Wakefern expanding Bowl & Basket private label to include single-serve coffee

Wakefern Food Corp. continues to expand its popular Bowl & Basket brand.

Under an agreement announced March 16, the Keasbey-based grocery cooperative is partnering with coffee co-packing company NuZee to help launch new private-label coffee products.

As part of the deal, NuZee will pack and ship three single-serve coffee items under ShopRite’s Bowl & Basket brand, the companies said. The new flavors – Breakfast Blend, French Roast and Colombian – were recently introduced at ShopRite stores and will eventually be rolled out across 250 other locations within the Wakefern family.

The largest retailer-owned co-op in the U.S., Wakefern’s network includes the ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, The Fresh Grocer, Fairway Market and Gourmet Garage banners.

Altogether, the 48-member companies own and operate 365 stores across New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.

In recent years, Wakefern’s private label brands Bowl & Basket, Paperbird and Wholesome Pantry have become increasingly popular with shoppers looking for ways to stretch tight food budgets.

Pam Ofri, Wakefern’s Director of Product Development and Operations, Own Brands, said, “Wakefern is excited to work with NuZee to bring sustainably-packaged, quality products to its Own Brands line of Bowl & Basket single-serve coffees. We look forward to working with NuZee to expand and enhance packaging for our popular private label coffees.”

Founded in 2011, NuZee is a Texas-headquartered company that works with businesses of all sizes develop single-serve and private-label coffee categories.

Travis Gorney, NuZee’s Chief Innovation Officer, said, “We are grateful to our private label customers for making our products available at a larger scale and to Wakefern for expanding single-serve coffee availability through the largest retailer-owned supermarket cooperative in America.”