Dive Brief:
- Kroger announced Monday it has reformulated deli and bakery items under its store brands.
- The refreshed items include Home Chef fried chicken and Private Selection brand cinnamon rolls and crumb cake.
- Kroger said that its reformulations aim to improve already popular products, showcasing the grocer’s commitment to continuously upgrade customers’ deli and bakery favorites.
Dive Insight:
Kroger’s reformulation comes at a time when grocers have worked to elevate their private brands, which typically yield higher margins and appeal to cost-conscious consumers.
For example, Home Chef’s fried chicken is now double-breaded and hand-dipped with 18 different spices and has new packaging to retain its crispiness for longer. Meanwhile, its Private Selection Signature buttercream cakes now use real buttercream.
Kroger added French baguettes ($1.49 per loaf) that are made fresh daily in-store with no preservatives or chemicals to its Private Selection line. That line will soon debut reformulated croissants, according to the announcement.
The grocer studied product characteristics like flavor profile, freshness and packaging, Dan De La Rosa, Kroger's group vice president of fresh merchandising, said in the announcement.
Kroger’s store brands’ “fresh and prepared products have long been basket staples for customers because they are high-quality, affordable items that can be the center piece of a meal or the perfect side or finish to a weeknight dinner, family breakfast or gameday spread,” De La Rosa said.
Customers can shop the new items in the deli and bakery section of Kroger’s banners, according to the announcement.
In announcing the reformulations, Kroger highlighted ways for customers to save money, from its digital ad to its Boost by Kroger Plus delivery membership and store card with Mastercard. The grocery chain’s promotion of its coupons and membership comes at a time when many consumers are continuing to fret over their spending, especially at the grocery store.
Private brands, in particular, are appealing to consumer demands. Fifty-four percent of surveyed shoppers said they plan to buy much or somewhat more store brands in the future, compared to 26% who said the same for name brands, FMI – The Food Industry Association said in a report released last fall.
