Page 1 of 7
Private label products being sold at other chains
Posted: May 15th, 2020, 4:47 pm
by Bagels
In order to handle unprecedented demand, some chains are using other chains private label products to fill their shelves:
- At multiple Meijer stores, there were tons of SE Grocers-branded canned vegetables, substituting for the Meijer brand.
- At multiple Albertson stores in SoCal, there were tons of Giant Eagle-branded paper products (paper towel, toilet paper, tissues).
What else have people noticed?
Re: Private label products being sold at other chains
Posted: May 15th, 2020, 7:17 pm
by Alpha8472
Clover Valley sugar is being sold at Walmart. This is a Dollar General brand.
Re: Private label products being sold at other chains
Posted: May 15th, 2020, 9:13 pm
by Super S
Haven't noticed anything recently, but have seen Fred Meyer bring in Mountain Dairy milk from California a few times to meet demand during a snowstorm.
This is one of those instances where a large chain like Kroger, with a now mostly uniform Kroger private label across various brands, can move product around as necessary and maintain supplies of the private label products people are used to.
Re: Private label products being sold at other chains
Posted: May 16th, 2020, 12:21 pm
by BillyGr
Only a couple things at a Price Chopper here since this began, and they were apparently just mistakenly shipped to them, as they had them out on their "markdowns" unit (most stores have a 4 sided floor display about 5 feet high, usually near a register for any markdowns, be they discontinued, leftover seasonal or stuff like this).
The only other example may be one store with single paper towels that look to be originally a commercial item but not really a store brand.
Re: Private label products being sold at other chains
Posted: May 16th, 2020, 3:21 pm
by retailfanmitchell019
There are companies that manufacture private label products. So Signature brand toilet paper might be made in the same factory where Giant Eagle toilet paper is made. These companies then have contracts with retailers or private label firms like Topco; who Giant Eagle, Stater Bros, Bashas, Hy-Vee, etc. are affiliated with.
I wouldn't be surprised if Giant Eagle were Albertsons' next acquisition target.
Not related to COVID, but Lunds/Byerlys (upscale Twin Cities chain) is weird with what brands they use. They use brands from SpartanNash (Our Family brand), and Topco (TopCare brand). I saw some Equaline products from SVU on the shelf there too.
Re: Private label products being sold at other chains
Posted: May 16th, 2020, 6:35 pm
by pseudo3d
retailfanmitchell019 wrote: ↑May 16th, 2020, 3:21 pm
There are companies that manufacture private label products. So Signature brand toilet paper might be made in the same factory where Giant Eagle toilet paper is made. These companies then have contracts with retailers or private label firms like Topco; who Giant Eagle, Stater Bros, Bashas, Hy-Vee, etc. are affiliated with.
I wouldn't be surprised if Giant Eagle were Albertsons' next acquisition target.
That or Schnucks. Their temporary closing of whole stores, the severely limited hours of the downtown location, and outsourcing of pharmacy made them look weaker (of course, the pharmacy issue is probably partly a poison pill to prevent that happening). If they go for Giant Eagle, I can imagine Albertsons jettisoning the stand-alone (not near stores) GetGo locations.
Re: Private label products being sold at other chains
Posted: May 16th, 2020, 11:00 pm
by marshd1000
Super S wrote: ↑May 15th, 2020, 9:13 pm
Haven't noticed anything recently, but have seen Fred Meyer bring in Mountain Dairy milk from California a few times to meet demand during a snowstorm.
This is one of those instances where a large chain like Kroger, with a now mostly uniform Kroger private label across various brands, can move product around as necessary and maintain supplies of the private label products people are used to.
I may be wrong, but I think that Mountain Dairy was originally a Smith’s brand. It was in both QFC and Fred Meyer here in the PNW for quite a few years as the budget brand. I believe that liquid diary in those stores are mostly their banner brands with the remaining private label being Kroger.
Re: Private label products being sold at other chains
Posted: May 16th, 2020, 11:07 pm
by storewanderer
retailfanmitchell019 wrote: ↑May 16th, 2020, 3:21 pm
There are companies that manufacture private label products. So Signature brand toilet paper might be made in the same factory where Giant Eagle toilet paper is made. These companies then have contracts with retailers or private label firms like Topco; who Giant Eagle, Stater Bros, Bashas, Hy-Vee, etc. are affiliated with.
I wouldn't be surprised if Giant Eagle were Albertsons' next acquisition target.
Not related to COVID, but Lunds/Byerlys (upscale Twin Cities chain) is weird with what brands they use. They use brands from SpartanNash (Our Family brand), and Topco (TopCare brand). I saw some Equaline products from SVU on the shelf there too.
Giant Eagle has quite a few franchise stores, I do not think the chain is in play or for sale.
The self checkout I used at Lunds/Byerlys had a faint Albertsons clover in the top right corner of some of the screens, so it appears their IT is from Supervalu too. I was a little surprised to see they were not using Supervalu as their primary supplier given their location.
Re: Private label products being sold at other chains
Posted: May 16th, 2020, 11:13 pm
by jamcool
Kroger is apparently buying from Sysco....there was an end rack of large cans of Sysco vegetables (restaurant pack) and the folded paper towels.
Also Walmart is selling the restaurant pack cans of Heinz soups...Heinz hasn’t sold soup at the grocery store level in the US since the 70s
Re: Private label products being sold at other chains
Posted: May 16th, 2020, 11:22 pm
by storewanderer
pseudo3d wrote: ↑May 16th, 2020, 6:35 pm
retailfanmitchell019 wrote: ↑May 16th, 2020, 3:21 pm
There are companies that manufacture private label products. So Signature brand toilet paper might be made in the same factory where Giant Eagle toilet paper is made. These companies then have contracts with retailers or private label firms like Topco; who Giant Eagle, Stater Bros, Bashas, Hy-Vee, etc. are affiliated with.
I wouldn't be surprised if Giant Eagle were Albertsons' next acquisition target.
That or Schnucks. Their temporary closing of whole stores, the severely limited hours of the downtown location, and outsourcing of pharmacy made them look weaker (of course, the pharmacy issue is probably partly a poison pill to prevent that happening). If they go for Giant Eagle, I can imagine Albertsons jettisoning the stand-alone (not near stores) GetGo locations.
I don't think Albertsons is in acquisition mode right now. It seems like they are focused more on their own operations and the IPO. Albertsons needs to sharply focus on its own operations as I think there is a lot of share up for grabs from a certain larger competitor where operations have really fallen off in the past few years.