For Kroger, a new plant-based private brand has ‘emerged’
Just a few months ago, Kroger debuted its Simple Truth Plant Based store brand and has just added another private brand to the plant-based party: Simple Truth Emerge, a line of meat-free patties and grinds that provide 20 grams of pea-based protein per serving.
Kroger also said they anticipate adding 50 more products to the Simple Truth Plant Based line this year.
Simple Truth Emerge will be in meat cases near traditional patties and meats like other plant-based meats. To see an example, last December, along with help from the Plant Based Foods Association, Kroger officially launched Simple Truth plant-based meats in three-foot meat cases in 60 Denver-area Kroger stores. The launch kicked off a 16-week pilot with the association. Simple Truth signage dominated the merchandising in the sections.
About that launch, Marcellus Harris, Kroger’s assistant commodity manager, meat, told Store Brands that they're in the beginning stages of the test and "look forward to amassing customer insights and data that will influence how we market plant-based foods."
Simple Truth Emerge patties for the grill and grind for that taco party have the same taste and texture as beef and are free of GMOs, dairy, gluten and soy, per Kroger.
Simple Truth Plant Based products currently include patties, sausages, deli slices, roasts, seitan and jackfruit, and they’re all being tested in that Denver pilot.
“Kroger is driving the growth of the plant-based category through our Simple Truth brand, valued supplier partnerships and industry-leading fresh merchandising strategies,” said Joe Grieshaber, Kroger’s senior vice president of merchandising. “Kroger anticipates interest in plant-based products to continue to grow in 2020, with the category being one of the key drivers of our natural and organic sales.”
Grieshaber said Kroger will be launching 50 more products to the Simple Truth Plant Based line this year, adding that the current lineup exceeded $2.3 billion in sales last year.
Looking out as far as 2030, research and consulting firm IDTechEx, Boston, projects the global plant-based meat market to reach $27 billion.
The entire Simple Truth portfolio from Cincinnati-based The Kroger Co. includes more than 1,550 natural and organic products, and often adds new products monthly.