Supermarket chains unveil private-brand additions

The Save Mart Cos. and H-E-B have added new labels to their own-brand portfolios, while The Kroger Co. has updated its Comforts line of disposable diapers.

Modesto, Calif.-based Save Mart yesterday introduced a new food brand called Crav’n at all of its more than 200 Save Mart, Lucky California and FoodMaxx stores in California and northern Nevada. Aimed at providing “delicious, affordable” meal solutions, Crav’n products range from chips, snacks and desserts to cereal and frozen foods.
 
“Just in time for the holidays, the introduction of Crav’n products in all our Save Mart, Lucky California and FoodMaxx stores will provide quick-and-easy snacks and meal solutions for busy families, people on the go and those planning festive gatherings,” Rebecca Calvin, chief merchandising officer at The Save Mart Cos., said in a statement.

Save Mart noted that the launch of Crav’n comes amid an ongoing expansion of the Western grocer’s “Our Brands” roster of private-label products, joining such brands as Sunny Select Sunnyside Farms dairy and the Pacific Coast Selections premium label.

“The expansion of the Our Brands portfolio allows us to provide alternative, quality food options at affordable prices that are comparable to national brands,” according to Calvin. “Over the next 18 months, we will continue to unveil a variety of Our Brands choices for customers that will meet their unique needs. Our shoppers will be pleased to find everything from a variety of salty snacks to favorite sweet treats under the Crav’n label in all of our stores.”  

H-E-B said more than two dozen Field & Future by H-E-B items are now on shelves, with more offerings to reach stores soon and in the coming months.

Meanwhile, Texas grocer H-E-B has rolled out Field & Future by H-E-B, a new line of eco-friendly household and personal care products.

More than two dozen Field & Future items are now on store shelves, and products run the gamut from sponges and toothpaste to baby wipes and dish detergent, San Antonio-based H-E-B said. Key wellness and sustainability features include hypoallergenic formulas, biodegradable ingredients and recyclable packaging, among others. 

For example, Field & Future trash and recycling bags are made from 65% and 30%, respectively, post-consumer recycled plastic from H-E-B facilities. Other products are made with free-from formulas (such as no parabens, sulfates or phthalates) and no animal testing and are designed to be gentle for family and kids.

Field & Future items popped up on H-E-B store shelves earlier this summer, including dish sponges made from plant-based material and toothpaste without fluoride, sulfates, added dyes or artificial flavors. 

Other Field & Future offering now or soon to be available at most H-E-B stores include all-purpose cleaners, glass cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner and dish soaps made with plant-derived fragrances and USDA Biobased formulas (no dyes, parabens or sulfates); hypoallergenic feminine care products made with organic cotton and free from colorings, chlorine and perfumes; bath tissue and paper towels made from 100% recycled fibers (including post-consumer fibers); and baby wipes made with just five ingredients and excluding fragrance, alcohol, chlorine and parabens.

Additional Field & Future products slated to reach stores in the coming months, H-E-B said, include such categories as household cleaning, laundry, paper and plastic, beauty care, personal care, oral care, feminine care and baby care.

H-E-B noted that the Field & Future brand was created with input from vendor partners and customers, with a focus on offering products that are “kind to the consumer, kind to animals and kind to Texas.”

“At H-E-B, we’re always looking for better ways to meet the needs of Texans. Many of our partners, customers and communities are on a green journey, and our goal with Field & Future by H-E-B is to meet them wherever they are on that path,” stated Bonny Akers, director of H-E-B brand products. “With these environmentally minded products, along with our growing sustainability efforts, we want to take whatever steps we can, big and small, towards improving the well-being of our planet, our communities and ourselves.”

With new designs and packaging, Kroger's Comforts are aimed at providing a high-quality, affordable option for disposable diapers, a category that's recently seen price hikes due to inflation and supply issues.

With the relaunch of Comforts, Kroger said it was responding in part to recent price hikes in disposable diapers triggered by supply chain issues and inflation. 

Re-released with new day or night diapers and improved packaging, the Comforts brand’s low prices and quality compare to those of national brands and can help families save more than $1,500 per year, especially as prices continue to climb and supply chains slow, the Cincinnati-based retailer noted.

In addition to affordability, the updated Comforts diapers and packaging are aimed at celebrating families and addressing pain points, such as hard-to-read sizes, Kroger said. Each size has two fun design prints and offers such features as 12-hour protection, wetness indicators and the FlowChannel system for absorbency, liquid distribution, air flow and long-lasting wet-lock. 

Comforts also are dermatologically tested, designed with a fit for comfort and protection at babies’ every twist and turn; and come in value and “Big Deal” cartons, according to Kroger.