 13-15 in Chicago, PLMA’s Annual Private Label Trade Show will be held in person for the first time in three years. Alongside the other emerging categories, 24 countries will have displays touting their products.

“Innovative products will also be showcased in the Idea Supermarket, which includes new products from this year’s exhibitors in the New Product Expo section,” Davies said. “In the Salute to Excellence area are award-winning items as selected by a panel of consumers and industry experts as nominated by the retailers themselves. This year’s nominations included six retailers submitting for the first time.”

For more information, visit plma.com.

To read more association news from The Shelby Report, click here.

The post PLMA President: Quality, Innovation Driving Industry appeared first on Shelby Report.

More than 500 booths devoted to nonfoods will exhibit at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, whose South Hall will be dedicated to nonfood products.

Retail buyers are eager to walk the floor and find new products to meet their shoppers’ needs.

“Private brands at Weis Markets are more important than ever,” said John Evans, director of private brands, HBC, GM and non-foods at Weis Markets, a Sunbury, Pennsylvania-based mid-Atlantic retailer. “With inflation at 40-year highs and prices continuing to rise, our brands are able to help customers take care of their families with great quality products at affordable prices.”

The Private Label Trade Show is the ideal opportunity to discover innovation from existing and new vendors, added Evans. “It is great to be back in-person, as our private brands are in a great position to grow share,” said Evans.

The Private Label Trade Show is the largest event for store brands in North America, featuring nearly 1,400 exhibitors and nearly 2,300 exhibit booths.

Christine Heffernan, SVP, sourcing and supply chain at Topco Associates, said her company looks forward to attending the show and meeting in-person with suppliers. Heffernan represents Topco’s Center Store private brand sourcing program.

“Like many in the industry, we haven’t been able to meet all of the demand our members have been ordering from our current suppliers,” she explained. “So, this is a great opportunity to seek out additional suppliers to fill that void. Quality of product is a key element for a successful private brand program. If I find something I like, I ensure my team stops at the booth to have a conversation about the company’s capabilities.”

Themed “Consumers Are Back in Charge,” the show will feature the latest innovations from exhibitors around the world.

Featured nonfood categories include OTC medicine, baby care, personal care, health and wellness, pet care and household goods, vitamins and supplements, hair care, cosmetics and fragrances, beauty and grooming, first aid, household cleaners, paper and tissue products, wet wipes, kitchenware and general merchandise. The nonfood exhibitors range from small start-up companies to well-established multinational firms.

“Retailers know that, to help them cope with inflation, their consumers are not only turning to store brand food products, but also private brand nonfood items,” said Peggy Davies, president.

Along with nonfoods, categories also include shelf-stable groceries; beverages; fresh, frozen and refrigerated products; organic; foodservice; and health and wellness. The show will have dedicated areas for wine and spirits, plant-based meats and entrees, hemp-derived CBD products and nonfoods.

For additional show information, visit plma.com.

The post Private Label Trade Show To Host 500 Nonfood Exhibits appeared first on Shelby Report.

Its Naturally Better line received two gold medals for meat products and another for its organic Medium-Chain Tri-glycerides oil in the general grocery category. The Prestige Own Brand product line received several bronze and silver medals, while the Southeastern Grocers line received one bronze medal.

“At Southeastern Grocers, our customers and employees are at the forefront of everything we do. We strive to present our customers with quality products that they’ll love and that are easily implemented into their lives to help them save,” said Gayle Shields, VP of Own Brands.

“We’re thrilled 10 of our products were picked by the Store Brands editors this year, and we look forward to introducing our customers to more than 500 new products before the end of this year that will continue to deliver fresh new varieties with our try it, love it or your money back guarantee.”

Store Brands’ Editors’ Picks for 2022 includes a broad range of items for customers seeking healthy alternatives. The editors judged private brand items that were designed to meet consumer demands. The editors awarded gold, silver and bronze medals in 26 categories.

This year, Southeastern Grocers received high regards for 10 of its Own Brand products across multiple categories:

• Gold: Meat, Seafood and Poultry – Naturally Better Green Onion Chicken Sausage and Naturally Better Cajun Chicken Sausage;
• Gold: Oil and Vinegar – Naturally Better Organic MCT Oil;
• Silver: Oil and Vinegar – Prestige Organic Chili Flavored Extra Virgin Olive Oil;
• Bronze: Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts – Prestige Apple Berry Blossoms Crafted Dessert and Prestige Butter Toffee Sticky Cakes Crafted Dessert;
• Bronze: Oil and Vinegar – Prestige Organic Basil Flavored Extra Virgin Olive Oil;
• Bronze: Spices and Seasonings – Nashville Hot Chicken Seasoning;
• Bronze: Condiments – Prestige Sweet Onion Bacon Vinaigrette; and
• Bronze: Rice, Pasta and Grains – Naturally Better Organic Tri-Color Quinoa.

Customers can find the products in all stores, in addition to the full lineup of Southeastern Grocers’ brand products.

To view the complete list of 2022 Store Brands Editors’ Picks, visit storebrands.com/2022-editors-picks-featured-winners.

The post Southeastern Grocers’ Own Brands Named ‘Best New Products’ appeared first on Shelby Report.

Private brand categories showing the biggest gains year to date through July 17, per Catalina’s Shopper Intelligence Platform, include baking mixes (up 40 percent), soup (up 17 percent), prepared foods (up 12 percent), dried vegetables (up 11 percent), canned fish (up 10 percent), cereal and baby food (both up 6 percent) and deodorant (up 4 percent).

Among the insights Catalina gleaned from its recent private brand analysis:

• The rise in unit sales of store brand staples like canned fish and soup indicates consumers are looking for affordable lunch and dinner solutions;
• With the USDA reporting brand name cereal prices rising between 10-11 percent in 2022, private brand alternatives are benefiting;
• While the pandemic-fueled trend of scratch baking has declined, baking mixes remain popular, with shoppers increasingly opting for store brand mixes (up 40 percent);
• As more consumers return to the office, purchases of affordable personal grooming items like deodorant as well as prepared foods are also on the rise; and
• Shoppers also are scooping up private brand baby food and formula, looking for alternatives amidst a nationwide shortage of brand name products in this category.

“The data clearly indicates that shoppers have become more price-sensitive and value-driven in recent months,” said Sean Murphy, chief data and analytics officer. “Our platform powers these sorts of insights, helping us advise our retailer and CPG customers on the most effective shopper audiences, marketing messages and offers to measurably impact sales.”

As outlined in Catalina’s Inflation Guide, private brand marketers can use ultra-precise personalization and real-time responsiveness to deliver value to shoppers. Catalina’s marketing portfolio of solutions includes: sequential marketing, which uses a sequence of ads to tell a brand story over time with planned touchpoints to ultimately drive conversion; retargeting, which enables marketers to segment audiences, hone messaging, and bring consumers back into the brand conversation; and audience suppression, which keeps specific people or groups from receiving an ad if they have already purchased a brand – or a competitor’s brand – reducing redundancy and ensuring media efficiency.

For more information, visit catalina.com.

For more national news from The Shelby Report, click here. 

The post Catalina Identifies Top Private Brand Categories On The Move appeared first on Shelby Report.

by Eric Pereira/ content creator

John Ross, president and CEO of IGA, noticed how during the COVID-19 pandemic that shoppers retrenched with the brands they trust. 

“Wherever shoppers are under pressure, they default to things that relieve stress in their lives. National brands certainly did that,” he said. “We saw a resurgence of growth and national brands. IGA is lucky, our brand is the same as the label on the can or the box. So we got to enjoy a sales increase as a consequence of it.”

Dan Muller, director of Exclusive Brands for IGA, said the organization has made strides to keep pace with national brands. One of those ways is by placing a big focus on promotion. IGA is touting its products heavily with a national digital ad that includes the IGA label and national brands. 

“The individual IGA retailer could not afford to do that on their own,” he said. “So what we’ve done is we’ve partnered with some national brands. And so now we get the economies of scale.” 

Muller said a recent innovation also is a quarterly marketing kit.

“Not only does it promote the IGA label, it also promotes the store and all of the things that the store has going on. ‘Local equals fresh’…is a big theme of ours, because who’s more local than the IGA store? That’s your hometown store.”

The kit also offers promotions for different themes, such as incorporating private label into Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

“In addition to that, we also have an Exclusive Brands point-of-sale kit,” Muller said. “And these have like 105 pieces in their kits that they can put in their front window, do little shelf tags that they can put on, whether it’s new items, ‘try me,’ compare and save…with 105 pieces, we have a lot of things that they can do. And they’d be good for all areas of the store.”

Balancing national and private label 

Muller spoke to ensuring that grocers have the products customers want and keeping a balance of private label and national brands. “Most of our stores are probably, 15 to 20 percent private label, which means you’re 80 percent national brands,” Muller said.

“I think that the balance is really for the retailer, in that they don’t need that fourth, fifth and sixth brand in the category,” Muller said. “I think if you have the leading national brand, maybe a local brand, of course you want private label, and then whatever else are good sellers in the category, but you don’t want duplication. The customer would rather have variety, rather than duplication.”

Ross referred to grocers such as Aldi and Lidl having made a case for individual private brands. The lesson to be learned from them is if you invest in the quality of your product – and the packaging and brand promise – that private label has an ongoing opportunity to be been seen as equitable. 

“I think where that shows up in an independent store is quite interesting – the quality of the products we manufacturer – inside of your store, your bakery or deli, your cut meat, your prepared meal solutions – those are all private label brands as well,” Ross said.

“And the opportunity [exists] to price those comparable to what we would get in any restaurant or in any local bakery…we see it happen all the time, the shopper is willing to pay for quality. I think that the old strategy of private label being a sort of a necessary evil for a grocery store in order to try to eke out some margins, I think that’s going to be replaced by an integrated brand planning strategy in which private label has roles to play at all price points.”

Supply chain hurdles

When asked about the biggest hinderance in the supply chain today, Muller said communication. 

“Silence is not an answer. It’s a very bad answer…because if you’re not going to have the product, they need to understand that so they can make arrangements to get other products. Because if you have an empty shelf, you can’t sell anything.”

Ross pointed out that COVID has shown how fragile the retail grocery supply chain can be. 

“The first lesson is, we have to be thinking ahead to a broader supplier base…that allows us to be more nimble when things go wrong.

“The second thing is that we have to be in much closer communication with our wholesale partners…we ought to be looking at the same set of data…when something goes wrong, it’s no longer good enough to sit back and go, ‘Well, I didn’t hear about it.’ We need to be connected in ways that are much closer.”

What future may hold

Muller said IGA’s “Local Equals Fresh” campaign will continue to be a focus and the organization also plans to explore opportunities with state associations that would be willing to promote the label. 

Shoppers’ expectations will continue to rise. They want a better quality product at the same price or lower – that’s what Ross sees for the future of private label. 

“That’s our obligation to serve that. But there’s also another piece that’s coming along and this says, ‘how far can a private label go?’ he said.

The post IGA Keeping Up Pace And Balance With Private Label appeared first on Shelby Report.

RBS is the services company of Ahold Delhaize USA.

“At Retail Business Services, we hold ourselves accountable for fostering an environment where all associates feel welcome and know they work for a company where they belong,” Wheeler said. “In joining the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion, we are continuing to care for and support our associates by taking one more step in the right direction. I am proud to be a part of an organization that is committed to creating a work environment where our associates can openly address challenges, present opportunities and share perspectives in meaningful ways that will lead to lasting change.”

As a signatory of the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion, RBS is dedicated to working collaboratively to advance diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and in turn, improve corporate performance, drive growth and enhance employee engagement. To promote conversation, engagement and collaboration among organizations, the company is joining fellow signatories in committing to four actions:

• Continue to cultivate workplaces that support open dialogue on complex and sometimes difficult conversations about diversity and inclusion;
• Implement and expand unconscious bias education;
• Share best known – and unsuccessful – actions; and
• Create and share strategic inclusion and diversity plans with our board of directors.

To learn more about RBS’ diversity and inclusion initiatives and impact, visit the company’s blog.

To learn more about the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion, visit CEOAction.com.

Retail Business Services LLC currently provides services to five East Coast grocery brands, including Food Lion, The Giant Co., Giant Food, Hannaford and Stop & Shop. Retail Business Services leverages the scale of the local brands to drive synergies and provides industry-leading expertise, insights and analytics to local brands to support their strategies with services including Information Technology, Pharmacy Services, Not for Resale, Store Services, Financial Services, Legal Services, Communications, Supply Chain and People Systems and Services.

The post RBS Signs CEO Action For Diversity & Inclusion Commitment appeared first on Shelby Report.