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Aldi among top winners in 2021 Product of the Year Awards

Discount grocer ties with P&G with seven winning products

Russell Redman

February 19, 2021

4 Min Read
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Aldi, whose store assortments encompass approximately 90% own brands, won seven Product of the Year awards in the food category.Russell Redman

Product of the Year USA named 41 winning items in the 2021 Product of the Year Awards, with food and beverages accounting for a quarter of the honored products and Aldi one the top-winning companies.

Announced yesterday, each of the winning products was recognized as the most innovative in their category by New York-based Product of the Year (POTY). The items were chosen by 40,000 American shoppers in a nationally representative survey conducted by consumer and retail research firm Kantar.

Among the 2021 winners, the consumables, health and beauty care, and home care categories led the way with 13 products apiece, followed by pet care with two winners. Of the winning companies, discount grocer Aldi and CPG giant Procter & Gamble (P&G) each took home seven Product of the Year Awards, followed by Henkel and Bayer Consumer Health, each with three. CVS Health was the only other retailer to garner a POTY award.

The winning products, announced each February, get the right to use the Product of the Year logo in marketing communications for two years. Product of the Year USA noted that its red seal is proven to boost product sales, distribution and awareness.

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The 41 winning items in the 2021 Product of the Year Awards can use the the POTY red seal in marketing communications for two years.

The 2021 Product of the Year Award winners, by category, were the following:

CONSUMABLES

Related:Online CPG food and beverage sales could top $100 billion in 2021

Alcoholic Beverage: Uptown Cocktails (BuzzBallz/Southern Champion) 

Breakfast: Aldi Aunt Maple’s Protein Pancake Mix (Aldi) 

Cheese: Aldi Emporium Selection 1,000 Day Gouda & 4 Year Cheddar (Aldi) 

Chips: Aldi Simply Nature Bean Chips (Aldi) 

Coffee: Aldi Friendly Farms Almondmilk Coffee Creamer (Aldi) 

Condiment: Aldi Stonemill Everything Bagel Seasoning (Aldi) 

Convenience Meal: Del Monte Veggieful Pocket Pies (Del Monte Foods) 

Cookie: Keebler Chips Deluxe Original (Ferrara)

Fruit: Del Monte Deluxe Gold Pineapple (Del Monte Foods) 

Functional Beverage: Live Better Apple Cider Vinegar with Ginger & Turmeric (CVS Health) 

Healthy Snack: Aldi Clancy’s White Cheddar Cheese Popcorn (Aldi) 

Sports Nutrition: Powerade Ultra (Coca-Cola) 

Yogurt: Aldi Specially Selected Indulgent Greek Yogurt (Aldi)

HEALTH & BEAUTY CARE

CBD Ingestible: cbdMD CBD Gummie (cbdMD) 

CBD Personal Care: Medterra Pain Cream CBD (Medterra) 

Children's Wellness: Mucinex Children’s FreeFrom (RB Health) 

Electric Toothbrush: hum by Colgate Smart Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush (Colgate-Palmolive) 

Eye Care: Systane Hydration PF (Alcon Laboratories) 

Foot Care: Lotrimin Daily Prevention (Bayer Consumer Health) 

Hair Color: Schwarzkopf Color Boost (Henkel) 

Hair Styling: Remington Pro 1” Multi-Styler with Twist & Curl Technology (Spectrum Brands) 

Related:U.S. household CPG spending surged 19% in 2020

Oral Care: Crest Whitening Emulsions with Wand Applicator (P&G) 

Oral Hygiene: Colgate Keep Replaceable Head Manual Toothbrush (Colgate-Palmolive) 

Pain Relief: AleveX (Bayer Consumer Health) 

Vitamins, Minerals & Supplements: Patchology Little Helpers (Rare Beauty Brands) 

HOME CARE

Car Care: Rain-X Glass Water-Repellent (ITW) 

Dish Care: Dawn Powerwash Dish Spray (P&G) 

Dryer Sheet: Bounce Pet Hair and Lint Guard Mega Dryer Sheets (P&G) 

Green Laundry: All Free & Clear Pure (Henkel) 

Hard Surface Cleaning: Microban 24 Sanitizing Spray (P&G) 

Health & Wellness: Claritin Cool Mint Chewables (Bayer Consumer Health) 

Home Improvement: 3M CLAW Drywall Picture Hanger (3M) 

Laundry Enhancer: Snuggle SuperCare Scent Booster (Henkel )

Laundry Pacs: Tide Hygienic Clean Heavy Duty 10X Power PODS (P&G) 

Liquid Fabric Conditioner: Downy Intense Scent Freshness, Spring Rush (P&G) 

Liquid Laundry: Tide Hygienic Clean Free & Gentle Liquid Heavy Duty (P&G) 

Natural Cleaning System: H2O e3 Cleaning System (Thane Direct)

Outdoor Cleaning: Carbona Pro Care Oxy Powered Outdoor Cleaner (Delta Carbona)

Tableware: Hefty ECOSAVE (Reynolds Consumer Products) 

PET CARE

Cat Care: Pro Plan LiveClear (Purina) 

CBD Pet: Paw CBD 300 mg Peanut-Butter Hard Chews (cbdMD) 

With the escalation of online shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic, and fewer product sampling opportunities, the Product of the Year red seal helps consumers “quickly cut through the clutter to save time and money,” according to POTY USA.

“For all the obvious reasons, shoppers are spending less time in the supermarket than ever, but still crave new and innovative products to light up these difficult times. Because of this, we are more excited than ever to announce the 2021 Product of the Year winners and help shoppers find that ‘great new product’ when it matters most, however they do their shopping this year,” Mike Nolan, global CEO of Product of the Year Management, said in a statement. “What makes Product of the Year so trusted is our unique process, which gives shoppers the confidence that each product with our iconic red logo is backed by 40,000 Americans. That’s a powerful advantage for our 2021 winners, as a Product of the Year Award positions them as the innovative leader in their category.”

For over 30 years globally and 13 years in the USA, Product of the Year has recognized products that demonstrate innovation in function, design, packaging and/or ingredients. This year’s awards were presented in a Virtual Awards Show, hosted by “Saturday Day Night Live” alumni Rachel Dratch and Ana Gasteyer on DailyMail.com.

Read more about:

CVS Health

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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