Market Report

Loblaw launches President's Choice gluten-free line
Loblaw Companies Ltd., Brampton, Ontario, said it launched eight President's Choice gluten-free products that are fully certified by the Canadian Celiac Association's Gluten-Free Certification Program (GFCP). The store brand products are the first private label items in Canada to meet the requirements for certification and are eligible to display the GFCP trademark of the Canadian Celiac Association.

Priced at $5.99 each, the President's Choice gluten-free products can be found in the bakery of select Loblaw banner grocery stores in Ontario – Loblaws, Loblaw great food, Fortinos, Zehrs Markets, Zehrs Great Food, Your Independent Grocer, valu-mart and Real Canadian Superstore, the retailer said. Products include brownies, muffins, loaf cakes and cookies.

ALDI replacing Grandessa Signature with Specially Selected
In its Dec. 12, 2012, weekly ad, Batavia, Ill.-based ALDI announced the introduction of Specially Selected, a line of premium products comprising meat, cheese, pasta, coffee, desserts and more. Originally developed by ALDI's German parent company for its stores in the UK and Ireland, the brand is replacing the Grandessa Signature brand in U.S. stores, said Matthias Queck, a research director with London-based Planet Retail.

Safeway's Lucerne organic, cage-free eggs attain Certified Humane status
Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC), a Herndon, Va.-based non-profit certification organization that aims to improve the lives of farm animals in food production, announced that all of Safeway's brands of cage-free and organic eggs have earned the Certified Humane designation. Pleasanton, Calif.-based Safeway is the first major retailer in the United States to require all of its cage-free and organic egg producers to become Certified Humane.

HFAC said it has been working with Safeway since June of 2008, when Michael Talbott, one of the Safeway Supplier Quality Management team members, contacted the organization. Talbott had already conducted research on the standards and various other animal welfare certification programs prior to contacting HFAC. However, before Safeway chose the Certified Humane program, Talbott did his due diligence and observed HFAC inspectors performing on-farm inspections and traceability inspectors conducting a plant inspection.

BI-LO rewarding purchasers of store brands with college basketball tickets
BI-LO, Greenville, S.C., said it again partnered with the University of South Carolina and Clemson University to offer its "No Dough" promotion. Through March 1 or while supplies last, customers who purchase any six participating Southern Home brand items in one transaction with their MY BI-LO BONUSCARD will receive two free NCAA men's basketball tickets to any of the Gamecocks or Tigers eligible regular season home games.

PLMA to hold Executive Education Program in June
The New York-based Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA) announced that it will hold its 2013 Executive Education Program from June 17 to June 20 at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia. The program provides insights into store brand strategy, buyer-seller relations, new product development, the role of the manufacturer, and the retail marketplace of the future, PLMA said.

Faculty is drawn from both the industry and the university, and more than 1,000 private label managers, sales and marketing executives, CEOs and owners have graduated from the program, according to PLMA. For more information, e-mail [email protected] or call 212-972-3131.