Kroger’s Simple Truth brand hits 10 year mark

Kroger’s Simple Truth just hit 10-years, and according to the company, the organic and free-from brand has generated over $3 billion in revenue to date.

There are currently more than 1,500 Simple Truth items, including food, household, and beauty products, which Kroger said are free from unwanted ingredients, including more than 101 artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, and sweeteners. The brand’s products also contain no artificial ingredients and include minimally processed, naturally raised meats that are fed a 100% vegetarian diet without antibiotics or added hormones.

Simple Truth certified organic selections are produced by organic growers and handlers certified by agencies and organizations accredited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and are free from synthetic fertilizers and genetic engineering, the company said.

Kroger launched Simple Truth after identifying that its customers wanted a simpler way to shop for free from and organic products, Juan De Paoli, vice president of Our Brands, said in a statement.

The “most loved” Simple Truth items of the decade, the company said, include organic garbanzo beans; mixed berry granola; organic apple juice; organic creamy peanut butter; organic whole white mushrooms; natural cage free large brown eggs; organic mixed vegetables; exotic vegetable chips; organic 100% whole wheat penne rigate; and organic baby spring mix.

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More than half of Kroger’s customers, representing more than 30 million households, purchase Simple Truth items, the company said.

The evolution of the Simple Truth brand includes the launch of more plant-based items. Among the 33 selections launched in 2021, for instance, are Cheez-cakes and chocolate chip cookie, sugar cookie, and brownie baking mixes made with upcycled okara flour, along with Chick’n Poppers and Mac n’Cheez.

Kroger also introduced the Simple Truth Emerge brand of plant-based meats in 2020, which the company said is intended to bring more affordable prices to the segment. Selections include patties and grinds.

Moving forward, Kroger said it intends to accelerate the growth of Simple Truth to drive innovation and differentiation. “This will enable us to capitalize on the premiumization and natural and organic trends we are seeing today,” the company noted in its 2021 Fact Book.

While Simple Truth continues to expand and evolve, the brand has not been free of issues. In 2014, for instance, a lawsuit charged that Simple Truth deceived customers by claiming its chicken products were humanely raised when the animals were actually raised under standard commercial farming, according to news reports. Kroger denied the claim.

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In addition, a California advocacy group last year charged in a lawsuit that several food items Kroger sells under its store brands, including Simple Truth, contain dangerous levels of lead, according to news reports. A Kroger spokeswoman said at the time that the company generally doesn’t comment on litigation, but it stands behind its products.

The company will also be providing customers with special offers to help commemorate the anniversary of the organic and free-from brand, including the opportunity to earn 10 times the points towards fuel savings when purchasing Simple Truth products with a digital coupon from Jan. 18 to 31 and a 5X digital event for natural and organic items.