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 Condiments - March/April 2008  |
Squeeze Play
Convenience squeeze containers go beyond ketchup and mustard. Specialty seasonings and grinder bottles also catching on. The squeeze is on in store brand condiments. No, this isn’t the economic squeeze, although that too may be coming. It’s the growth of squeeze bottles for condiments, which has gone beyond ordinary mustard and ketchup. At Kroger, Cincinnati, OH, you can find coleslaw dressing in upside-down squeeze bottles, the same kind that have been used for ketchup for several years. Safeway, Pleasanton, CA, is doing the same with mayo, as other chains have with whipped salad dressing. Kroger’s latest mustard introduction in 12 oz upright squeeze bottles is a Sweet Hot variety with bits of red and green bell peppers and paprika, and the chain was already using the same type container for items like hot dog relish. Giant Eagle, Pittsburgh, PA, offers tartar sauce in upright squeeze bottles. Premium mustards come in other types of squeeze containers. Target, Minneapolis, MN, offers smoky onion (“adds richness to sandwiches or delicious on hot dogs or bratwurst”) in an 8.5 oz spout-lid container – consumers have to cut the tip at the first notch. Specialty mustards like chipotle from Topco Associates, Skokie, IL, come in more familiar 9.5 oz bottles with ordinary lids. Mustard Mavens Except for organic versions, nobody has tried to go beyond standard ketchup in store brands. But the sky seems to be the limit in mustard. Wasabi Ginger and Raspberry Honey are among the variations under the Taste of Inspirations brand at Hannaford, Scarborough, ME. Other varieties from Topco include Sweet & Hot, Dijon and Delicatessen. Kroger offers Creamy Horseradish and Spicy Chipotle, and at Target there are Brown Sugar & Pecan, Caesar and Wasabi Sake – plus mustard dips like Sesame Honey. Ben & Bill’s Favorite New York Deli mustard at Price Chopper, Schenectady, NY, is named for Ben and Bill Golub, founders of the chain and fathers of Lewis and Neil Golub, current chairman and president-CEO, respectively. It doesn’t have any ingredients besides mustard seeds, vinegar, salt, turmeric and spices, but it’s billed as “the perfect kosher mustard.” It comes in 16 oz jars under the Central Market Classics brand, which also includes 5 oz jars of more exotic varieties like Champagne Dill, Cranberry-Honey, Southwest and Wasabi. Growth in ketchup and mustard was sluggish for the 52 weeks ended 1/27/2008, according to Information Resources, Inc. (IRI), Chicago, IL. But store brands did better than the categories as a whole, with private label ketchup up 2.7% to $83.5 million and an 18.1% share; and mustard 2.1% to $58.6 million and a 19.4% share. Store brand relish sales posted a 5.8% gain to $38.9 million and a 35.9% share. But private label mayonnaise actually lost ground, 1.3% to $88.3 million and an 8.1% share. Honey is a common ingredient in store brand mustard, but honey itself is booming in private label, with sales up 7.2% to $105 million and a 50.4% share, according to IRI. Kroger, like a number of retailers, offers traditional honey in upside down squeeze bottles. Under its Private Selection brand there are Orange Blossom, Buckwheat, Wildflower and Blueberry varieties. But with a mysterious disease hitting beehives, future supply could be chancy. Grind They Must Store brand spice and seasoning sales keep grinding away, including products in grinder bottles like Private Selection black peppercorns and Far East Asian style seasoning at Kroger. The latter appeals to both ethnic and natural food fanciers, as it uses sea salt along with sugar, spices, garlic, sesame seed, sesame oil and various spice “extractives.” Spices and seasonings other than salt and pepper showed a 3.8% gain to $144 million and a 12.7% share, according to IRI. Salt, including seasoned salt and – presumably – sea salt, was up 7.5% to $31.9 million and a 12.7% share, while pepper was up 4.9% to $46.2 million and a 31.2% share. Store brand sales of flavorings and colors, at $54.4 million, were virtually unchanged. Seasoned salt is so common now that small retailers like K-VA-T Food Stores, Abingdon, VA, carry it – Food City is the brand there. Other examples include Unified Grocers, Los Angeles, CA; and Haggen, Bellingham, WA. Topco offers both coarse and fine sea salts in its World Classic Trading Co. brand. Kroger has its seasoned and sea salts, but also a 7.5 oz salt-free seasoning blend, positioned against Mrs. Dash at a fairly thin price spread of $2.29 versus $2.50. Kroger has a whole bunch of spices and rubs under the Grill Time brand for steak, pork, seafood and chicken, plus spicy steak, hamburger, mesquite, barbecue and Tuscan blend. Meat specific seasonings get a lot of exposure under the Great Value brand at Wal-Mart, Bentonville, AR, but there are fancier versions like a Steak seasoning under the Central Market Classics brand at Price Chopper that blends sea salt and black pepper with a medley of spices in an adjustable grinder bottle geared for a finer grind clockwise and a coarser one counterclockwise (Caps on other grinders have to be pushed in or pulled out for the same results.). Organics are a growing factor in both condiments and spices. Nature’s Place organic deli mustard at Hannaford is just one example. Target, meanwhile, offers a number of common spices under its Archer Farms Organic brand, including tarragon, oregano, paprika, rosemary, sage and thyme. Topco offers seasonings under its Full Circle organic brand – from staples like cinnamon to specialties like poultry seasoning. Recommended Suppliers
Products described or shown in this article are not necessarily available from these suppliers. For more suppliers see current Private Label Directory & Buyer’s Guide. |
