Associated Wholesale Grocers Debuts Revamped Paper Products Assortment

Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) has launched a new paper program that will be sold under two private labels the company carries under its AWG Brands umbrella.

According to the company, more than 20 new products will be sold under the Best Choice and Always Save own brands. The updated selection includes products from new suppliers that are positioned to provide enhanced service levels. Officials with AWG Brands said the new items underwent rigorous quality testing and are backed by the company’s 100% customer satisfaction guarantee.

“The Best Choice brand has always been dedicated to quality that is comparable or better than the national brand equivalent (NBE),” said Tye Anthony, AWG’s chief merchandising and marketing officer. “As the NBE improves, Best Choice continues to move the needle. AWG Brands is staying on top of quality expectations and trends.” 

According to AWG officials, private brand paper towels and toilet paper are the number one brands with 40% and 35% unit share respectively across the United States. Both subcategories were a focus of AWG’s overall paper category assortment optimization, which includes offering larger pack sizes, matching sheet counts more closely, and delivering competitive pricing. 

New items such as lavender-scented bath tissue and facial tissue multi-packs round out AWG Brands’ updated paper category. Data from the AWG Partner Gateway (APG) facilitated the development and verification of these new items as opportunities that will provide value to AWG retailers. 

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“AWG’s paper category underwent a full assortment and supplier review,” said Robert Fahr, AWG Brands senior sourcing manager. “AWG Brands prides itself on selection, price, service, and value. All these critical factors helped to guide the final selection of vendor partners and  product assortment.”  

The Best Choice products also feature packaging redesigns that highlight products on shelves, making them easy for customers to find. In addition, the new item launch is supported with robust promotional plans, digital coupon offers, digital marketing content, and cheeky in-store signage.  

“From analytics to sourcing to end-consumer marketing, the entire team has done an incredible job creating successful ways for our member retailers to compete,” said Anthony.  

The updated own brand paper products are part of an ongoing effort by AWG and its AWG Brands division to expand its private label offerings. Earlier this year the company launched a new selection of yogurt under its Best Choice brand in a variety of sizes and flavors. 

Additionally, AWG Brands gave its cereal assortment sold under its Always Save and Best Choice brands a refresh. The new offerings are said to deliver more closely on the Best Choice brand guardrail to align with national brands on item sizing and flavor profiles.