Safeway Launches Natural Private-Label Brand

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway here has officially launched Open Nature, a new private-label line of 100% natural foods. The first Open Nature products have rolled out in Safeway's meat departments, and include fresh beef, pork, chicken, chicken sausages, bacon and beef hot dogs, all priced between $3.99 and $5.99.

The brand's meat and poultry products are raised on an all-vegetarian diet, without the use of antibiotics or added hormones, and are processed without the use of artificial preservatives. Safeway also ensures that all Open Nature products are made only with ingredients from natural sources.

“Open Nature is a great addition to Safeway's portfolio of health and wellness brands joining O Organics and Eating Right,” Joe Ennen, Safeway's senior vice president of consumer brands, said in a company announcement last week. “It's another demonstration of Safeway's commitment to providing our customers the best possible experience when they prepare and eat meals for themselves and their families. Open Nature is Safeway's way of providing shoppers access to simple, flavorful food made from all-natural ingredients that is as close to nature as possible.”

The Open Nature brand will ultimately include more than 100 products, with Safeway planning to roll out new breads, yogurt, ice cream, salad dressings, frozen foods and other items this year alone.

Among conventional supermarket operators, Safeway has been an industry leader in private-label health and wellness products. In 2005, the company launched its O Organics brand, which has since grown to include 470 food and beverage items. The company's Eating Right line of low-priced, better-for-you foods was launched in 2007, and has since grown to include more than 300 items.

The Eating Right for Kids brand was also one of the first private-label lines developed without the use of high fructose corn syrup in response to customer concerns. And, during the past several years, Safeway has removed trans fats from all of the company's private-label lines, and cut 20% of the sodium content from various private-label vegetables and its Signature Café Soup line.

During a presentation at last month's Sustainability Summit, sponsored jointly by the Food Marketing Institute and the Grocery Manufacturers Association, Safeway Vice President of Sustainability Christy Consler mentioned the new Open Nature line, and said that the company plans to increase the percentage of produce it sources locally, and will continue expanding its O Organics line, its Eating Right for Kids line and its new In-Kind natural beauty care products line. The products are a response “in me, on me, around me” consumers — consumers who shop with an eye for what they put in and on their bodies, as well as what goes on in their community.

“As retailers, it is our responsibility to make it easy and affordable for consumers to make choices that fit at that intersection,” said Consler.