Albertsons Companies Announces Winners of First Own Brands Associate Choice Awards

Albertsons Companies (NYSE: ACI) today announced the winning products of its first Own Brands Associate Choice Awards. Thousands of associates cast votes in the contest, which asked them to pick their favorite Own Brands product in 15 categories during the company’s January Own Brands “Best for Less” campaign.

The winners of Albertsons Companies' first Associate Choice Awards. These products were selected by Albertsons Cos. associates as their favorite Own Brands products of 2020. (Photo: Business Wire)

“We’re proud of the quality and value of all our Own Brands products, but we were especially interested to learn which products our associates love the most,” said Chad Coester, Senior Vice President Albertsons Cos. Own Brands. “These are the products they are fanatical about and most proudly recommend to shoppers.”

The most popular selection was the Signature RESERVE sea salt dark chocolate caramels, which received more votes than any other product. The caramels also won in two categories: favorite new 2020 Own Brands product and favorite guilty pleasure food item.

“Hands down the best sea salt caramels I’ve ever had!” said Sharon Johnson, front end CSR from the Wakefield, Rhode Island Shaw’s.

“The Signature RESERVE dark chocolate sea salt caramels are an escape into decadent deliciousness,” said Albertsons Cos. Senior IT Auditor Cheri Harris.

The full list of categories and winners is below:

Favorite new 2020 Own Brands product: Signature RESERVE dark chocolate sea salt caramels
Favorite snack to eat on the go: Signature SELECT mix nuts deluxe value size
Favorite healthy alternative: Open Nature parmesan cheese crisps
Favorite “pick me up” product: O Organics French dark roast ground coffee
Favorite breakfast item: Open Nature uncured applewood smoked bacon
Favorite “home-gating” food: Signature CAFE hot fried chicken
Favorite chef-inspired meal item: waterfrontBISTRO Responsible Choice raw shrimp
Favorite item to stock up on: Lucerne shredded Mexican style four cheese blend
Favorite “kid-approved” product: Signature SELECT macaroni and cheese
Favorite baby product: Open Nature Free & Clear baby wipes
Favorite “guilty pleasure” food item: Signature RESERVE dark chocolate sea salt caramels
Favorite “treat yourself” product: Open Nature peppermint beeswax lip balm
Favorite adult beverage: Signature RESERVE Tennessee whiskey
Favorite immunity boosting product: O Organics vitamin D3 gummies
Favorite product for your furry friend: Signature PET CARE chicken jerky dog treats

“Whether it’s innovative flavors of ice cream, including non-dairy options, or high-quality wines and award-winning spirits, Own Brands provides a wide offering of products with something for every shopper,” Coester said.

The Own Brands portfolio is comprised of more than 12,000 products that are exclusive to Albertsons Cos. stores, including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Carrs, Jewel-Osco, Acme, Shaw's, Star Market, United Supermarkets, Market Street and Haggen.

The products are offered under a variety of unique brands, including the Signature family of brands that includes Signature Select, Signature Farms, Signature Cafe, Signature Care and Signature Reserve, as well as Open Nature, O Organics, Lucerne, waterfrontBISTRO Responsible Choice seafood, Primo Taglio, Value Corner and debi lilly design.

You can see a video of all 15 winners here.

For photos of any of the category winners, please contact Denise Berger at Denise.Berger@albertsons.com.

About Albertsons Companies

Albertsons Companies is a leading food and drug retailer in the United States. The company operates stores across 34 states and the District of Columbia under 20 well-known banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen and Carrs. Albertsons Cos. is committed to helping people across the country live better lives by making a meaningful difference, neighborhood by neighborhood. In 2019 alone, along with the Albertsons Companies Foundation, the company gave $225 million in food and financial support. In 2020, Albertsons Cos. made a $53 million commitment to community hunger relief efforts and a $5 million commitment to organizations supporting social justice. These efforts have helped millions of people in the areas of hunger relief, education, cancer research and treatment, social justice and programs for people with disabilities and veterans' outreach.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210216005031/en/