Broker/Wholesaler Corner

Navarro celebrates two-year anniversary of Vida Mia brand

Navarro Discount Pharmacy, a Miami-based, Hispanic-owned drugstore chain and wholesaler — and an MBF Healthcare Partners portfolio company — said it is celebrating the two-year anniversary of its Vida Mia brand, the first brand in the United States targeting Hispanics across a variety of categories. Since its introduction, more than 7 million Vida Mia product units have sold, and the line comprises approximately 1,000 SKUs. Sales are expected to grow 4 percent annually for the next one to three years.

“Having a solely Hispanic-focused brand such as Vida Mia with bilingual product packaging allows us to better cater to the Hispanic market, which lacks culturally relevant products that appeal to this growing and diverse population,” said Juan Ortiz, Navarro CEO.

Navarro said that its understanding of the growing Hispanic demographic in South Florida and across the United States led it to conduct extensive market research, which resulted in Vida Mia’s launch in January 2012. The brand, which sells in all 33 Navarro locations in South Florida, was developed by consumers from a broad range of Hispanic backgrounds and ethnicities, and the Spanish dialect used on the product labels is not geographically or regionally defined.

Currently, Vida Mia comprises six sub-brands: Mi Casa (home), Mi Cuerpo (bath and body care), Mi Salud (OTC and other healthcare), Mi Bebe (baby care), Mi Belleza (beauty care) and Mi Sabor (food and beverage), Navarro stated. It has won several industry awards, including two Salute to Excellence Awards from the Private Label Manufacturers Association (one in 2012 and another in 2013) and a Store Brand Achievement Award from Store Brands (in 2012).

Associated Wholesale Grocers launches redesigned Best Choice website

Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG), a Kansas City, Kan.-based store-owned cooperative consisting of more than 2,400 retail stores in 21 states, announced the launch of its redesigned Best Choice website, www.bestchoicebrand.com. The relaunch comes in the wake of brand’s packaging revamp last year.

“Social media integration was of the utmost importance to us,” said Kate Favrow, AWG’s corporate marketing manager. “This focus has been the next steps in our efforts to make Best Choice relevant to digitally savvy consumers who are looking for more information online.”

In addition to social media integration, the redesigned website houses important brand news such as Save-A-Label (a community fundraiser program) updates and contests.

Designed by Immotion Studios, Fort Worth, Texas, the website aims to be significantly easier for consumers to read and navigate, AWG noted. Dozens of recipes and cooking videos are available under the “Recipes” tab, and a “Find A Store” tab allows for consumers to look up their nearest AWG member store. Products featuring the new Best Choice logo and packaging can be found in the “Featured Products” section of the site, which serves as a place for AWG to roll out its rebranded Best Choice products. And as part of its quality commitment, AWG welcomes feedback through a special form, which is found under the “100% Guarantee” tab.

“We’re excited to see the successful launch of the new Best Choice website — the first individual site of our private brands,” said Steve Arnold, senior vice president of grocery products. “The website serves as an easy-to-use resource for both our member retailers and consumers to stay connected. Along with a social media hub, Best Choice is creating a new standard for private brands.”