Albertsons grows its private-label wine portfolio

Albertsons announced Tuesday that it has expanded its private-label wine selection with the launch of Bee Lightly, which is part of the grocer’s Own Brands wine portfolio. 

Private-label wine sales have grown rapidly over the last few years, prompting chains like Albertsons, Gelson’s Market, Aldi, and others to get into the wine business. Convenience- store chains, such as Circle K, have also joined the growing list of retailers with private-label wine offerings. 

Albertsons’ Bee Lightly line distinguishes itself by using a flat bottle design made of 100% recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a first in the U.S. market, the grocer said in a press release. 

Both the 2022 Bee Lightly Chardonnay and the 2023 Bee Lightly Rosé received 91-point rankings from The Tasting Panel, a publication that covers the wine and spirits industry.

“At Albertsons Cos., we are continuously looking for ways to distinguish ourselves within the wine sector and to expand our diverse selection of quality wines for our customers,” Curtis Mann, master of wines at Albertsons Cos., said in the press release. “By launching our new Bee Lightly selection, we are offering shoppers quality, affordable wines from France while also redefining wine packaging standards.”

The two wines are now available at Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, and ACME locations and are available for delivery in California through Safeway’s Vine & Cellar line. The Vine & Cellar line is a direct-to-consumer brand that includes high-end wines, some of which can run as much as $1,000 per bottle. 

The release of the Bee Lightly line grows Albertsons’ wine portfolio which includes private-label wines via  Vinaforé, O Organics, Nadia, Quail Oak, and Creamery.

The private-label wine industry has experienced rapid growth over the last few years, according to a 2023 study by Circana, which showed a 9.1% year-over-year increase in wine sales to $52.2 million for the year ending June 18.

German discount grocer Aldi also has grown its list of private-label wine offerings with the September 2023 release of its Specially Selected label that includes 10 premium wines from around the world.

In September 2023, Supermarket News spoke with Joan Kavanaugh, VP of national buying at Aldi, who said consumer demand is driving the proliferation of private-label wines.

“We expect this trend to continue as inflation puts pressure on consumers' budgets, especially headed into the holidays when people are entertaining more and don’t want to compromise quality and price,” she said.