Private brands for Turkey Day

With sales of private brands surging, I'm betting more consumers will turn to store branded products to serve for Thanksgiving dinner this year. Yes, Thanksgiving dinner is perhaps the biggest meal of the year and one that servers don’t want to mess up. But with more store brands gaining loyal customers for their quality and price (not just price alone), more consumers are willing to buy them — even for Thanksgiving dinner.

So it’s no surprise that ALDI, which has upped the quality of its private brands the past few years and sells its products at an excellent value, is promoting the fact that consumers can get all of their Thanksgiving needs there for a better price that they can get elsewhere. ALDI, of course, offers more than a 90% assortment of private brands.

ALDI has even enlisted a third-party source, the American Farm Bureau, to assist in its promotion. ALDI noted that the American Farm Bureau conducts an annual survey to measure the price of a Thanksgiving meal for 10 people. ALDI said that while the cost of serving a Thanksgiving meal for 10 people has steadily declined in recent years, the Batavia, Ill.-based retailer is claiming that most of the traditional ingredients needed for a Thanksgiving meal cost less at ALDI versus the American Farm Bureau’s (AFB) national average.

The shopping list for AFB’s survey includes turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls, green peas, fresh cranberries, veggie tray, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and milk, all in quantities sufficient to serve a family of 10. ALDI said comparable products sold at its stores will cost consumers $32.02, compared to FMB’s national average of $48.02.

“ALDI has everything our shoppers need to host the perfect Thanksgiving meal, without breaking the bank," said Scott Patton, the retailer’s vice president of corporate buying. “From the star of the table — the Thanksgiving turkey —to the appetizers, sides, desserts, beverages and even decor, we're proud to offer shoppers outstanding quality food and goods at simply unbeatable prices."

While ALDI’S turkey is likely to be a branded product, most all if not all of the other fixings are from ALDI’s private brands.

ALDI’s Thanksgiving promotion would have been deemed daring 10 years ago. Back then, I’m not so sure many consumers would turn to predominantly private label products for a Thanksgiving meal. The trust factor just wasn’t there.

But things have changed because the quality of private brands has changed for the better and continues to change for the better. And ALDI has helped lead that change.

I also wouldn’t be surprised to see more retailers that have upped their private label programs overall promote their private brands for Thanksgiving because of their quality and value. Because there's a good chance consumers will buy them.