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Nearly 20 years after ceasing to operate specialty grocery stores, the Wild Oats brand is back, this time with a line of organic foods and beverages from distributor KeHE.
last week, KeHE has announced its launch. Certified organic cold-pressed juices, smoothies and eggs from the revitalized Wild Oats brand. Will Rosenheimer, brand manager for Wild Oats, said the products, which have been in development over the past year, will debut at KeHE’s annual show next month and will begin rolling out to natural and organic retailers this summer.
This return is the latest step in Wild Oats’ long and complex story. Year of establishment By the late 1980s, the specialty grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, had grown to more than 100 stores across 23 states and was a pioneer in the natural and organic movements. In 2007 Whole Foods Market acquires Wild Oats. But federal regulators challenged the deal, forcing Whole Foods to Sells 32 stores and gives up Wild Oats. Brand name.
2010 Whole Foods Sale of Wild Oats’ intellectual property rights About two years later, to an egg and dairy company. The brand was sold to Yucaipa.is an investment firm that was a powerhouse in the grocery industry and owned a 17% stake in Wild Oats before its sale to Whole Foods. wild oat products Appears in stores operated by Fresh & EasyYucaipa-owned grocery chain Filed for bankruptcy in 2015.
Even Walmart has taken the opportunity to use the Wild Oats name in an effort to build a variety of natural and organic products. that We have about 100 types of Wild Oats products. In approximately 2,000 stores It started in 2014 Contract ends in 2016.
Wild Oats grew to more than 100 stores before being acquired by Whole Foods Market in 2007.
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KeHE, which acquired the Wild Oats brand last year, hopes this latest turn in the Wild Oats story will capitalize on the valuable cachet the Wild Oats name still carries with specialty shoppers. Rosenheimer said the company’s survey of just over 1,000 consumers found that 44% were aware of the brand.
KeHE also sat down with former Wild Oats employees to learn about the retailer’s pioneering heritage and focus on clean and responsible sourcing.
“In relaunching the brand, we aim to honor its heritage and the values that were true then and are still very relevant today,” Rosenheimer said.
KeHE has positioned its brand to appeal to core organic consumers. On its website, Wild Oats condemns “industrial food and factory farms” and urges shoppers to “eat like an advocate.” The brand said it is the first to offer juices and smoothies under the Regenerative Organic Certified label, a relatively new certification program that emphasizes soil and animal health along with social well-being.
“We believe there is a lot of momentum behind regenerative (agriculture) right now,” Rosenheimer said, noting that the certification has served as the brand’s “north star” in pushing for high ingredient standards that will appeal to specialty shoppers.
Wild Oats is KeHE’s third private label line, joining Cadia, which the retailer acquired in 2014, and Made With, which launched in 2016..
Other retailers have also increased production of their own brands as consumers show they are open to seeking out lower prices and trying new brands. United Natural Foods, Inc. 8 brands availableIncludes Essential Everyday and Wild Harvest, SpartanNash Selling more than 10 brands It’s organized into a variety of categories, from groceries to pet food.
KeHE will initially focus on selling Wild Oats products to specialty retailers, but Rosenheimer said the brand could eventually expand into general grocery stores.
“We have big, big plans for growth and would like to spread the brand into more traditional retailers in the next few years,” he said.
