Giant Eagle revealed Wednesday that it has relaunched its private-label brand, Nature’s Basket, with sustainability in mind. Items from the line now feature responsibly sourced, high-quality ingredients, according to the retailer.
“We’re committed to helping our customers to realize meaningful value through our Own Brands program, and I am particularly excited to reintroduce our Nature’s Basket line to our customers,” said Kasey Sheffer VP of own brands at Giant Eagle, in a statement. “When a customer purchases any Nature’s Basket item, we want them to feel good about the price, quality of the ingredients, and the environmental and social impact of the product.”
The growth of products that make environmental, social, and governance claims has significantly outpaced that of traditional products. Over a five-year period, products that claim ESG attributes have grown 28 percent vs. 20 percent growth of traditional products, according to the 2023 joint study from McKinsey and NielsenIQ.
To increase transparency, Giant Eagle has partnered with an independent sustainability intelligence company, HowGood, to evaluate the environmental and social impact of the Nature’s Basket line and provide a sustainability rating.
Products that achieve HowGood Ratings of Good, Great, and Best have an overall environmental and social sustainability impact that is better than 70, 85, and 95 percent of food products assessed by HowGood, respectively. Approximately 70 percent of Nature’s Basket items have received a HowGood Rating of Good, Great, or Best.
When building an online order, Giant Eagle customers can review the HowGood Ratings of Nature’s Basket items listed under “Product Details” on each product’s page. HowGood Ratings will also be featured on in-store signage to help customers find products that align with their preferences.
“Today’s shoppers are more committed than ever to supporting brands that have a positive impact on our planet. Displaying HowGood’s easy-to-understand sustainability ratings brings Giant Eagle to the forefront of a global movement empowering consumers to live more sustainably,” said Alexander Gillett, CEO of HowGood, in a statement.