The Food & Nutrition Group has been eyeing private label products since our inception.  We realize private label products are essential to creating brand awareness and customer loyalty.  Therefore, we’ve zeroed in on the more common items of convenience that turn over quickly and offer great margins.  Those items are – soda, bottled water, coffee, salty snacks, candy, motor oil, windshield washer fluid, medicines, batteries, napkins, and paper towels.

Obviously, there’s no rules set of where to draw the line on proprietary products.  For the most established brands end up selling their own version of every product they carry.  We would be quite happy with becoming an exponential organization (EXO) that carry products people cannot do without.  The availability of fresh carrots, potatoes, onions, and tomatoes on a continuous bases can be found at any supermarket.  While this items are perishable, they do last for several days at room temperature.  However, by using traditional open air coolers to stock green leafy vegetables we become an EXO.

Private Label Products Due Diligence

1. Research Products to Sell.
2. Find Private Label Suppliers.
3. Request Quotes & Samples.
4. Design Brand, Logo, and Packaging.
5. Decide How to Fulfill Orders.
6. Order Private Label Products.
7. Promote and Market Your Merchandise.
8. Get Customer Feedback to Fuel Growth.

Up to now we’ve used open air coolers for Grab N’ Go products like yogurts, parfaits, and beverages.  These items do well as they are highly visible and are placed near the checkout counter.  We recently added fresh produce to our open air coolers.  Our customer noticed the change right away and responded positively.  Many like the idea of being about to get gas and items from the four food groups.  All in one stop.  As most supermarkets close their doors by 10pm, we are seeing a steady flow of traffic after hours.  With the addition of private labels we will capture a market segment that is under served.