Yesway Expands Its Private Label Portfolio

DES MOINES, Iowa — Yesway is expanding its private label catalog with the addition of Yesway Candy and Yesway Baked Goods. The convenience store operator's private label portfolio currently includes Yesway Water.

The expanded product catalog reinforces Yesway's brand promise to provide its customers with a terrific shopping experience with national brand quality products at value-driven price points, according to the c-store retailer.

The newly added products include a variety of loose bag candy and baked goods such as fried pies, muffins and donuts, with eight to 10 SKUs in each category. All products are now available in all Yesway stores in several trial offers for single and combo deals.

"The response to our private label brand from our customers is terrific," said Darrin Samaha, vice president and brand manager, Yesway. "The Yesway products are a tremendous hit with our customers. In Texas for example, our fried pies are flying off the shelves and we are working as quickly as possible to get more of them in stores to keep up with demand."

Yesway Rewards members will earn extra benefits and value as Yesway enters into this new phase of private label launches, according to the company. They will earn a higher velocity on reward items, digital sampling, private label clubs and double points.

The candy and baked goods categories will serve as the foundation for more proprietary private label and foodservice offers in the Yesway Rewards program and in store for all customers. Categories under development and targeted for early 2019 launch include a full line of salty snack chips, meat snacks and an assortment of nuts and trail mix.

"Yesway’s private label products match or exceed national brand quality products, but at a much more compelling value," said Yesway Senior Vice President of Merchandising and Procurement Derek Gaskins. "In early 2019, our customers can look forward to continued growth and evolution in our private label offers as well as the Yesway Rewards Program. We view both as engines for our brand development and are excited about continuing to use both to drive customer engagement."

Yesway launched its new private label line with the debut of Yesway Water this summer. Five cents from the sale of every specially marked bottle, up to $25,000, is being donated to Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit organization that supports America's military and their families, as Convenience Store News previously reported.

Des Moines-based Yesway is the convenience store banner of BW Gas & Convenience. It currently operates 150 c-stores in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, South Dakota, Wyoming and Nebraska.