Dive Brief:
- Albertsons announced Tuesday the launch of Bee Lightly as the newest addition to its Own Brands wine portfolio.
- The retailer noted the new line is notable for its flat bottle package design made from 100% recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
- Bee Lightly comes just a few weeks after Albertsons announced the launch of Overjoyed, the grocer’s first major store brand launch in several years.
Dive Insight:
According to Albertsons, Bee Lightly’s wine packaging marks a first in the U.S. market and highlights the grocer’s sustainability efforts as well as its private label growth.
The line is available at select Albertsons stores across its banners and will soon be shoppable through Vine & Cellar, Safeway and Albertsons’ online wine shop and delivery service, in California, according to the press release. Bee Lightly features chardonnay and rosé varietals sourced from “up-and-coming” Hérault and Limoux regions in France.
The grocery company’s Own Brands team partnered with WX Brands, a wine developer for retailers, and Packamama, a climate technology packaging company, to develop Bee Lightly.
The wine’s packaging is 87% lighter than the material used for traditional glass bottles, is recyclable and has a “smaller environmental footprint compared to conventional wine bottle shapes,” according to the announcement. Bee Lightly’s design also reduces transportation-related emissions and improves logistical efficiency by enabling the transportation of nearly twice as many products on a single pallet, meaning 44% fewer shipping pallets are needed compared to standard glass wine bottles.
“By launching our new Bee Lightly selection, we are offering shoppers quality, affordable wines from France while also redefining wine packaging standards,” Albertsons’ Master of Wines Curtis Mann said in a statement.
Earlier this month, Albertsons debuted Overjoyed, a private brand focused on treats, gifts and décor. The line is an extension of the grocer’s brand Overjoyed Boutique.
Last year, Albertsons revamped its private label offerings in numerous areas, including expanding its Open Nature brand to offer more plant-based items, merging separate private lines under one flagship called Signature Select and broadening its Signature Reserve brand with a line of premium wood-fired, Neapolitan-style pizzas.
