Raley’s revamps private label lineup

Raley’s has relaunched its entire private label roster with a new design and increased ingredient transparency.

The West Sacramento, Calif.-based grocer said Thursday that the initiative includes a packaging design overhaul for its Raley’s, Raley’s Purely Made and Nob Hill Trading Co. brands plus a “major expansion” of the Purely Made line, including additional standards and products for “clean, affordable eating.”

Raley’s said the packaging revamp better conveys value and quality as well as the reputation of trust in the Raley’s name. In addition, the nutrition label on all relaunched products features the updated Food and Drug Administration Nutrition Facts panel, which standardizes serving size and provides a clearer view of added sugar. The Raley’s Purely Made packaging also calls out key product attributes, including non-GMO, no artificial ingredients and gluten-free.

The Raley’s store brand is positioned to provide high-quality products at a value, while the Nob Hill Trading Co. brand offers gourmet products with global and local influences, the retailer said. Purely Made products are less processed, organic when possible and free from more than 100 artificial preservatives and ingredients on the company’s banned ingredient list.

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Citing Nielsen data, Raley’s said 59% of grocery shoppers have trouble understanding the Nutrition Facts information.

“The Purely Made brand standards were very carefully crafted,” Yvette Waters, nutrition strategist and brand influencer at Raley’s, said in a statement. “We thoroughly reviewed the most up-to-date product ingredient research, customer demands and legislation around certain ingredients before setting on our standards.”

For example, Raley’s has included carrageenan in its banned ingredient list. The company reported that, although carrageenan is an FDA-approved additive, it has been found in some research to cause inflammation and digestive problems.

Purely Made standards cover packaged goods as well as fresh items like meat, seafood and produce. The brand’s produce is organic, and meat and center store items are organic whenever possible.

The private label relaunch is in line with recent efforts by Raley’s to help customers purchase better-for-you foods. The company has discontinued production of private 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%.

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In 2017, the grocer also launched the Raley’s Shelf Guide, a shelf tag program to provide shoppers with more label transparency on packaged foods and help them identify minimally processed and nutrient-dense products. And in 2015, Raley’s ended the sale of tobacco at all of its stores.

“We will continue to eliminate SKUs that do not meet our requirements and standards,” said Paul Gianetto, senior vice president of sales and merchandising.“With our investment in our Raley’s brands, we are showing our customers that we can be trusted to be mindful of ingredients, proudly transparent and passionate about quality.”

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