AWG Brands, the private brands of Kansas City, Kansas-based Associated Wholesale Grocers, is expanding its oral care offerings to help member retailers capitalize on the $10.6 billion category.
The AWG Brands assortment revitalization comes as a component of AWG’s strategic review of all categories in collaboration with key vendor partners.
This work includes opportunity alignment illuminated by the company’s proprietary AWG Partner Gateway data-sharing platform.
“After extensive work with our vendor partners and knowing oral care is a high-usage category, we knew the oral care category was an area where we could grow our presence of the Always Save and Best Choice brands,” said Emily Detwiler, executive director.
“We want to make sure we have options for consumers across different brands and usage types.”
AWG Brands’ oral care overhaul extends into new subcategories, such as interdental brushes and soft picks. There’s also a focus on kids’ items, such as toothbrushes with characters, bright colors and suction cups.
Oral care items also are launching for the first time in the Always Save brand, the opening price point and most value-focused of the four AWG Brands.
Upholding Best Choice’s promise to offer equivalent options to national brands has helped drive sourcing of 11 new Best Choice oral care items..
“Oral health is both functional and aesthetic for consumers,” said Stacy Leeton, senior category manager of health and wellness.
“They are looking for quality products that go above and beyond to help them with their oral health without high costs and these Always Save and Best Choice products fill those needs.”
The average U.S. household purchases oral care items 10 times per year, but shoppers just spend 39 seconds in the aisle each time.
As a whole, AWG Brands is emphasizing growth in this category through quality, value-driven products that meet consumers’ functional and financial needs.
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