Wakefern Food Corp. earned a Silver Award at the 2026 Vertex Awards for the design of its Bowl & Basket Specialty Prebiotic/Probiotic Soda packaging. The recognition marks Wakefern’s seventh consecutive year receiving honors in the global private brand design competition.
The Vertex Awards took place in May in New York’s Times Square. Organized by the Velocity Institute, the awards are the only global competition devoted exclusively to private brand package design. A panel of industry experts judged nearly 3,000 entries based on creativity, marketability and innovation.
“This recognition reflects the creativity and care our Own Brands team brings to developing products customers will love,” said Chris Ruane, director of Own Brands at Wakefern Food Corp.
“We’re proud that our Bowl & Basket Specialty Prebiotic/Probiotic Soda stood out for its fresh, distinctive packaging, and honored to continue Wakefern’s long‑standing success at the Vertex Awards.”
Introduced in 2019, Bowl & Basket was created as part of Wakefern’s Own Brands transformation with a simple idea: offer products made with thoughtful ingredients, inspired by today’s tastes and trends, that look appealing and fit easily into everyday life. From pantry staples to specialty finds, the brand was designed to feel fresh, modern and easy to shop while delivering great quality at a great price.
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About Wakefern Food Corp.
Founded in 1946, Wakefern is the largest retailer‑owned cooperative in the U.S. Its members own and operate hundreds of supermarkets under banners including ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, The Fresh Grocer, Dearborn Market, Gourmet Garage, Fairway Market, Di Bruno Bros. and Morton Williams across nine Northeastern states.