Aldi among top winners in 2021 Product of the Year Awards

Product of the Year USA named 41 winning items in the 2021 Product of the Year Awards, with food and beverages accounting for a quarter of the honored products and Aldi one the top-winning companies.

Announced yesterday, each of the winning products was recognized as the most innovative in their category by New York-based Product of the Year (POTY). The items were chosen by 40,000 American shoppers in a nationally representative survey conducted by consumer and retail research firm Kantar.

Among the 2021 winners, the consumables, health and beauty care, and home care categories led the way with 13 products apiece, followed by pet care with two winners. Of the winning companies, discount grocer Aldi and CPG giant Procter & Gamble (P&G) each took home seven Product of the Year Awards, followed by Henkel and Bayer Consumer Health, each with three. CVS Health was the only other retailer to garner a POTY award.

The winning products, announced each February, get the right to use the Product of the Year logo in marketing communications for two years. Product of the Year USA noted that its red seal is proven to boost product sales, distribution and awareness.

The 41 winning items in the 2021 Product of the Year Awards can use the the POTY red seal in marketing communications for two years.

The 2021 Product of the Year Award winners, by category, were the following:

CONSUMABLES

Related:Online CPG food and beverage sales could top $100 billion in 2021

Alcoholic Beverage: Uptown Cocktails (BuzzBallz/Southern Champion) 

Breakfast: Aldi Aunt Maple’s Protein Pancake Mix (Aldi) 

Cheese: Aldi Emporium Selection 1,000 Day Gouda & 4 Year Cheddar (Aldi) 

Chips: Aldi Simply Nature Bean Chips (Aldi) 

Coffee: Aldi Friendly Farms Almondmilk Coffee Creamer (Aldi) 

Condiment: Aldi Stonemill Everything Bagel Seasoning (Aldi) 

Convenience Meal: Del Monte Veggieful Pocket Pies (Del Monte Foods) 

Cookie: Keebler Chips Deluxe Original (Ferrara)

Fruit: Del Monte Deluxe Gold Pineapple (Del Monte Foods) 

Functional Beverage: Live Better Apple Cider Vinegar with Ginger & Turmeric (CVS Health) 

Healthy Snack: Aldi Clancy’s White Cheddar Cheese Popcorn (Aldi) 

Sports Nutrition: Powerade Ultra (Coca-Cola) 

Yogurt: Aldi Specially Selected Indulgent Greek Yogurt (Aldi)

HEALTH & BEAUTY CARE

CBD Ingestible: cbdMD CBD Gummie (cbdMD) 

CBD Personal Care: Medterra Pain Cream CBD (Medterra) 

Children's Wellness: Mucinex Children’s FreeFrom (RB Health) 

Electric Toothbrush: hum by Colgate Smart Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush (Colgate-Palmolive) 

Eye Care: Systane Hydration PF (Alcon Laboratories) 

Foot Care: Lotrimin Daily Prevention (Bayer Consumer Health) 

Hair Color: Schwarzkopf Color Boost (Henkel) 

Hair Styling: Remington Pro 1” Multi-Styler with Twist & Curl Technology (Spectrum Brands) 

Related:U.S. household CPG spending surged 19% in 2020

Oral Care: Crest Whitening Emulsions with Wand Applicator (P&G) 

Oral Hygiene: Colgate Keep Replaceable Head Manual Toothbrush (Colgate-Palmolive) 

Pain Relief: AleveX (Bayer Consumer Health) 

Vitamins, Minerals & Supplements: Patchology Little Helpers (Rare Beauty Brands) 

HOME CARE

Car Care: Rain-X Glass Water-Repellent (ITW) 

Dish Care: Dawn Powerwash Dish Spray (P&G) 

Dryer Sheet: Bounce Pet Hair and Lint Guard Mega Dryer Sheets (P&G) 

Green Laundry: All Free & Clear Pure (Henkel) 

Hard Surface Cleaning: Microban 24 Sanitizing Spray (P&G) 

Health & Wellness: Claritin Cool Mint Chewables (Bayer Consumer Health) 

Home Improvement: 3M CLAW Drywall Picture Hanger (3M) 

Laundry Enhancer: Snuggle SuperCare Scent Booster (Henkel )

Laundry Pacs: Tide Hygienic Clean Heavy Duty 10X Power PODS (P&G) 

Liquid Fabric Conditioner: Downy Intense Scent Freshness, Spring Rush (P&G) 

Liquid Laundry: Tide Hygienic Clean Free & Gentle Liquid Heavy Duty (P&G) 

Natural Cleaning System: H2O e3 Cleaning System (Thane Direct)

Outdoor Cleaning: Carbona Pro Care Oxy Powered Outdoor Cleaner (Delta Carbona)

Tableware: Hefty ECOSAVE (Reynolds Consumer Products) 

PET CARE

Cat Care: Pro Plan LiveClear (Purina) 

CBD Pet: Paw CBD 300 mg Peanut-Butter Hard Chews (cbdMD) 

With the escalation of online shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic, and fewer product sampling opportunities, the Product of the Year red seal helps consumers “quickly cut through the clutter to save time and money,” according to POTY USA.

“For all the obvious reasons, shoppers are spending less time in the supermarket than ever, but still crave new and innovative products to light up these difficult times. Because of this, we are more excited than ever to announce the 2021 Product of the Year winners and help shoppers find that ‘great new product’ when it matters most, however they do their shopping this year,” Mike Nolan, global CEO of Product of the Year Management, said in a statement. “What makes Product of the Year so trusted is our unique process, which gives shoppers the confidence that each product with our iconic red logo is backed by 40,000 Americans. That’s a powerful advantage for our 2021 winners, as a Product of the Year Award positions them as the innovative leader in their category.”

For over 30 years globally and 13 years in the USA, Product of the Year has recognized products that demonstrate innovation in function, design, packaging and/or ingredients. This year’s awards were presented in a Virtual Awards Show, hosted by “Saturday Day Night Live” alumni Rachel Dratch and Ana Gasteyer on DailyMail.com.