PICK n Pay has launched a new premium range under its private label. The Crafted Collection by PnP range will be available from its recently revamped middle to top-end Pick n Pay stores.
Pick n Pay’s private label range now accounts for 25% of its sales. This is up from 18% five years ago showing the growth opportunity. Bridget Dore, Head of Customer Insights at Pick n Pay, says that many customers are seeking value-for-money products and are increasingly choosing private label products.
This is a global trend as many countries experience rising inflation. A recent survey of US shoppers showed that shoppers are buying more private labels over known food and grocery brands than before the pandemic. Of the 41% of shoppers who said they’d bought more private label products, 77% said they plan to continue buying store brands. The Power of Private Brands report by the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) also revealed that apart from value and lower costs, quality and taste are also driving this purchasing behaviour.
Pick n Pay first introduced its private label in 1976 with the no name range as a way to offer customers better value, at preferential prices. From just 14 no name products, its private label now boasts over 4 800 products and has launched several ranges over the decades to suit its customers’ changing needs, aspirations and budgets.
The new Crafted Collection by PnP range currently has over 70 products in store, with a further 100 products expected to launch by the end of the year. The range focuses on innovation across food and grocery items, and will soon extend into more categories.
Nicki Russell, Head of Product & Technical at Pick n Pay, says that customers have been asking for a new affordable top-tier product range following their Finest private label range. “We’ve spent a lot of time understanding customers in this space, and have crafted this range to be sophisticated yet at surprisingly good prices.”
Pick n Pay has always used its private label to develop small businesses, and this range is no different.
90% of the range is locally sourced or produced by local suppliers. “Our dedicated product team has worked closely with local businesses to develop these products. We have sourced the finest local products, and have only used imported products if they weren’t available locally.”
“We believe we’ve created a product that not only looks amazing but tastes irresistible,” says Russell. The range’s packaging follows the global trend of ‘blue is the new black’. “We wanted customers to feel proud to place it on the dining table or to gift it to someone.”
Pick n Pay’s CEO Pieter Boone announced earlier this year that, as part of the Group’s new Ekuseni strategic plan, its supermarkets will be organised into two customer-facing brands, each designed around specific customer needs. The Crafted Collection will be stocked at Pick n Pay stores that aim to satisfy the needs of middle to top-end customers. The new range forms part of the 18 000 products the stores will stock, which has a strong focus on innovation.
