As you’ve probably witnessed, consumers are becoming increasingly aware of where their food comes from and making decisions about what they buy and what they eat based on their values. Animal welfare is one area getting more attention. More vegan options and plant-based substitutes are being introduced in the retail space, but the industry has also seen a rise in consumers who choose to eat meat with the condition of knowing that the animals were treated humanely.
Retailers worldwide are actively looking for brands with third-party certifications that demonstrate to consumers that they are paying attention and meeting their values. Over the past five years, retailers like Walmart, Thrive Market, and Albertson’s, among many others, have made it part of their mission to increase their supplier and product diversity, and part of that includes sourcing brands that have meaningful claims and certifications like G.A.P. Animal Welfare Certified.
Retailers embrace the G.A.P certification with open arms
Retailers of all sizes around the U.S. have taken a strong interest in adding G.A.P Certified products to their shelves. Major grocery chains like Whole Foods Market, Thrive Market, Common Market, and Natural Grocers carry G.A.P Animal Welfare Certified products in their fresh meat departments. At the same time, prepackaged items with G.A.P. certification can be found at Walmart, Food Lion, and online at Amazon, Mom’s Organic Market, Harris Teeter, Weis Market, Safeway, and Target. National Co+Op Grocers also work with about 200 independent grocers that carry G.A.P. Certified products.
Notably, there has been a rise in pet brands certified by G.A.P available across U.S. stores. Certified pet food brands like Fresh Pet, Open Farm, Tender & True, Earth Animal, and Canidae are sold within specialty pet stores, small chains, independents, online, as well as Petco, Petsmart, Amazon, and Chewy. For more information about pet food trends and the importance of animal welfare claims to pet owners, check out our blog with great stats and information.
Leveraging RangeMe with G.A.P. certification
Getting noticed by retailers like the ones mentioned above can be a challenge, especially for emerging brands. That’s why G.A.P. chose to partner with RangeMe to help build awareness of our claim with new brands, and introduce more G.A.P. Certified items into more outlets so that consumers have a choice when they are shopping for meat and pet products.
RangeMe is an online platform that brings suppliers and retail buyers together for the discovery and purchasing of innovative, emerging products. RangeMe works with more than 200,000 product suppliers and manufacturers, as well as 15,000 retail buyers worldwide from national banners to independent retailers. Through RangeMe, both retailers and suppliers get insight into trending data that shows them how CPG is moving and growing—and the role that various certifications have in that growth.
Not only does RangeMe help buyers discover innovative new products, suppliers have access to several tools to help them successfully manage and grow their brands. This includes RangeMe insights, tools, and services, including direct communication to several certification partners. Suppliers who hold a G.A.P. certification can showcase their products and certifications on their RangeMe profile, take advantage of any exclusive retailer submission opportunities, and appear in select buyer searches. And suppliers without the certification can easily reach out to G.A.P under RangeMe Services to inquire about the benefits.
RangeMe also offers tools that allow suppliers to access data that can help manage products, market their brand, build brand awareness, and gain insight into the CPG industry. Getting retail-ready can be a challenge for emerging brands, but RangeMe Services can help with the aspects that small brands can sometimes struggle with, such as insurance, labeling, product images, and more.
G.A.P. and RangeMe—better together
If you are a new brand looking for opportunities to leverage your G.A.P. Certification, check out RangeMe. RangeMe and G.A.P. are aligned in their mission and goals around sustainability, ethical production and sourcing, and an overall commitment to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria.
“Consumer behaviors are continually evolving, and providing retailers and suppliers the ability to source innovative products that meet consumer values is critical for success in CPG,” says Brandon Leong, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Growth for RangeMe. “We are helping pave the way toward more mindful product sourcing, and partnering with certifications like G.A.P. help us provide more avenues for supplier success on their retail journey.”
If you’re a retailer or brand, learn more about RangeMe at: https://www.rangeme.com/suppliers.
