Amazon tipped in plan for self-branded grocery items

Are you ready to have a jug of milk in your fridge with an Amazon logo on it? How about the cereal in your cupboard and the jars of baby food? According to sources that have cropped up, such will be possible in the future, with the retail giant looking to roll out an own-branded line of food and grocery items. Think of it like a store brand, only that store brand is an Amazon brand — a generic product, in a sense, only one likely to be found on Prime subscriber's shelves.

The information comes from the Wall Street Journal, which says it spoke with people who have knowledge of the matter. These would likely be part of the company's "Amazon Elements" products, of which you can find baby wipes. According to sources, Amazon has talked to some manufacturers about putting its own label on more products.

One such rumored manufacturer is TreeHouse Foods Inc based out of Illinois. Whether that'll come to anything isn't known, and Amazon has not confirmed such rumors. Amazon has dabbled in different branded offerings before, though it has had some troubles in the past, such as when it pulled its Elements diapers.

For Amazon to see success with such products, it will have to battle against trusted store brands from big-name competitors, and that'll require quality products. Another snafu like the diapers issue would result in a low consumer opinion of Amazon's self-branded wares, and such opinions aren't easy to reverse. Of course, all is such speculation until it is confirmed there are even plans for such products.

SOURCE: Wall Street Journal