Dive Brief:
- Wakefern Food Corp. announced Tuesday a new design for its Wholesome Pantry Organic and Wholesome Pantry Free-From lines.
- The new packaging has a modernized logo, color cues to distinguish organic and free-from items, and design elements to highlight certain product attributes.
- Wakefern said that the packaging design refresh will help draw attention not only to its private brand, but also to details about the products themselves, like ingredients.
Dive Insight:
Wakefern said it is now rolling out the new packaging across select items such as frozen shrimp, onions, fresh packaged herbs and salsa before adding it to the produce, meat, dairy, frozen and grocery categories this summer.
The company said it plans to transition its entire Wholesome Pantry portfolio to the new packaging by the end of 2026.
Wakefern noted that all products under the Wholesome Pantry brand are free from 233 ingredients, including artificial preservatives, colors, flavors and sweeteners. Items under Wholesome Pantry Organic meet those brand requirements and are also made with certified organic ingredients.
Wakefern’s moves to make its Wholesome Pantry brand easier to shop follow similar private label changes recently made by the company.
Last month, Wakefern announced limited-edition patriotic packaging across a selection of 30 top-selling Bowl & Basket products, timed for the United States’ 250th birthday. In April, Di Bruno Bros., the portfolio of specialty products that Wakefern bought in 2024, added new snacks, such as mini chunky breadsticks, to its assortment.
Wakefern’s efforts to elevate its private brand portfolio come at a time when shoppers are increasingly turning to store brands amid ongoing financial pressures. Growth for private brands in both units and dollar sales outpaced that of name brands during the 52-week period ended March 22, according to Circana data cited in FMI — The Food Industry Association’s The Power of Private Brands 2026 report. About 43% of surveyed shoppers said they plan to buy private brands somewhat or much more, compared with 27% who said the same for name brands, according to the report.
