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Raley’s raises product transparency with expanded Shelf Guide

Tag program highlights nearly two-dozen attributes in-store and online

Russell Redman

July 16, 2019

3 Min Read
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Photos: Raley's

To aid shoppers walking the aisles or placing orders online, Raley’s has expanded the nutritional, health and wellness attributes for its nearly two-year-old Shelf Guide.

The West Sacramento, Calif.-based grocer said Tuesday the product label transparency tool now has 23 icons for health-related attributes, including for new nonfood categories added to the program.

With the extension, Raley’s said its Shelf Guide, launched in September 2017, “goes further than any other shelf tag program” by helping customers more easily navigate nutrition facts, processing claims and ingredient labels for thousands of products both on-shelf and online.

Yvette_Waters_Raleys_nutrition_strategist_brand_influencer.png“Consumers have the right to know exactly what they are eating, putting on their bodies or using in their homes. We are looking into a more holistic wellness approach when navigating the aisles,” Yvette Waters (left), nutrition strategist and brand influencer at Raley’s, said in a statement. "Raley’s has enhanced standards of what customers should expect from their local grocer.”

Raley’s noted that the Shelf Guide’s new and updated icons are tailored to the specific health criteria that its consumers seek. In food and beverages, icons include nutrient-dense, clean-label, plant-based, carb-friendly, gut health, sustainability, no added sugar, keto-friendly, heart healthy, high in protein, organic, vegan, whole grain, gluten-free, non-GMO, grain-free and kosher.

Related:Connecting to customers with wellness

For the new health and beauty aids and household categories, icons include paraben-free, no added fragrance, clean-label, sulfate-free, phthalate-free and sustainability. There also are attributes for pet care: grain-free, meat as first ingredient, high in protein, gut health, organic, non-GMO, raw and gluten-free.

In stores, shoppers can see up to nine attributes on a product’s shelf tag. Online customers ordering for pickup or delivery can use the Shelf Guide icons as filters to drill down to products that match dietary needs and lifestyle preferences. Raley’s said more than two-thirds of center-store items have at least one icon. The retailer also sheds more light on the Shelf Guide attributes in a customer education campaign that includes animated videos.

“We want to give customers easy access to better options for a healthier lifestyle and provide greater transparency in labeling of products on our shelves and online,” added Waters.

Raley’s said it leveraged rich data to develop custom attributes for the Shelf Guide. To that end, the company spent a year conducting analysis of Nielsen data, grocery trends and data driven by customers that show a rising demand for products using more sustainable and natural ingredients within these categories. In addition, the grocer partnered with product transparency solution specialist Label Insight to review product information, including ingredients and certifications.

Related:Raley’s revamps private label lineup

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“We’re excited to continue our partnership with Raley’s to evolve their Shelf Guide program from its very beginnings to this next stage,” commented Ronak Sheth, CEO of Label Insight. “As a true retail innovator in product transparency, Raley’s is maximizing the intersection of Label Insight’s rich data set with the consumer’s dual need for convenience and product insights. We’re looking forward to our continued collaboration.”

Helping customers make more informed and healthier food choices is a linchpin of Raley’s brand positioning. In recent years, the retailer has discontinued production of store-brand soda with high-fructose corn syrup and artificial colors and flavors; eliminated private label cereal with more than 25% added sugar; and pulled conventional candy from the checkout lanes, reducing the overall sugar offerings by 25%. This year, the company also boosted ingredient transparency in relaunching its private label and made all of its store-brand chicken antibiotic-free, with packaging in 100% recyclable trays.

Raley’s operates 129 stores in California and Nevada the Raley’s, Bel Air Markets, Nob Hill Foods, Food Source and Market 5-ONE-5 banners.

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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