Albertsons adds to Signature Reserve brand lineup

Following up a spring launch, Albertsons Cos. has expanded its Signature Reserve own brand into a half-dozen new product categories.

Albertsons said Thursday that Signature Reserve, described as a “top-shelf label,” now includes a curated selection of products in pasta and pasta sauce, single-origin whole-bean coffee, loose leaf tea, confections and pie filling.

The Boise, Idaho-based grocer introduced Signature Reserve at the end of May with seven flavors of superpremium ice cream. At the time, the company said more items for the private label were on the way. With the expansion, Signature Reserve now has more than 30 products across seven categories.

Catering to consumers’ increasingly sophisticated tastes, Signature Reserve products are globally sourced and adhere to exacting standards for ingredients and flavor, according to Albertsons. The retailer noted that customer interest in premium products typically rises during the holiday season, when shoppers are looking for gift items or special products for a festive occasion.

“We have a really high bar for Signature Reserve,” Geoff White, president of own brands at Albertsons Cos., said in a statement. “As we discover products and flavors that meet our rigorous selection process, we can’t wait to share them with our customers.”

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For example, Signature Reserve’s smoky pecan pie filling is flavored with aged bourbon, brown sugar and real vanilla bean sourced from Madagascar, Albertsons said. All of the single-origin coffees are expertly sourced and grown by conscientious famers; for instance, the Ethiopian coffee is grown by 150 local farmers, according to the company. The pasta and pasta sauce are made in Torino, Italy, based on recipes passed down through generations of the Pochettino family. And Signature Reserve Brazilian Guava Cheesecake ice cream has emerged as an award winner and customer favorite.

“Signature Reserve inspires delicious discovery with extraordinary and expertly sourced flavors and ingredients,” White added. “I personally experienced this with our Tomato, Porcini and Black Truffle Pasta Sauce. It instantly became a favorite in our home. I am so excited for our customers to have the same kind of unique culinary moments.”

Albertsons has said it plans to launch nearly 1,400 new own-brand products across its store banners this year, double the number introduced in 2017. New items are slated throughout the private-label portfolio, which includes O Organics, Open Nature, Signature, Lucerne, Waterfront Bistro, Value Corner, Primo Taglio and debi lilly design. The Signature label, which accounts for over $6 billion of the company’s $11 billion in private-brand sales, includes the banners Signature Cafe, Signature Farms, Signature Care, Signature Select and Signature Reserve.

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O Organics, which became a billion-dollar brand in November 2017, now spans more than 1,000 items and is expected to include 1,400 items in 192 categories by the end of 2018. Open Nature, which premiered a new look in late July, encompasses over 450 products and is projected to have 700 items in 108 categories by the year’s end. Albertsons expects Open Nature to become a billion-dollar brand by 2022.