Food
Beverages
Non-Food
Health, Beauty & Wellness
Explore the WINNERS in each category:
What was viewed as a trend in recent years has now evolved into how business is done across the grocery retail landscape. Private label sales continue to grow and as their acceptance with consumers expands, retailers are using this opportunity to boost their own brand product assortments with quality products that differentiate from their competitors and also offers shoppers a bang for their buck.
Quality, Differentiation
The Focus
Growing consumer demand for private brand products is motivating retailers and suppliers to develop new items that are unique and offer consumers value.
2024 Editors' Picks
by Greg Sleter
INTRO
Food
Beverages
Non-Food
Health, Beauty & Wellness
2024 STORE BRANDS Editors' picks
Explore categories below
Baking
Cheese
Condiments
Frozen
Meal Kits
OilS & Vinegar
SweetS
Eggs/
Dairy
Ice Cream
Meat/FISH/
Poultry
Plant-based
Snacks
Sauces/
Salsas
Fruits/
Vegetables
INTRO
Food
Beverages
Non-Food
Health, Beauty & Wellness
Food
Food
CATEGORY
FOOD
2024 STORE BRANDS Editors' picks
BRONZE
Food Club Hickory Smoked Cheddar Cheese
Topco
RETAILER
Xcell
With a subtle, smoky flavor profile and a bold cheddar bite, the Food Club Hickory Smoked Cheddar brings a new flavor profile to Topco’s natural cheese assortment. Made with no artificial flavors, preservatives, or certified synthetic colors, the cheese is offered in snack squares or shredded for easy recipe usage.
SILVER
Aplenty Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese Snack Sticks
Amazon
RETAILER
The cheese sticks are made from award-winning, smooth and bold, distinctly extra sharp New York cheddar. Using milk from cows not treated with rBHT/rBST, the cheese offers a uniquely adult flavor profile in a traditionally 'young at heart' category.
GOLD
Lucerne Spicy Shredded Cheese - Carolina Reaper
Albertsons
RETAILER
Master's Gallery Foods
SUPPLIER
The new Lucerne Spicy Shredded Cheese – Carolina Reaper provides a differentiated product in a sea of core cheese flavors. An all-white cheese blend with visible inclusions of small red peppers throughout delivers a heat experience that leads with instant sensory recognition of spice, calms, and then builds to a comfortable but thrilling heat peak.
WINNERS IN CHEESE
BRONZE
Albertsons
This sprinkle set celebrates land and sea shapes familiar to most and offers the right amount of sprinkles for those hosting a shark-theme or dinosaur-themed party. The combination of dinosaurs and sharks conveniently packaged in Albertsons’ 4-in-1 cell cannot be found anywhere else in the market, be it private label or national brands, making this a truly unique item for customers.
RETAILER
Xcell
SUPPLIER
Overjoyed Sprinkles Dinosaur & Sharks 4 in 1
SILVER
Aplenty Cinnamon Bun Pancake and Waffle Mix
Amazon
RETAILER
Amazon’s pancake and waffle mix is made with real cinnamon and gooey cinnamon chips and does not include artificial flavors, synthetic colors, or high fructose corn syrup. When using the batter, the home cook simply needs to add butter, eggs, and milk. One box makes up to 18 pancakes.
GOLD
SE Grocers You'd Assume It's Butter Dairy Spread
Southeastern Grocers
RETAILER
Bunge
SUPPLIER
The new SE Grocers You’d Assume It’s Butter Spread fills an own brand need in the spread category with a product that offers great quality and value. With less fat and calories than traditional butter, the spread provides customers with a new, affordable option in the dairy aisle.
WINNERS IN BAKING
BRONZE
Life Every Day Buffalo Wing Sauce
Federated Group
SUPPLIER
Life Every Day Buffalo Wing Sauce is a versatile sauce that balances a tangy kick with satisfying heat. The sauce can be used with traditional wings to macaroni ‘n cheese and it adds a spicy element to pizza. Consumers are more adventurous and expanding their flavor profiles, seeking out bold tastes and flavor combinations. The striking package design supports this concept and helps the brand stand out on the shelf.
SILVER
Organic PET Squeeze Bottle
Amazon
RETAILER
Butternut Mountain Farm
SUPPLIER
Amazon’s innovative bottle is a new way to dispense maple syrup. The second-generation PET bottle cleans up common complaints of maple syrup packaging, including surprisingly quick pours that lead to wasted product. Innovative features include a squeeze cap fitted with a silicone valve for precise pours that eliminate waste.
GOLD
Signature Select Garlic Chili Crunch Oil
Albertsons
RETAILER
Roland Foods
SUPPLIER
Signature Select Garlic Chili Crunch Oil (SSGCCO) offers a high-quality condiment solution that does not break the bank. SSGCCO is available at less than half the price of leading national brands, without compromising on flavor and quality. It launched as part of the Asian Inspired Foods category and boasts versatility that spans the store and can be used as a topping for stir fry, dumplings, sushi, noodles, tacos, and even ice cream.
WINNERS IN CONDIMENTS
BRONZE
Lucerne Seasonal Strawberry Aerosol Whipped Cream
Albertsons
RETAILER
This fun seasonal flavor drives incremental sales and brings surprise and delight to flavor-seeking shoppers. It's a familiar flavor and versatile product that can be used on smoothies, ice creams, fruits, and more.
SILVER
Full Circle Market Organic Half and Half
Topco
RETAILER
Aurora Organic Dairy
SUPPLIER
Made without artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives, Full Circle Market Organic Half and Half offers the innate organic goodness that shoppers are seeking at a very competitive price. The half-and-half is produced without the use of antibiotics, added growth hormones, or synthetic pesticides and is certified organic and certified Kosher.
GOLD
Whole Foods Market Pasture-Raised Large Brown Eggs
Whole Foods Market
RETAILER
Egg Innovations
SUPPLIER
The egg-laying hens producing these eggs are raised without antibiotics and fed vegetarian feed that meets Non-GMO Project standards. The birds have access to rangeland or grassland that more closely aligns with their natural habitat as roaming foragers.
WINNERS IN EGGS/DAIRY
BRONZE
Signature Reserve Mushroom & Truffle Wood-Fired Pizza
Albertsons
RETAILER
Signature Reserve Pizzas are uniquely crafted using quality ingredients. The Neapolitan-style crust is baked using an artisan-inspired wood-fired oven on lava stone for up to 24 hours, allowing for enhanced flavor without additives, giving the crust its airiness and rustic look. The pizzas are finished with specialty-selected high-quality ingredients to create a truly authentic Italian experience.
SILVER
Know & Love Strawberry Banana Blend (Frozen Fruit)
Southeastern Grocers
RETAILER
Quirch
SUPPLIER
The Know & Love Strawberry Banana Blend sliced frozen fruit is free from nearly 100 undesirable ingredients, such as certified color additives, partially hydrogenated oils, high-fructose corn syrup, and sweeteners such as aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose. This product fills the customer's need to make it easier to shop for cleaner grocery options at an affordable price.
GOLD
Crav’n Flavor Frozen Hashbrown Potatoes
Topco
RETAILER
Made from 100% real potatoes, Crav’n Flavor frozen hashbrown potatoes offer a variety of popular cuts of breakfast potatoes. Aggregating the purchasing power of its membership, Topco was able to establish a program in this category, providing a single own brand solution and improving supply assurance for its members and shoppers.
WINNERS IN FROZEN
BRONZE
Life Every Day Diced Tomatoes
Federated Group
SUPPLIER
The innovative and eye-catching design of Life Every Day Diced Tomatoes elevates and brings new life to an established category. The unique, illustrative design evokes a positive feeling and helps the brand stand out from similar products, increasing perceived value.
SILVER
Regeneratively Grown Organic Dried Mango
Thrive Market
RETAILER
Good Sam
SUPPLIER
Thrive Market's regeneratively grown organic dried mango is a one-ingredient sweet dried fruit — naturally sweet, sun-ripened Kent mango. Ethically sourced from small farms in Kenya, this snack is paleo, gluten-free, vegan, organic, and certified Kosher. Each mango is grown with planet-friendly regenerative practices and then dried using an innovative, energy-efficient process.
GOLD
Pineapple Spears in Coconut Water
Pacific Coast Producers
SUPPLIER
This product offers innovation in the category with a fresh market MD2 Golden Varietal Pineapple. The cut of the pineapple is a spear which is not available anywhere in dry grocery. The packing medium of coconut water in light syrup is also unique and complementary to the pineapple. All these attributes combine to make a one-of-a-kind unique product offering for shelf-stable produce.
WINNERS IN FRUITS/VEGETABLES
BRONZE
Prestige Blueberry Crisp Ice Cream
Southeastern Grocers
RETAILER
Perry’s Ice Cream
SUPPLIER
The new SE Grocers Prestige Blueberry Crisp Ice Cream combines a creamy and indulgent vanilla ice cream swirled with a vibrant blueberry and golden crunchy crisp bites. This item capitalized on a new trend of pie meets ice cream by successfully blending the taste of a blueberry pie with creamy, vanilla ice cream.
SILVER
Signature Select Extreme! Moose Tracks Ice Cream Sandwiches
Albertsons
RETAILER
Denali Brands
SUPPLIER
The Signature Select Extreme! Moose Tracks Ice Cream Sandwiches launched as the only Private Label Moose Tracks licensed novelty currently in the market and was developed exclusively for Albertsons in partnership with Denali Brands. This item represents the collaborative partnership between Albertsons and Denali Brands in developing indulgent and delicious frozen treats for shoppers.
GOLD
Best Choice Superior Selections Ice Cream
Associated Wholesale Grocer
RETAILER
Hiland
SUPPLIER
The new Best Choice Superior Selections ice cream offers higher butter fat content making for a richer ice cream eating experience. Each unique flavor is loaded with high-quality mix-ins adding texture and flavor to each bite. With innovative flavors like Huckleberry, Sea Salt Espresso Caramel, Sinfully Chocolate, and more, the line brings the excitement of trying specialty flavors at an ice cream shop home to the consumer.
WINNERS IN ICE CREAM
BRONZE
Naturally Better Organic Gluten Free Butternut Squash Ready to Eat Soup Pouch
Southeastern Grocers
RETAILER
KB GrybaiLT/Agua
SUPPLIER
The Naturally Better Organic Ready to Eat Pouch Soups offers a new, tasty organic, and vegan lunchtime solution. This butternut squash soup is organic, gluten-free, suitable for vegans, preservative-free, and made from premium ingredients. The soup is flash-chilled after being produced, which stops the cooking process and allows the soups to taste homemade with no mushy ingredients.
SILVER
Amazon Kitchen Mediterranean Style Salad with Chicken
Amazon
RETAILER
This Mediterranean-style salad features grilled white chicken, grape tomatoes, feta cheese, kalamata olives, mixed greens, and a red wine vinaigrette. It is sold in a custom-designed fully recyclable, resealable package that merchandises horizontally or vertically for maximum organized visibility, keeping ingredients separate from greens, so customers can personalize their experience.
GOLD
Carne Asada Beef Skirt Steak
Whole Foods Market
RETAILER
Golden West Food Group
SUPPLIER
The Carne Asada Beef Skirt Steak is one of several SKUs in the Whole Foods Market Kitchens Ready to Cook Marinated Meat program. All items in this program meet the Whole Foods Market Meat Department Standards and are Global Animal Partnership Animal Welfare Certified. No added growth hormones or antibiotics, ever. No animal by-products in feed. The Carne Asada Skirt Steak comes marinated and ready to cook.
WINNERS IN MEAL KITS
BRONZE
Farmington Premium Romano Cheese and Peppers Mild Italian Sausage
Save A Lot
RETAILER
Randolph Packaging
SUPPLIER
The sausage is made with authentic, aged Romano Cheese, and whole diced green peppers, and blended with the finest, freshest spices and herbs to deliver exceptional flavor. The blend of 72% to 80% lean fresh pork is stuffed into natural hog casings.
SILVER
Amazon Fresh, Smokehouse Center Cut Natural Uncured Bacon
Amazon
RETAILER
The product is naturally smoked, featuring center-cut, uncured bacon with no nitrates or nitrites, and no antibiotics. The pork used was raised with a 100% vegetarian-fed diet.
GOLD
Signature Select Mix + Match Chicken Parmesan
Albertsons
RETAILER
The Signature Select Mix + Match Chicken Parmesan entrée is part of a comprehensive frozen meal solution program. With 15 all-bake offerings in total (5 entrees, 5 side dishes, 5 veggies dishes), shoppers can place all three items in the oven on a sheet pan at the same temperature for the same amount of time. This provides a convenient, quality meal solution customized to the needs of any family.
WINNERS IN MEAT/FISH/POULTRY
BRONZE
Non-GMO Truffle Olive Oil
Thrive Market
RETAILER
Orlando Food Sales Inc
SUPPLIER
Made with cold-extracted extra virgin olive oil, this super savory olive oil from Thrive Market has wild-harvested black summer truffles from Italy and can be used as a drizzle & drip on bruschetta, pasta, and pizza.
SILVER
Clearly by Best Choice Canola Oil
Associated Wholesale Grocers
RETAILER
American Home Foods Inc.
SUPPLIER
Clearly by Best Choice Canola Oil Cooking Spray is USDA certified organic, and free from artificial flavors and synthetic colors. Made with organic canola oil, this cooking spray aims to attract consumers leaning towards more natural products and cleaner lifestyles.
GOLD
Amazon Fresh, Mediterranean Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 68 Fl. Oz.
Amazon
RETAILER
The olive oil is sourced from growers in the Mediterranean region and bottled in Italy. When Amazon launched its single-origin olive oils, it wanted an extra virgin olive oil that could suit its customers' desire for diverse meal inspiration and a uniquely flavorsome blend bringing together the best of olive oil-producing countries of Greece, Italy, and Spain.
WINNERS IN OILS & VINEGAR
BRONZE
Basket & Bushel Petite Potatoes
Topco
RETAILER
Available in petite red, petite yellow, and petite medley, Basket & Bushel Petite Potatoes have what it takes to dress up any meal at own brand prices. The potatoes are well positioned, appealing to consumer preference for packaged, ready-to-cook vegetables.
SILVER
Basket & Bushel Pouch Bag Apples
Topco
RETAILER
The Basket & Bushel Pouch Bag Apples include some of today’s favorite flavors and appeal to consumer preference for packaged, ready-to-eat fruit. Offered in Juic! and Pink Lady varieties, Basket & Bushel Pouch Bag Apples are an own brand offering that shoppers love and can purchase at own brand prices.
GOLD
Basket & Bushel Snacking Produce
Topco
RETAILER
As snacking habits shift to better-for-you buying, Basket & Bushel Snacking Produce offers own brand vegetable snacking options. Selections include Mini Cucumbers, Assorted Peppers, Cocktail Tomatoes, and bite-size Tomato Snack Blend.
WINNERS IN PLANT-BASED
BRONZE
Schnucks Braggin' Rights Sugar-Free BBQ Sauce
Schnuck Markets
RETAILER
AM Braswell Jr.
SUPPLIER
The Schnucks Braggin' Rights Sugar-Free BBQ Sauce is one of six new flavors included in the re-launch of the Schnucks Braggin' Rights Sauces and Marinades line. The sugar-free sauce is a healthier option with all the sweet and tangy flavors customers expect. Sweetened with sucralose, the sauce is only five calories per serving compared to 50 calories in the St. Louis-style BBQ Sauce.
SILVER
Loud Mouth Barbeque
Ace Hardware
RETAILER
Old World Spice
SUPPLIER
Ace Hardware’s first private label food product was designed to stand out in the barbecue market. The product line-up includes options such as Boom Shaka-Laka apple habanero BBQ sauce and That’s Poppin’ savory blended rub. Each product is crafted to cater to both seasoned pitmasters and backyard BBQ enthusiasts, ensuring a flavorful adventure for all.
GOLD
Finest Reserve by Our Family
SpartanNash
RETAILER
The Finest Reserve grilling sauces include tangy mustard, Kentucky bourbon, Asian honey, and more. The sauces are purposely made in small batches to deliver unique flavors. Uniquely, the company offers a line of grilling sauces in its corporate-owned retail stores as well as its independent customers across the Midwest, so various types of communities and shoppers can indulge in this product.
WINNERS IN Sauces/Salsas
BRONZE
Organic Sprouted Nut Trail Mix, Honey Cinnamon
Thrive Market
RETAILER
Earth Ranch LLC
SUPPLIER
Fueled with crunchy, organic sprouted cashews & sunflower seeds, this snack also has shredded coconut, organic honey & Ceylon cinnamon for an upgraded Trail Mix option. Sprouting unlocks nutrients inside the nuts & seeds to help the body better absorb & digest the good stuff, and is free of peanuts, grains, and gluten.
SILVER
SE Grocers Plantain Chips
Southeastern Grocers
RETAILER
Life Food Products
SUPPLIER
SE Grocers Plantain Chips are the first of its own brand Hispanic items to be offered in the salty snacks category. Crafted in partnership with Ecuador-based company, Life Food Products, these plantain chips offer an authentic taste of Ecuador. The product features 100% bilingual verbiage on the pack as well as boasting a vibrant look and feel consistent across all of SEG’s Hispanic products.
GOLD
Zesty Dill Pickle Flavor-Infused Sprouted Almonds
CVS
RETAILER
The Zesty Dill Pickle Flavor-Infused Sprouted Almonds are part of Well Market, a new food and beverage brand from CVS Pharmacy. The almonds are infused with dill pickle flavoring during the sprouting process, which enhances the taste while also keeping consumer’s hands clean, and helps your body digest the nutrients found in the nuts more easily – ensuring they get the most out of every bite.
WINNERS IN SNACKS
BRONZE
Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Brownie Mix
Thrive Market
RETAILER
Blue Stripes, LLC
SUPPLIER
Made with upcycled cacao shell flour and ethically sourced dark chocolate, this mix is a gluten-free treat that's good for the planet, too, because upcycling uses the parts of the cacao pod that are typically discarded (the outer layer). By saving the useful scraps, it allows farmers to earn more for their hard work & leads to less waste.
SILVER
Best Choice from the Bakery
Associated Wholesale Grocers
RETAILER
The new Best Choice from the Bakery line launched with six varieties of cookies: chocolate chunk, oatmeal raisin, peanut butter, sugar cookie, mini candy chip, and mini chocolate chip. These thaw-and-sell cookies allow AWG member retailers to offer fresh bakery-style cookies in a convenient format that avoids issues with labor or shrinkage due to shorter shelf life.
GOLD
Whole Foods Market Kitchens Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Whole Foods Market
RETAILER
Divvies
SUPPLIER
These cookies are baked with better ingredients with no hydrogenated fats or high fructose corn syrup and no bleached or bromated flours. These cookies are also Non-GMO Project Verified. For culinary enthusiasts who require convenience, Whole Foods Market Kitchens provides chef-prepared recipes that inspire a love for good food.
WINNERS IN SWEETS