SUPERVALU Launches New Wild Harvest Brand Of Organic, Natural Foods Nationwide

Minneapolis, MN - Addressing consumers' growing preference for organic and natural products, as well as their demands for value, selection and convenience, SUPERVALU announced recently the national launch of its Wild Harvest organic and natural brand. The new brand, which will encompass a wide assortment of products across numerous food categories, is making its debut this month in the aisles of the company's family of grocery stores, including Acme, Albertsons, bigg's, Cub Foods, Farm Fresh, Hornbacher's, Jewel-Osco, Lucky, Shaw's/Star Market, Shop ‘n Save and Shoppers Food & Pharmacy.

The Wild Harvest brand will initially feature approximately 150 items ranging from mealtime staples like milk, eggs, meat and fresh produce to pastas and sauces, cookies, crackers, cereal and juice. Long term, the brand will include approximately 250 to 300 products across various categories. In addition to a broad selection of products from which to choose, Wild Harvest is priced approximately 15 percent lower than branded organic and natural products and is positioned to meet or beat competitors' private-label organic prices.

"With the Wild Harvest brand, we're focused on helping consumers ‘organify their world' by delivering a wide assortment of affordable, fresh, healthy and wholesome foods at their primary grocery shopping destination," said Adam Graham, Wild Harvest brand manager.

"Now, the entire family meal can be organic – at a lower cost – from products conveniently available at a local SUPERVALU-owned supermarket."

Organic and natural foods: a growing segment

Consumer demand for organic and natural foods, which has grown 10 to 15 percent annually over the past 15 years across all retail channels, is a sign of shifting priorities among grocery shoppers who are increasingly mindful of a product's ingredients, origin and methods by which it is made rather than a passing trend.1 With even faster growth of 25 percent annually, supermarkets now account for more than 60 percent of all organic/natural sales.2 This further demonstrates that consumers appreciate the convenience of shopping for both traditional and organic/natural foods in their primary supermarket.3 These factors, along with consumers' evolving health-conscious lifestyles, provided the platform for the launch of Wild Harvest, which represents the first major brand initiative for SUPERVALU since the company's acquisition of select Albertsons properties in June 2006.

"The Wild Harvest launch demonstrates SUPERVALU's renewed focus on being a more customer-centric organization," said Duncan Mac Naughton, executive vice president, SUPERVALU merchandising and marketing. "Significant research and consumer insights went into the development of the brand, which has enabled us to create a highly desirable offering that speaks directly to consumers' desire for fresh, wholesome and affordable foods that help them live a healthier lifestyle."

The Wild Harvest brand adheres to the strictest definitions of organic and natural. All claims made around Wild Harvest products are substantiated by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) audits and/or by USDA-certified organic certification agencies such as QAI, Oregon Tilth, CCOF and others. All Wild Harvest products contain no artificial colors, preservatives or flavors, and a priority has been placed on partnering with suppliers and farmers who emphasize sustainable farming/manufacturing practices and conservation, enhancing environmental quality for generations. The brand's organic offerings are certified to be organically grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides.

SOURCE: SUPERVALU Inc.