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Albertsons Debuts Overjoyed, Overjoyed Boutique Lines

Albertsons Companies, Inc. has introduced its newest Own Brand, Overjoyed , marking the company’s first major private label debut in recent years. Designed to inspire and elevate every occasion, Overjoyed offers shoppers a curated selection of colorful and tasty products including cupcakes, candles and liners; cookies; chocolatey trail mixes; cheesecakes and sprinkles. An extension of Overjoyed, Overjoyed Boutique features decorative vases, candles and seasonal gifts to make every day sparkle.

Overjoyed and Overjoyed Boutique are available now in Albertsons Cos. stores including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, ACME and Shaw’s.

“At Albertsons Cos., we are dedicated to bringing people together around the joys of food, and our newest Own Brand, Overjoyed, underscores this commitment by helping shoppers celebrate the joys of every day and connect with loved ones,” said Brandon Brown, SVP Own brands for Albertsons Cos. “We are constantly evaluating how well we’re meeting our customers’ needs through our Own Brands portfolio, and we realized we had an opportunity to create a brand to celebrate life’s every day, special moments.

“With Overjoyed, we look forward to helping our loyal customers create an emotional connection and lasting memories from hosting a hot fudge sundae party to surprising the family with cupcakes for dessert to treating a teacher or neighbor with holiday trail mix ‘just because’.”

Overjoyed high-quality products can be found throughout the store in key categories including bakery and décor, snack mixes, candy, cookies and celebration supplies. Shoppers will be tempted by indulgent treats such as French macarons , s’mores trail mix and chocolate fudge brownie ice cream cake . For customers looking to create their own desserts, Overjoyed offers whimsical fairytale princesses or dinosaurs and sharks sprinkles , colorful cupcake liners , decadent chocolate chips and marshmallows, to name a few.

Overjoyed Boutique features giftable items for any occasion such as a scented candles, elegant flower vases and seasonal décor. Additionally, each holiday season, the line will introduce seasonal items and treats to celebrate such as vampire fang gummies and decorate-your-own graveyard cookie kits for Halloween.

Promoted via the company’s email, social and digital channels, marketing features a lively color palette, captivating details, sparkles and a consistent teal logo, bringing the brand’s optimistic, cheerful and magnetic personality to life.

This is the latest addition to the company’s Own Brands portfolio, which includes trusted household names such as Signature SELECT, O Organics, Lucerne, Open Nature, Primo Taglio, waterfront BISTRO, Soleil and Value Corner.

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Whole Foods Names Local and Emerging Accelerator Program Participants

Whole Foods Market has announced the participants for its latest cohort in the Local and Emerging Accelerator Program, celebrating brands selected for the program’s Early Growth track. Launched in 2022, LEAP highlights Whole Foods Market’s commitment to fostering mutually beneficial relationships with local and emerging brands through specialized, educational programming and individual mentorship. Participants may also qualify for a $25,000 equity investment from a donor-advised fund overseen by the Austin Community Foundation, with the funds supporting the Whole Foods Market Foundation through the work of Whole Cities, Whole Kids and Whole Planet.

The 2024 Early Growth cohort consists of 10 innovative brands not yet available in Whole Foods Market stores: Aahana’sBowlcutDate Better SnacksEdenesqueFreezcakeGeemMaté PartySam + LeoSibeiho and Tuyyo Foods. After completing the 12-week curriculum, these suppliers’ products will be considered for inclusion on Whole Foods Market shelves in their own cities or regional areas. This year, Whole Foods Market’s Local and Emerging Brands team reviewed more than 1,600 applications for the Early Growth cohort, marking a 60 percent increase from 2023.

“Our Local and Emerging Brands team is thrilled to have selected a mix of diverse founders and products from various backgrounds for this year’s Early Growth program track,” said Alyssa Vescio, senior vice president of merchandising at Whole Foods Market. “Connecting with new brands and business owners who are hungry to grow allows our team to diversify product selection in stores, support small businesses, and stay committed to our local communities. We look forward to seeing these 10 brands strive for continued growth and carve their path to success through Whole Foods Market’s mentorship.”

Brands seeking more information on LEAP can visit the Information for Potential Suppliers page on the Whole Foods Market website.

Founded in 1980, Austin-based Whole Foods Market is the world’s leading natural and organic foods retailer and the first certified organic national grocer in the United States. Part of Amazon’s Worldwide Grocery Stores, Whole Foods Market serves customers in more than 530 stores across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. To learn more about Whole Foods Market, please visit https://media.wholefoodsmarket.com/.

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SEG Launches Annual American Red Cross Fundraiser

Southeastern Grocers Inc. has launched its annual in-store community donation program benefiting the American Red Cross.Through Sept. 17, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie customers can donate $1, $5 or round up their purchase at checkout to support the American Red Cross’ disaster relief efforts during peak hurricane season and aid neighbors affected by natural disasters now and in the future.

SEG, together with the SEG Gives Foundation, kicked off hurricane season by donating water, shelf-stable items and $250,000 to the American Red Cross to help the organization prepare for the season. Every dollar donated through SEG’s community donation program will help support the Red Cross’ disaster relief efforts, which provide essential aid to those affected by disasters across the country, including food, shelter, relief supplies, emotional support, recovery planning and other assistance. Throughout SEG’s lifetime partnership with the American Red Cross, the grocer has donated more than $12 million and provided relief for countless storms impacting local communities across the Southeast.

Anthony Hucker, president and CEO of Southeastern Grocers, said, “We have nearly 100 years of experience serving the Southeast, and we’ve witnessed too many times the devastation hurricanes can bring. Our longtime partner, the American Red Cross, provides vital aid when disaster strikes, but we encourage all our Southeast neighbors to prepare now as we enter peak hurricane season. Time and again, our communities have bravely risen to face natural disasters, but the takeaway is always the same: preparation makes a difference.”

Earlier this month, Hurricane Debby proved even a slow-moving category-one storm could wreak havoc on the Southeast, damaging more than 420 homes, according to preliminary reports. To date, the Red Cross has provided more than 1,948 overnight stays to displaced individuals and has more than 250 trained Red Cross responders on the ground to continue aiding impacted communities.*

Christian Smith, regional CEO for the American Red Cross, said, “Our partnership with Southeastern Grocers is a cornerstone of our ability to act decisively during critical moments. Their unwavering commitment ensures we are always ready to deliver lifesaving aid and essential support when communities need it most. Together, we deliver more than just preparedness before a storm and immediate relief after; we also bring the resilience and hope that empower communities to rebuild during their darkest hours.”

As peak hurricane season arrives, SEG is encouraging its neighbors to create or restock their hurricane kits. To prepare, customers are encouraged to review the Red Cross’ Survival Kit Supplies checklist for essential items needed during and after a disaster. Each household should be prepared with the appropriate amount of water, nonperishable food, batteries and first aid kits, as well as any necessary baby supplies and pet food.

The grocer is also committed to helping customers save money while replenishing their disaster relief kit as well as maximizing discounts on everyday grocery essentials. Through its signature Price Hold program, SEG lowers and holds down prices on more than 1,000 commonly shopped products each season to help families stretch their grocery budget. Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie customers can easily shop for emergency preparedness staples like shelf-stable foods, batteries, cleaning supplies and hygiene items and save nearly 20% on products identified by blue Price Hold signs.

For more information on shopping at neighborhood stores for disaster preparedness needs, visit www.harveyssupermarkets.com/community/hurricane-preparedness and www.winndixie.com/community/hurricane-preparedness.

Southeastern Grocers Inc., parent company and home of Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, is an omnichannel retailer serving customers in brick-and-mortar grocery stores and liquor stores, as well as online with convenient grocery delivery and curbside pickup throughout Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi. Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie are well-known and well-respected regional brands with deep heritages, strong neighborhood ties, proud histories of giving back, talented and caring associates and a strong commitment to providing the best possible quality and value to customers. For more information, visit www.harveyssupermarkets.com and www.winndixie.com.

SEG Gives Foundation is the charitable arm of Southeastern Grocers Inc. The SEG Gives Foundation aligns giving with causes that are priorities to the communities SEG serves, including the fight against hunger, support for military service members and their families, relief to those affected by extreme weather and natural disasters and championing belonging, inclusion and diversity by combating social injustice to bridge the gap of inequities faced by many individuals, families and communities. Southeastern Grocers strives to be ingrained in its communities and, through the SEG Gives Foundation, better the lives of its customers and neighbors.

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