Private Label

The Lovely Candy Company has expanded its gluten- and GMO-free line with a gluten-free licorice, which it touts as the first gluten-free extruded licorice product in North America.

Branded as Lovely Licorice, the product is marketed to consumers with food sensitivities such as celiac disease. The gluten-free licorice is the brainchild of company founder Mike Nakamura, whose wife has not been able to have licorice because of her gluten-free dietary restraints. Nakamura founded the company in 2013 as a result of her request for licorice she could eat.

New York -- Consumers have “no regrets” when it comes to dropping national food, beverage and household brand names from their shopping lists. In fact, nine-in-10 shoppers stick to store brands. Those are among the findings of a new survey Deloitte.

According to Deloitte’s American Pantry Study, 88% respondents say they have found several store brands that are just as good as national brands and that allow them to feel as though they are saving money without giving up anything.
 

New York -- J. Crew Group Inc. is developing a new store format in the budget fashion sector. The company has created a brand called “J. Crew Mercantile,” and filed an application to trademark the phrase for selling clothing and accessories, both online and in stores, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.

The trademark application is still pending, the report said. The new brand would sell merchandise and prices that are similar to its J. Crew Factory outlet concept.

The Zippo brand is familiar to anyone who has ever smoked and apparently there is enough equity in the name to support two stores inside Las Vegas casinos.
 
The zippo brand is synonymous with those old fashioned lighters that required users to refill with liquid fuel and occasionally replace the flint.  Not anymore, at least according to Zippo executives, who contend Zippo has made the transition to that of a lifestyle brand while its traditional lighters enjoy enduring popularity.
 

Whole Foods Market might as well declare bankruptcy now judging from widespread media coverage of Walmart’s decision to sell roughly 100 organic dry grocery items under the Wild Oats brand.

Bentonville, Ark. – Wal-Mart will carry Wild Oats organic food items later in April with a new, more affordable price point on products covering a broad variety of categories. Wal-Mart estimates customers will save 25% or more when comparing Wild Oats to national brand organic products.

The Wild Oats brand will begin appearing on Walmart shelves this month as the retailer plans to offer 100 low priced organic dry grocery items.

Target is expanding its sustainable products offering with a new collection called “Made to Matter — Handpicked by Target.”