Market Report
Edeka Launches Mein Land
German grocer Edeka has launched a new private label brand for fruit and vegetables, ‘Mein Land’ (or ‘My Country’), locally-sourced in the Rhein-Ruhr region.
According to the retailer: “In extending our range of regional products, we focus on sustainability at all levels - economically and socially.”
The ‘Mein Land’ range is produced exclusively in farms across North Rhine-Westphalia, by farmers that have been producing for generations, ensuring quality and supporting local industry. The retailer’s website speaks of the sustainability of the regional products, which provide short transport distances and secure jobs.
In addition to the new line, Edeka has launched a free magazine for its shoppers called PreisGenuss (Price Pleasure). The magazine primarily features a range of food and non-food products sold under the retailer’s private label. As well as marketing its low priced private label, the magazine provides shoppers with informative tips, recipes and an attractive raffle with prizes worth a total of over 40,000 euros.
M&S Adds 100 Exclusives
According to the Financial Times, Marks and Spencer’s is introducing delicatessens and bakeries as part of a £600m store overhaul. The delis will initially go into six stores, and sell products including pasta freshly made in front of customers. As well as in-store bakeries, M&S will introduce another 1,000 food lines, including 100 exclusive international brands, according to the report. Kantar Retail IQ says the new brands will roll out this autumn.
New Spanish Launches
Spanish retailer Mercadona has extended its Hacendado private labeled assortment into children’s categories, according to Kantar Retail IQ. The new range will offer 11 SKUs of canned fruits. Mercadona plans to launch new SKUs if the test is successful.
Meanwhile, El Corte Ingles in Spain has launched the Veckia brand for health and beauty items. The range includes more than 200 SKUs such as shampoos, conditioners, soaps, and creams. The items are available in all Hipercor and Supercor stores, as well as in El Corte Ingles stores that have a perfumery area.
Co-Operative Group Launches Free-From
The UK Co-Operative Group has launched a store brand free from range. According to the company’s website, all of the products are wheat and gluten free and some are also dairy free. The gluten-free products are suitable for coeliacs and have been tested by the company’s taste panel.
The range of nine products includes breakfast cereals, biscuits, rolls, and morning goods, and is complemented by the best branded products in the market including Genius bread, Mrs Crimble’s cakes, Eat Natural snack bars, Alpro dairy free desserts and Doves Farm gluten free flour. Products include choices like The Co-operative Free From Triple Chocolate Cookies and Pure Oat Muesli.
Sainsbury’s Measures Out Portions
In a U.K. first, Sainsbury’s has launched new 1-L juice packaging with four see-through windows that allow for simple portion control and ensure that customers enjoy their five-a-day servings, reports packagingdigest.com. Using the windows on the side of the carton as a guide, customers can quickly measure a glass of fruit juice that counts as part of a healthy diet.
The new packaging design is part of the ‘by Sainsbury’s’ relaunch, announced in May. The revamp, which includes more than 6,500 products, began with frozen foods just before Christmas 2010 and will be completed by January 2013. Of the 6,500 products, 65 percent will be either new or improved.
All of the packaging for the new ‘by Sainsbury’s’ range has been designed to meet with Sainsbury’s wider commitment to reduce its own brand packaging weight relative to sales by 33 percent by 2015 against a 2009 baseline.
Retailer Brands Gain Share
PLMA’s 2011 Private Label Yearbook reports that retailer brands increased share in 18 countries, the most widespread increase since Nielsen began compiling statistics for PLMA’s Yearbook in 1998.
Nine countries now have a private label market share exceeding 30%. Switzerland maintains its top spot with a 53% market share, followed by Spain (49%), the UK (47%), Portugal (42%), and Belgium (39%). Other countries with a market share greater than 30% are Austria, Germany, France and Finland.
The sustained growth of private label over the years has resulted in a dominant position in some of the largest store departments. For example, retailer brands now account for 82% of the paper products sold in Spain, 75% of frozen items in Switzerland, 63% of pet products in Germany, and 53% of delicatessen sales in France, according to the Yearbook.
