Albertsons Rebrands Private Labels as Signature SELECT
Albertsons Companies, Inc. will rebrand its Signature Farms, Signature Care and Signature Cafe products under one master brand, Signature SELECT, which features a refreshed, modern logo, bold packaging and a new marketing campaign designed to build an emotional connection with customers. The transition to Signature SELECT is under way across stores including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s and more, 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 already the largest brand in the company’s Own Brands portfolio boasting over 8,000 products including packaged salads, ice cream, frozen pizza, coffee, paper goods, pasta, snacks, canned vegetables and fruit as well as ground beef, pork and chicken.
Following the consolidation of Signature Farms’ fresh poultry and produce, Signature Cafe’s deli items and Signature Care’s line of personal and baby products, the master brand will feature the modern Signature SELECT logo with a unified package design across its broad assortment of product categories so shoppers can easily identify the brand throughout the store. To reinforce the quality associated with every Own Brand item, Signature SELECT guarantees 100 percent customer satisfaction or they can receive a full refund of the purchase price.
The Signature family of brands was introduced to the Albertsons portfolio of stores in 2016 following the merger of Albertsons and Safeway. However, the ‘S’ branding dates back as far as the 1960s when Safeway sold products under the ‘S’ brand including milk, bread, ice cream, coffee, jellies, soft drinks, lunch meat, canned fruits and vegetables, frozen foods and paper products. The ‘S’ brand remained a key private label for Safeway until 2012 when the company retired its namesake brand and merged its products under the Safeway Kitchens, Safeway Farms, Safeway Home and Safeway Care brands, which ultimately became the Signature family of brands.
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 brand 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. From family cookouts, backyard brunches, summer treats and more, the creative highlights in-the-moment imagery of how Signature SELECT elevates everyday life with convenient, affordable alternatives to national brands in every aisle – without sacrificing taste or quality.
“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 at Albertsons Cos. “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 trusted household names such as O Organics, Lucerne, Open Nature, Primo Taglio, debi lilly design, waterfront BISTRO, Soleil and Value Corner. Shoppers can find Own Brands products exclusively at Albertsons Cos. stores.
For more news of interest to the private label industry, subscribe to Gourmet News.
SweetWater Releases Summer Brew American Lager
SweetWater Brewing Company, the ninth largest craft brewer in the U.S. and a subsidiary of Tilray Brands, Inc., announced the summer release of SweetWater American Lager, a special edition of SweetWater’s flagship Lager, featuring American red, white and blue branding now available in over 10 states across the United States with national distribution coming soon.
Ty Gilmore, president, U.S. beer, Tilray Brands, said, “SweetWater’s American Lager is a salute to American craft beer and our best-selling flagship Lager. We hope the refreshing and crisp American Lager will be a staple at backyard barbecues, tailgates and get-togethers this summer.”
SweetWater’s American Lager (4.5 percent alcohol by volume) is a clean-bodied craft beer with a 100 percent premium Pilsner grain bill along with Crystal and Hallertau hops, expertly brewed for easy-drinking. The new American Lager is flowing at SweetWater’s flagship taprooms in Atlanta and Fort Collins, Colo., and is also available in 12-packs of 12oz cans at grocery and liquor stores, as well as bars and restaurants across the United States in Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Colorado, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Maryland, California, Kentucky, Minnesota, Texas, Missouri, West Virginia and Mississippi.
This Memorial Day weekend, SweetWater will also be one of the participating breweries at this year’s Brew at the Zoo from 6 to 9:30 p.m., May 27, at 800 Cherokee Ave. in Atlanta. To find Sweetwater’s American Lager and other craft brews near you, checkout SweetWater’s beer finder online at www.SweetWaterBrew.com.
One of Atlanta’s original craft breweries, founded 26 years ago, SweetWater Brewing is now the 9th largest craft brewers in the United States. With two flagship breweries in Atlanta and Fort Collins, Colo., SweetWater’s award-winning craft beers and ready-to-drink cocktails are available coast to coast and in more states than ever before. Inspired by the outdoors, SweetWater is a passionate advocate for healthy waterways and conservation initiatives. Through its annual Save Our Water campaign, SweetWater continues to raise funds to support nonprofit organizations fighting for clean water and habitat conservation, including the Waterkeeper Alliance, Bonefish & Tarpon Trust and Trout Unlimited.
SweetWater Brewery is a subsidiary of Tilray Brands, Inc., a leading global cannabis-lifestyle and consumer packaged goods company inspiring and empowering the worldwide community to live their very best life.
For more news of interest to the alcohol beverage industry, subscribe to Gourmet News.
SEG Folds of Honor Program Launched
Southeastern Grocers Inc., parent company and home of Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, launched its sixth annual community donation program benefiting Folds of Honor, a nonprofit organization that provides educational scholarships to the children and spouses of fallen and disabled military members.
Through June 20, Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie customers can show their support for America’s heroes while shopping at their local store by donating $1, $5 or rounding up their grocery bill to the nearest dollar during checkout.
Anthony Hucker, president and CEO of Southeastern Grocers, said, “As we remember and pay tribute to those who have served and sacrificed this Memorial Day, we stand alongside their families who have endured tremendous loss and continue to demonstrate resilience. The Southeast is home to some of the largest veteran and military populations in the country, and we embrace the immense responsibility to lift up our neighbors who have given so much for the freedoms we enjoy. Together, we can make a significant impact and help create a brighter future for military families.”
SEG has raised more than $6.75 million for Folds of Honor since the beginning of its partnership in 2018. The contributions, made possible by the grocer’s generous customers, associates and charitable arm, the SEG Gives Foundation, have provided more than 1,350 educational scholarships for the children and spouses of fallen and disabled U.S. military service members.
Lt. Col. Dan Rooney, CEO and founder of Folds of Honor, said, “We are thankful for Southeastern Grocers’ dedicated partnership and patriotic support over the last six years. Each and every donation advances our mission, enabling us to make a profound difference through educational opportunities for the families of those called to duty. Our brave military and first responders answered the call, and many have paid the ultimate sacrifice; thanks to great American companies like Southeastern Grocers, we are able to give hope to the bearers of their legacy.”
Every cent donated during SEG’s community donation program will go directly to Folds of Honor to support its mission to honor the sacrifice of America’s heroes by equipping and educating their loved ones. Scholarships awarded through Folds of Honor provide private education tuition and tutoring for children in grades K-12, as well as tuition for college, technical or trade school and post-graduate work, including a master’s degree, doctorate or professional program. Since its inception in 2007, Folds of Honor has provided more than 44,000 educational scholarships for children, spouses and dependents of fallen and disabled military service members and recently expanded its reach to support first responder families.
For more information on how to give to Folds of Honor, visit a local Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket or Winn-Dixie grocery store by June 20.
For more news of interest to the grocery industry, subscribe to Gourmet News.
