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Albertsons adds to Signature Reserve brand lineup

“Top-shelf” private brand extended to more product categories

Russell Redman

November 2, 2018

2 Min Read
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Following up a spring launch, Albertsons Cos. has expanded its Signature Reserve own brand into a half-dozen new product categories.

Albertsons said Thursday that Signature Reserve, described as a “top-shelf label,” now includes a curated selection of products in pasta and pasta sauce, single-origin whole-bean coffee, loose leaf tea, confections and pie filling.

The Boise, Idaho-based grocer introduced Signature Reserve at the end of May with seven flavors of superpremium ice cream. At the time, the company said more items for the private label were on the way. With the expansion, Signature Reserve now has more than 30 products across seven categories.

Catering to consumers’ increasingly sophisticated tastes, Signature Reserve products are globally sourced and adhere to exacting standards for ingredients and flavor, according to Albertsons. The retailer noted that customer interest in premium products typically rises during the holiday season, when shoppers are looking for gift items or special products for a festive occasion.

“We have a really high bar for Signature Reserve,” Geoff White, president of own brands at Albertsons Cos., said in a statement. “As we discover products and flavors that meet our rigorous selection process, we can’t wait to share them with our customers.”

Related:Private label goes premium

For example, Signature Reserve’s smoky pecan pie filling is flavored with aged bourbon, brown sugar and real vanilla bean sourced from Madagascar, Albertsons said. All of the single-origin coffees are expertly sourced and grown by conscientious famers; for instance, the Ethiopian coffee is grown by 150 local farmers, according to the company. The pasta and pasta sauce are made in Torino, Italy, based on recipes passed down through generations of the Pochettino family. And Signature Reserve Brazilian Guava Cheesecake ice cream has emerged as an award winner and customer favorite.

“Signature Reserve inspires delicious discovery with extraordinary and expertly sourced flavors and ingredients,” White added. “I personally experienced this with our Tomato, Porcini and Black Truffle Pasta Sauce. It instantly became a favorite in our home. I am so excited for our customers to have the same kind of unique culinary moments.”

Albertsons has said it plans to launch nearly 1,400 new own-brand products across its store banners this year, double the number introduced in 2017. New items are slated throughout the private-label portfolio, which includes O Organics, Open Nature, Signature, Lucerne, Waterfront Bistro, Value Corner, Primo Taglio and debi lilly design. The Signature label, which accounts for over $6 billion of the company’s $11 billion in private-brand sales, includes the banners Signature Cafe, Signature Farms, Signature Care, Signature Select and Signature Reserve.

Related:Albertsons showcases organic brands in new Instacart e-store

O Organics, which became a billion-dollar brand in November 2017, now spans more than 1,000 items and is expected to include 1,400 items in 192 categories by the end of 2018. Open Nature, which premiered a new look in late July, encompasses over 450 products and is projected to have 700 items in 108 categories by the year’s end. Albertsons expects Open Nature to become a billion-dollar brand by 2022.

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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