The Save Mart Companies is preparing to roll out a new private label line of minimally processed meats as part of a broader set of initiatives designed to help shoppers cope with rising grocery prices and economic uncertainty, according to company executives.
The value-priced products, which include beef, pork and poultry, will begin appearing in stores in mid-November ahead of a formal launch in December, said Andy Comer, vice president of marketing for the grocer. The meats, all of which will be free of artificial ingredients, will come in packages featuring the name of the banner where they are sold.
The Save Mart Companies operates 191 stores in California and Nevada under the Save Mart, Lucky and FoodMaxx banners. The company also runs 11 Roth’s and Chuck’s Fresh Markets in Oregon and Washington, which are not part of the new program.
“The purpose of this is really to offer families quality proteins at [an affordable price] in an effort to make healthy eating more accessible,” Comer said in an interview. “Meat costs are continuing to rise, and that’s a real challenge that we and our customers are up against.”
Meat prices have increased sharply in 2025, with inflation in the category reaching an 8.5% annual rate in September. By contrast, overall grocery inflation came in that month at 2.7%, while prices were up 3% across the board.
“When you’re looking at your overall food budget, typically [meat is] one of your highest cost-per-package products,” Zeb Early, The Save Mart Companies’ senior vice president of merchandising, said in an interview. “I think that’s the important piece here that we’re adding for the consumer as they are deciding where to spend their food dollars.”
Early added that The Save Mart Companies plans to further expand its private label assortment in 2026, although he declined to say which kinds of products the company is considering adding. Private label products account for a larger share of the grocer’s sales than any of the other brands it carries, he said.
The launch of the private label meat line is part of the multifaceted savings program known as “Right By You” that The Save Mart Companies announced last week. The program includes savings on certain products, free delivery through the end of the year on orders of at least $35 placed through the company’s e-commerce sites, and “enhanced” digital coupons in November.
The Save Mart Companies is also offering a Thanksgiving-focused meal promotion that includes enough food for 10 people for less than $6 per person at Save Mart and Lucky and under $5 per person at FoodMaxx. The special will continue until Christmas.
Comer said that The Save Mart Companies’ relatively small size helped it move ahead with the savings initiative on a speedy timetable.
“We have a lot of benefits as a regional grocer, where we can lean into a lot of our local relationships, supplier relationships, to be able to be able to do that at a scale and with the customer in mind in a way that I think larger chains have a tougher time doing,” Comer said.
