The Fresh Market Ups Its Store-Brand Stakes

With the aim of making “everyday eating extraordinary” for its shoppers, The Fresh Market of Greensboro, N.C., is rolling out a new assortment of elevated store-brand products, from soap to peanut butter.

“Consumers typically view store brands as generic versions of well-known brand names, but it is the opposite with The Fresh Market,” said Michelle Beck, director of private label from The Fresh Market, in a release. “In order for us to put our name on a product, it has to be better than the best-selling brand in that category.”

The Fresh Market carries more than 1,500 private label items across both perishable and nonperishable categories. Each of the products fall under one of three segments: Everyday Extraordinary, Signature and Seasonal or limited-time offerings.

The grocer describes its Everyday Extraordinary items as those that “exceed the benchmark comparison brand by at least one attribute, such as quality of ingredients, flavor variety and taste.”

New Everyday Extraordinary items include potato chips in Sea Salt, Sour Cream and All Dressed (the No. 1 flavor in Canada) flavors; sulfate-free hand soaps and lotions; and organic peanut butters in a variety of flavors.

Signature private label products are those that The Fresh Market deems “highly curated, premium or proprietary.” This includes NomNom Salsa made by a local vendor in Georgia; cheddar cheese straws; toffee made in North Carolina; and items imported from Italy, including frozen pizzas with a crust that’s been stone-baked, as well as extra-virgin olive oil, artisan bronze-cut pasta, panettone and gelato.

Seasonal private label items include The Fresh Market’s flavored coffees, snack mixes and cookies. For the fall, this includes more than 60 pumpkin-flavored items, including pasta sauce, salsa, coffee, cookies, hot cocoa, snack mixes, yogurt-covered pretzels and bakery items.

Pimento Cheese, the very first private label item carried by The Fresh Market, was based on a family recipe from founder Ray Berry. The unique southern dip was introduced in 1983, and it is still a top seller today.

The Fresh Market design team also updated the packaging on the store’s private label items to reflect the new improvements and provide a more contemporary look for the brand.

“Our team updated private label with a design system that would provide a consistent look and feel across all our product categories without having them adhere to a rigid template,” said Bryan Bowers, creative director of The Fresh Market, in the release. “We wanted these products to stand out within their category while also supporting our updated brand look.”