Albertsons Eyes Open Nature as ‘Next Billion-Dollar Brand’

Albertsons Cos. has completed the redesign of its Open Nature free-from private label line, which Geoff White, president of the Boise-based retailer’s Own Brands group, foresees becoming its “next billion-dollar brand.”

“The new look reflects what customers have always loved about Open Nature—high quality and minimally-processed products that support a clean lifestyle for the whole family,” White said in a statement affirming that the new design has been fully rolled out across the entire line.

White said Albertsons relied heavily on customer and consumer insights to inform the redesign, which included inviting them to participate in an exercise “to build their ideal natural brand, which included the logo and aesthetics of the package design.”

Over the course of six months, White and his team digested the feedback of thousands of customers, with the end result leading to a “green farm” logo, which can now be found on all 450 and more Open Nature products across Albertsons Cos.’ 17 store banners.

Albertsons is in the process of wrapping up its month-long celebration of the Open Nature brand, which included promotions for new and established items, all of which are free from 110 ingredients, including antibiotics, MSG-type ingredients, nitrates and preservatives such as sulfites and benzoates.

Albertsons earlier this year said it would release more than 240 new Open Nature products this year alongside a line expansion into nonfood categories, including pet, baby, and Safer Choice Certified house cleaning products.

Open Nature is one of three of Albertsons’ signature Own Brands, others include O Organics and Lucerne. The trio of house brands collectively generated $11 billion in sales in fiscal 2017, according to the company.