Springfield Private Label

[greenfalcon]

Despite being listed on the UNFI private label page, I cannot seem to find the Springfield private label brand in any independent or regional store advertising. I had been able to find it at Vallarta, but the Madera store had none on my last visit.

[storewanderer]

I still saw some at El Super in Las Vegas a few months ago but very little, and Marketon in Reno still has a little. You can see what items they have on their website for Reno. It looks like they currently only have 6 Springfield items. Some are endcaps, so heavy quantity. I should check dates. They are pretty good about updating the website.

AFS Utah is their primary supplier in Reno but they get some Springfield items from the Marketon warehouse in SoCal. Pricing is extremely disappointing on their Springfield and AFS Utah items. Great deals on some other items they get though.

[HCal]

I see Springfield regularly at Vallarta, Superior and other stores that were formerly supplied by Unified before the sale to Supervalu. I'm not sure if they are slowly phasing it out and replacing it with Essential Everyday. That would be a shame, as "Springfield" sounds better in my opinion. But it's been 7 years since Supervalu took over and Springfield is still around, so I'm guessing not.

[storewanderer]

I see Springfield regularly at Vallarta, Superior and other stores that were formerly supplied by Unified before the sale to Supervalu. I'm not sure if they are slowly phasing it out and replacing it with Essential Everyday. That would be a shame, as "Springfield" sounds better in my opinion. But it's been 7 years since Supervalu took over and Springfield is still around, so I'm guessing not.

It seems like there is a very limited number of items still being produced in Springfield. I am wondering if these are items produced directly in California as many seem to be canned goods, I think there is still some soda too.

I am seeing fewer and fewer items in this brand and it doesn't seem to be adding new items at all. They have not redesigned the packages much, but did shine up the Springfield logo a little at some point.

At this point these wholesalers need to do what they can do to get stores the best prices. Moving everything to Essential Everyday would translate into cents of cost savings on every unit. The Essential Everyday line is much larger, already present on thousands of items in the store, and has been redesigned recently and is relatively attractive. At this point having some items Springfield and some items EE is sloppy and confuses the customer as both are "equal quality level" labels. The warehouse offers 100% of items in EE if a store wants them that way.

They do not distribute Springfield in NorCal or Central California; only the SoCal warehouse handles it. Some retailers like El Super do bring up Springfield products to those territories. 99 Ranch seems to be using all EE product and it is coming from SoCal to NorCal. Cardenas in Las Vegas/Phoenix who pulls from UNFI SoCal has little to no Springfield; all EE or their own brand. Marketon in Las Vegas still has quite a bit of Springfield. Marketon in Reno is supplied by Associated Utah but sometimes brings UNFI product from SoCal on its own truck; lately most of it is EE and not Springfield but they have a few Springfield items sitting around in Reno.

[jamcool]

Springfield used to be the predominant private label brand in California, even having its own ad campaign and billboards. It became the store brand of Arden Mayfair even sold at its El Rancho stores in Arizona.