Dive Brief:
- Aldi has won the Parent Tested Parent Approved Seal of Approval from Ontario-based marketing firm PTPA Media for 18 of its private label products, according to Store Brands.
- Products receiving PTPA designation include Little Journey Organic 100% Baby Juice from Aldi's latest infant and toddler private label collection, Fit & Active Fruit Bars, three Nature’s Nectar juice products and eight items from its SimplyNature line, among others.
- Winning products were determined by a survey of more than 75,000 families in North America. Respondents were primarily moms, who were asked to evaluate food products in the context of their daily lives.
Dive Insight:
This isn’t the first time Aldi has received such accolades for its private label products. Several of Aldi’s private label products were honored with BrandSpark International's 2017 Best New Product Awards. Additionally, several of the retailer’s wines won medals in the International Wine Challenge earlier this year — proving that wine doesn’t need to be expensive in order to be appreciated.
While store-branded products in the past have been viewed as "generic" knock-offs by consumers, Aldi has achieved private label success by focusing on improving design, taste and price. Now, 18 of its items receiving the official PTPA Seal of Approval substantiates many of the retailer’s good-for-you and healthy product claims as well.
Food companies have been working diligently to reformulate products to eliminate artificial colors and flavors, reduce sugar and sodium, and generally make more better-for-you products. Manufacturers improved the health profile of about 180,000 products in 2016, an increase of more than 100,000 items from the prior year, according to the Consumer Goods Forum, a global network of more than 400 retailers and manufacturers, including Ahold Delhaize, Target, General Mills and Campbell Soup.
Aldi has pledged to provide better-for-you options as well. Last year, the company made the decision to remove synthetic colors, MSG and trans fats from all its private label products. It also expanded its selection of fresh and organic produce and meats, including launching a new brand called Never Any! meat products free of added antibiotics, hormones and other additives. Aldi also continues to launch proprietary brands that hold appeal for families with children, including the 2016 introduction of Little Journey brand of infant and toddler products.
"Ask any mom about how she chooses … which food to give her child and which toys to buy and she’ll tell you she trusts other moms more than brands or ads," president and CEO of PTPA Media Sharon Vinderine said in a statement, according to Store Brands. "Authenticity is the only currency that matters, and that comes from the assurance that other moms have experienced a product personally and found that it met or exceeded their expectations."
Aldi is aggressively expanding into the U.S. grocery market. By 2022, Aldi says it will have more than 2,500 stores in the country. Analysts expect the retailers' low prices, quality goods and unconventional "treasure hunt" offerings will win over U.S. shoppers as their stores spread further across the country, adding more fuel to the ongoing price war in the grocery space.