Private Label Brands, Part Two: Integration for Success in Retail H&W Programs
By RDBA Executive Director, Annette Maggi, MS, RDN, LD, FAND
As was discussed in last week’s article Private Label Brands, Part One: Business Overview, owned brands are an important element of the retail industry and your company’s business. Because of the profit margin benefit of these products and brands, savvy retail dietitians look for ways to incorporate them into their programs and services. Here are some suggestions and ideas.
- Promotion, Promotion, Promotion. Whether you’re doing in-store demos, media segments, blogs or other social media, always include owned brand products that align with the theme of your message or event. If the program is sponsored by a vendor partner, use owned brand products for the other ingredients in the recipe or as recommended side dishes to the vendor’s product.
- Trend Reviews. In your role, you’re more aware of nutrition trends than most of your colleagues. Leverage this expertise with private label by developing and presenting a trend review. Share what’s topping the charts right now, but also include emerging trends as product development can take anywhere from 6-12 months. Share insights on trends that the current owned brand assortment captures as well as where gaps exist.
- Nutrition Guardrails. Many retailers have at least one owned brand designed as a national brand equivalent. The goal is to be as close as possible to the national brand in taste, quality and nutrition. It can be challenging, however, to deliver on all these attributes. You may be able to assist the private label team by establishing acceptable variances in nutritional attributes. Meeting the national brand on certain nutrients may matter more in some categories than others. For example, you may want tighter guardrails established for fiber in bread and cereal categories than would be necessary in bars. Or, there may be a priority order established in nutrient matching to the national brand. Some vitamins and minerals, for example, may be a lower priority than others.
- Owned Brand Better-for-You Promotions. While merchants and buyers are concerned with their category of products, your lens cuts across all categories of the store, seeking those products with the highest nutritional value. Leverage this knowledge to suggest an all owned brands promotion. You could suggest the products for a BFY private label endcap or build a BFY meal solution using all owned brand products.
- Nutrition for the Dollar. As discussed in last week’s article, 70% of consumers purchase private label products in part due to the cost savings. Leverage this shopper insight by creating and providing messaging about the positive nutrition for the dollar that private label products can provide. This approach is sure to increase sales as it hits on consumer’s desire for a good deal, to feel smarter, and to take care of their own and their family’s health.
- Shelf-tag programs. Whether it’s a third-party nutrition shelf-tag program or a custom in-house “dietitian’s pick” program, they are designed to guide the shopper to healthier programs. It’s an added bonus if these healthier products happen to be owned brands, so be sure that your retailer’s brands have a prominent position in these programs.
