Sweetbay wants consumers in Florida to know that when it comes to saving on store brands, its prices are lower than Aldi, Publix, Walmart and any other grocery chain that comes to mind.
The Delhaize chain is launching its new "My Essentials" store brand and, with that, it has promised to undersell any comparable store brand in the market, according to a Tampa Tribune report. Sweetbay is beginning its rollout this week with plans to have the more than 500 items in the line available in its 105 stores by June.
Sweetbay is also promoting the nutritional quality of its line with products free of trans-fats and containing lower salt and sugar levels. The chain is confident that consumers will also be happy with the taste profile of the new items and is offering a double-money-back guarantee if shoppers are unhappy.
The latest move by Sweetbay follows an initiative last July to demonstrate that the chain's prices were lower than rivals Publix and Winn-Dixie. Sweetbay claimed to have 700 products offered for a lower everyday price.
At the time, Sweetbay's vice president of merchandising Geoff Waldau, told the Tribune, "BOGO deals [offered by Publix] may cost less every once in a while, but we're saying that if customers shop with us over time, they'll save week-in, week-out on the things they actually want to buy."
Sweetbay's price positioning comes at a time when inflation has been driving up the cost of goods for consumers. Federal estimates expect food prices to go up between three and four percent this year. Individual categories could experience much bigger spikes.