Amazon Branches Out into Private Label Food

The first products released by the e-commerce giant include Mama Bear baby food and Happy Belly coffee.

July 01, 2016

SEATTLE – Amazon.com has launched a perishable, private-label food line with little fanfare, The Wall Street Journal reports. This week, Amazon debuted its ground and whole bean coffee under the Happy Belly label, as well as two flavors of Mama Bear baby food. As it did with its private-label clothing lines, the e-commerce company has said little publicly about the perishable house brand rollout.

Amazon has outlined four brands under its private label umbrella, including diapers, cleaning supplies and food. The new labels are available only to Prime members.

Overall, private-label brands have done very well in the United States, rising around $2.4 billion in 2015 over 2014 sales. U.S. sales of store brands topped $118.4 billion last year, according to the Private Label Manufacturers Association.

While supermarkets, Costco and other companies make no bones about being behind their house brands, Amazon has cloaked its development of these new private labels by not listing itself as the manufacturer on the description pages. Amazon’s AmazonBasics line has long sold bocce ball sets, batteries and tripods, as well as Pinzon-brand linens. 

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