Albertsons employees pick favorites in Own Brands Associate Choice Awards

Snack foods starred among the winning products in Albertsons Cos. first Own Brands Associate Choice Awards.

The inaugural contest asked thousands of associates to vote for their favorite Albertsons Cos.-brand products in 15 categories during the Boise, Idaho-based grocer’s January Own Brands “Best for Less” campaign. The top overall vote-getter, as the “Favorite New 2020 Own Brands Product,” was Signature Reserve dark chocolate sea salt caramels, Albertsons announced yesterday.

“We’re proud of the quality and value of all our Own Brands products, but we were especially interested to learn which products our associates love the most,” Chad Coester, senior vice president of Own Brands at Albertsons Cos., said in a statement. “These are the products they are fanatical about and most proudly recommend to shoppers.”

The Signature Reserve sea salt dark chocolate caramels won in two categories, as the overall winner and as the “Favorite Guilty Pleasure Food Item.”

“Hands down the best sea salt caramels I’ve ever had!” commented Sharon Johnson, a front-end customer service representative at the Shaw’s supermarket in Wakefield, R.I.

Plaudits for the treat also came from the corporate level. “The Signature Reserve dark chocolate sea salt caramels are an escape into decadent deliciousness,” stated Cheri Harris, a senior IT auditor for Albertsons Cos.

Related:At Albertsons, innovation and diversity bring success to Own Brands

The full list of winning products, including food and nonfood items, is as follows:

• Favorite new 2020 Own Brands product: Signature Reserve dark chocolate sea salt caramels
• Favorite snack to eat on the go: Signature Select mix nuts, deluxe value size
• Favorite healthy alternative: Open Nature parmesan cheese crisps
• Favorite “pick me up” product: O Organics French dark roast ground coffee
• Favorite breakfast item: Open Nature uncured applewood smoked bacon
• Favorite “home-gating” food: Signature Cafe hot fried chicken
• Favorite chef-inspired meal item: waterfront Bistro Responsible Choice raw shrimp
• Favorite item to stock up on: Lucerne shredded Mexican style four cheese blend
• Favorite “kid-approved” product: Signature Select macaroni and cheese
• Favorite baby product: Open Nature Free & Clear baby wipes
• Favorite “guilty pleasure” food item: Signature Reserve dark chocolate sea salt caramels
• Favorite “treat yourself” product: Open Nature peppermint beeswax lip balm
• Favorite adult beverage: Signature Reserve Tennessee whiskey
• Favorite immunity boosting product: O Organics vitamin D3 gummies
• Favorite product for your “furry friend”: Signature Pet Cared chicken jerky dog treats

Related:Albertsons debuts flash-frozen skillet meals

Signature Reserve dark chocolate sea salt caramels earned honors as the Favorite New 2020 Own Brands Product.

Overall, Albertsons’ Own Brands portfolio encompasses more than 12,000 products under a range of brands, including the Signature family of brands that includes Signature Select, Signature Farms, Signature Cafe, Signature Care and Signature Reserve, as well as Open Nature, O Organics, Lucerne, waterfrontBistro Responsible Choice seafood, Primo Taglio, Value Corner and debi lilly design. The products are sold in-store and online across the retailer’s 2,253 food and drug stores in 34 states and the District of Columbia, including such banners as Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Star Market, Haggen and Carrs.

“Whether it’s innovative flavors of ice cream, including non-dairy options, or high-quality wines and award-winning spirits, Own Brands provides a wide offering of products with something for every shopper,” Coester added.

In reporting fiscal 2020 third-quarter results last month, Albertsons said Own Brands sales penetration surpassed 25% in the last four weeks of the period ended Dec. 5, keeping the company on track to reach its goal of 30% penetration in the next few years. The company has launched over 1,000 new items as of the quarter’s end, exceeding its goal of 800-plus new items for the fiscal year. The Own Brands roster’s more than 12,000 items span over 500 categories and generate $14 billion in sales annually across nine primary brands, four of which top $1 billion in sales.