Innovation
Amazon team wins—and donates—$10,000 for designing new face mask
Engineers and designers from around the world teamed up to create the Amazon PerfectFit Retail Brand Mask, a more effective and comfortable protective face mask in development. In July 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic was causing people to frantically search for personal protective equipment. They needed to work, go to the grocery store, and do other essential activities while minimizing their risk of exposure to the virus. Adam Siegel, a principal engineer at Amazon, was one of those people. With a passion for thinking big, Siegel decided to research the effectiveness of his own face mask. He discovered that many
Publix: Fall into the Flavors You Love with Limited-Edition Ice Cream
It’s the best time of the year — Publix limited-edition fall and winter Retail Brand ice cream flavors are back! And the retailer has released two new flavors to fall in love with. Available in stores now through January. NEW: Salted Caramel Toffee Crunch Salted caramel‐flavored ice cream with toffee‐flavored swirls and pieces of cocoa pretzel bark NEW: Praline Pecan Bread Pudding Salted caramel-flavored ice cream with bread pudding pieces, bourbon-flavored praline pecans, and ribbons of salted caramel. Flavors continuing from prior years: Caramel Mountain Tracks: Toffee-flavored ice cream with ribbons of caramel, dotted with praline pecans and milk
Albert Heijn expands Streeckgenoten Local Product Range
Dutch grocer Albert Heijn is adding new local products to its Retail Brand range Streeckgenoten. 14 new cheeses will be added and Albert Heijn will be working with nine new cheesemakers, including the Limburg cheese makers Tebben, who make the striking newcomer buffalo mozzarella from Dutch buffalo dairy. Albert Heijn places a strong emphasis on selling locally made specialty products, thereby reducing the distance farm to fork. The grocer works with 86 local butchers, bakers, and cheesemakers under the name Streeckgenoten, to offer more than 250 products. Streeckgenoten products are made locally, ensuring regional cheesemakers are given a place on
Amazon VP shares how Fire TV is reimagining home entertainment
Join us for a conversation with Amazon Vice President of Entertainment Devices and Services, Daniel Rausch, to hear more about the launch of new Fire TV retail brand devices—including the first Amazon-built Fire TVs and how deep integration with Alexa creates a smarter TV experience. Amazon Vice President of Entertainment Devices and Services, Daniel Rausch Amazon introduced the first-generation Fire TV Stick in 2014, just as the cord-cutting movement was getting started. From day one, Fire TV was designed to transform the television into an entertainment hub for the living room, putting
Waitrose introduces new Loved & Found Wines
UK Retaielr Waitrose is introducing five new wines to its successful ‘Loved & Found’ range this month. The new additions, which are available in shops and online at Waitrose Cellar, are curated by our expert buying team and represent lesser-known grape varieties from South Africa, Italy and Portugal. The Loved & Found range launched in June 2019 to showcase innovation, encouraging customers to experiment with unusual grape varieties, with the reassurance of the Waitrose label. Waitrose wine buyer Rebecca Hull MW says of the range: ‘We know our customers love to explore the unknown when it comes to wine
Ocado Adds Household Cleaning
UK online retailer Ocado Retail has launched a new range of retail brand (private brand) household & cleaning products including 70” SKU’s, ranging from trash bags and foil to laundry and cleaning sprays. The line also includes plant-based antibacterial wipes, 100% recycled and compostable refuse sacks, non-PVC and recyclable cling film. The new packaging was been designed in collaboration with the agency, Jones Knowles Ritchie (JKR). In addition, the new range of household products will also offer items on promotion at any given time, including 2 for £5 and 2 for £4 across bags, wraps and baking. Rachel Cox-Reynolds,
Pushing Boundaries in Day One Of The RBI Innovation Summit
Retailers are breaking down barriers in positioning their brands for innovation. That is the takeaway from day one of the Velocity Institute (RBI) online Innovation Summit, which drew close to 700 attendees across 37 countries. It featured presentations from speakers at companies including Kroger Co., CVS Health, Longo’s and Sobey’s. “Private Brands like those from Kroger do not grow to such big businesses as cheap, low-quality knockoffs,” said Natalie Taake, Senior Innovation Manager, Kroger. “You need people focused on innovation in dedicated ways. You need to carve out time for them to be working on innovation. Kroger does this
Trader Joes Goes All In for Fall Seasonal Flavors
It’s (finally) time. You’ve waited. You’ve wondered. Your patience is about to be rewarded – big time. What the heck are we talking about? While the calendar may still say summer, at Trader Joe’s, fall is in full swing. That’s right, Pumpkin Season has arrived! New products and returning faves are arriving every day, throughout the season. Here’s a sampling of the more than 120 private brand products that are slated the month of September. Some are there now, some will hit shelves this week, and some will be available in the weeks ahead, meaning every trip you make to
Blue Apron Introduces Heat & Eat, its First Single-Serving Meals
Blue Apron is introducing Heat & Eat, the retailer’s first-ever prepared, single-serving meal private brand offering, ready in five minutes or less. Heat & Eat meals were designed to give customers additional flexibility to enjoy Blue Apron on different occasions throughout the week without sacrificing quality or flavor for convenience. “A core pillar of our growth strategy is product innovation and efficient menu expansion with a goal of better integrating into our customers’ lives,” said Linda Findley Kozlowski, Blue Apron’s President, and Chief Executive Officer. “The addition of Heat & Eat meals to our product portfolio is our first
Trade Joe’s Innovates Pumpkin Spice with Espresso Beans
Trader Joe's in its continuous effort to create and innovate has taken whole, 100% Arabica coffee beans from Brazil, treated them to a dark roast, then coated them with sweet white chocolate, pumpkin powder, and aromatic pumpkin pie spices. Plus annatto and turmeric, which lend this candy coating a beautiful, burnt-orange color — the hallmark hue of Pumpkin Season. Pleasantly fragrant and captivatingly crunchy, TJ's has packed these Espresso Beans in 2.5-ounce bags to enable on-the-go enjoyment whenever the craving for Pumpkin Spice strikes. Each bag contains a little more caffeine than a cup of coffee, providing a pumpkin-y
