Raley’s Launches Shelf Guide to Bring Transparency to the Grocery Shelf

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif.– According to Nielsen data, 59% of grocery shoppers experience difficulty in understanding nutrition facts on product packaging.1 Meanwhile, recognizing ingredients ranks first for consumers in terms of what influences their decision to purchase a food or beverage.2 Today, Raley’s launches a new, one-of-a-kind shelf tag program to help customers combat some of these obstacles in the grocery store and more easily make informed food purchasing decisions.

Raley’s Shelf Guide combines current food trends and leading research to set strict standards for packaged food claims and provide label transparency. The new tool differs from other shelf tag programs by taking a closer look at packaged ingredients, food processing and nutrition. Using simple and colorful icons, Raley’s Shelf Guide helps customers quickly interpret whether a product meets their needs, without having to analyze multiple labels. Raley’s has even created two of their own shelf tag descriptions – making it easy for customers to find food that is minimally processed and nutrient dense.

“We knew that Raley’s could develop a program that truly addresses the needs of our customers and serve as a trusted advisor. Raley’s Shelf Guide attributes will help our customers make easier decisions when shopping our stores,” said Michael Teel, Raley’s Owner & Chief Executive Officer. “Only foods that meet the strict standards of Raley’s will qualify for the Shelf Guide tags. I challenge food manufacturers to aspire to meet our Shelf Guide standards for their products at Raley’s.”

For ease of use, the icons are placed directly on the price tag. The top two icons are shared on the tag in-store. Customers seeking value at the shelf, will now be able to use the Shelf Guide to find a better option at an affordable price.

As a part of Raley’s click-and-collect service, eCart, online shoppers can sort for products using the Shelf Guide icons to quickly find products that meet their health and wellness needs on shop.raleys.com. More than 13,000 items in center store have at least one icon.

“This program comes at a time where there is a lot of uncertainty in food standards,” said registered dietitian, Kim Denkhaus. “I meet with clients all the time that are looking for an easier way to make decisions on what to buy at the grocery store. I’m excited for my clients to start using Shelf Guide at Raley’s – not only is it easy to understand, but it’s also going to help people feel more confident with the decisions they make when grocery shopping.”

This program is independently developed by Raley’s in partnership with Label Insight, and is not driven by any brands or products. Label Insight uses data science to provide access to complete and accurate product information for more than 400,000 products. This rich data was used to develop a set of custom attributes for the Raley’s Shelf Guide.

“Many consumers are driven by health and wellness goals, including special diets and ingredient allergies and aversions,” said Ronak Sheth, Chief Customer Officer at Label Insight. “Raley’s Shelf Guide has taken Label Insight data to the next level by using rigorous criteria designed by a certified dietitian to evaluate product ingredients and processing. Raley’s has gone above and beyond typical ‘organic’ or ‘non-GMO’ attributes to include criteria for sodium, sugar and fiber content by individual category, making them unique in the industry.”

Raley’s Shelf Guide was thoughtfully created by Raley’s, driven by science and backed by experts. The program was reviewed and supported by Arianna Carughi, Ph. D. In Nutritional Sciences, C.N.S., “An enormous amount of work has gone into designing the Raley’s Shelf Guide to help simplify consumers’ purchasing decisions and make it easier to identify nutritious products,” said Arianna Carughi. “Raley’s has also gone above and beyond with Shelf Guide, as they have carefully considered the amount of added sodium and sugar in foods as well. Shelf Guide is truly going to inspire a better way of eating for Raley’s shoppers.”

For more information about Raley’s Shelf Guide and a full list of attributes, visit www.raleys.com/guide.

Raley’s unique Shelf Guide descriptions include:

• Minimally Processed: Simply prepared with only clean ingredients, and limits on added sugar and sodium.
• Nutrient Dense: Contains vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and other beneficial substances that may have positive health effects.
• No Added Sugar: No added sugar or artificial sweeteners.

About Raley’s

Founded in 1935, Raley’s is a third-generation family owned regional food retailer headquartered in West Sacramento, California. Raley’s team members strive to infuse life with health and happiness while aligning with the brand vision to change the way the world eats one plate at a time. Best known for high quality products, fresh produce, fine meats and outstanding customer service, the company operates 122 stores in Northern California and Nevada under four banners: Raley’s, Bel Air Markets, Nob Hill Foods and Food Source. As an innovative retailer, Raley’s is continually focused on creating a personalized shopping experience, with their click-and-collect shopping service, eCart and phase one of delivery in the Bay Area. Visit www.raleys.com for more information.

About Label Insight

Label Insight is the market leader for transparency, using data science to provide access to complete and accurate product information for more than 400,000 products, representing 80 percent of the top purchased CPG products in the U.S. The company’s proprietary data-as-a-service platform uses machine learning, semantic engine technology, and unique attribute IP to power data-driven solutions for brands, retailers, researchers, analytics providers, government agencies and consumer applications. Like a prism, Label Insight technology transforms the “white light” of product information contained on the physical packaging of food, pet, and personal care products into an infinite spectrum of deep and complete attribute data. Ingredients, nutrients, and marketing claims are analyzed and enriched with more than 22,000 custom attributes including ingredient definitions, micro and macronutrient content, sustainability practices, specialty diet eligibility, and more. Label Insight powers the industry in delivering transparency to consumers; participating in industry and government initiatives, such as SmartLabel; creating connected omni-channel experiences; and maximizing category growth potential. Learn more about why Transparency Matters™ at www.labelinsight.com.