15 Store Brands That Quietly Disappeared From Shelves
Retailers constantly tweak their offerings, and sometimes, that means saying goodbye to once-familiar store brands. Whether it was a shift in consumer trends, a merger, or a quiet phase-out, many brands vanished without much fanfare.
- Tricia Quitales
- 6 min read
Many store brands were introduced with high hopes, offering affordable alternatives to national names. However, not all store brands stand the test of time, especially in a fast-changing market driven by consumer preference and corporate reshuffling. Some vanished after rebranding efforts while others faded as retailers shifted focus. Examining these vanished labels reveals how business decisions and market shifts affect what ends up in our carts.
1. Safeway Select
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Once a premium private label under the Safeway umbrella, Safeway Select was positioned to compete with gourmet and upscale grocery items. It offered a wide range of products, from frozen meals to sauces and snacks. As Safeway merged with Albertsons, many of its house brands were consolidated or replaced. Safeway Select quietly disappeared in favor of the Signature Select brand. Shoppers barely noticed the transition, but long-time customers missed the familiar packaging.
2. Walmart’s Sam’s American Choice
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Sam’s American Choice was once Walmart’s premium in-house brand, competing with higher-end national labels. It included beverages, frozen foods, and even pet supplies. The brand gradually faded out as Walmart shifted its focus to Great Value and Marketside for broader coverage. Sam’s American Choice was quietly retired without any major announcement. Its name lives on more in nostalgia than in any current aisle.
3. Kroger’s FMV (For Maximum Value)
Kroger on Wikimedia
FMV stood for “For Maximum Value” and was Kroger’s lowest-cost generic label. The brand featured basic products with minimal packaging and the lowest price tags. Over time, shoppers began to associate FMV with poor quality. Kroger phased it out in favor of consolidating its store brands under the more popular Kroger and Simple Truth lines. FMV products were eventually pulled without fanfare.
4. Target’s Archer Farms
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Archer Farms offered premium food items with a focus on flavor and style. The line included coffee, snacks, frozen meals, and condiments. In 2020, Target began rebranding its food offerings, replacing Archer Farms with the new Good & Gather label. The transition was part of Target’s effort to streamline its in-house branding. Archer Farms quietly vanished, though many shoppers still recognize the name.
5. Albertsons’ Essentials Everyday
Albertsons on Wikimedia
Essentials Everyday was introduced to provide budget-friendly household and pantry staples across various Albertsons-owned stores. The brand was designed to compete with other value-focused labels. As part of a broader brand overhaul, Albertsons replaced many Essentials Everyday items with the consolidated Signature line. It was a slow, quiet phase-out across store banners. Most customers simply saw the packaging change over time.
6. A&P’s America’s Choice
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America’s Choice was the house brand of the now-defunct A&P grocery chain. It covered a wide range of products from canned goods to cleaning supplies. The brand faded as A&P struggled financially and eventually filed for bankruptcy. With the closure of the A&P chain, America’s Choice vanished entirely. It now serves as a reminder of a once-thriving supermarket empire.
7. Sears’ Kenmore Small Appliances (In-Store)
Sears on Wikimedia
Kenmore was once a dominant brand in Sears stores, especially for appliances like vacuums, toasters, and microwaves. As Sears locations began closing nationwide, the presence of Kenmore in physical stores declined. While the brand still exists online and in licensing agreements, it disappeared from many store shelves. Its in-store availability quietly shrank with little notice. Kenmore’s decline mirrors the fall of Sears itself.
8. Winn-Dixie’s Thrifty Maid
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Thrifty Maid was a budget house brand available at Winn-Dixie locations throughout the Southeast. The brand focused on canned goods and pantry staples. As Winn-Dixie modernized its store offerings, Thrifty Maid was gradually replaced by newer, better-branded alternatives. Customers who relied on its low prices noticed the change over time. The name has since disappeared from most store locations.
9. CVS Earth Essentials
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Earth Essentials was CVS’s attempt at offering eco-friendly home and personal care products. The line included paper goods, cleaning items, and recycled products. Despite initial interest, the brand never gained widespread traction. CVS eventually phased it out in favor of other sustainability initiatives under its main store brand. Today, Earth Essentials is no longer stocked in stores.
10. Walgreens’ W Brand
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The W Brand was launched as a modern, streamlined label for health and wellness products. It aimed to simplify Walgreens’ many private labels under a single identity. Over time, however, the W Brand was replaced with Walgreens-branded items and more recognizable lines like Nice! and Complete Home. It faded quietly without a major campaign. The move was part of a broader brand alignment effort.
11. Best Buy’s Insignia TV Accessories
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Insignia was Best Buy’s in-house electronics brand and included everything from TVs to remote controls. While the TVs still exist under the brand, many Insignia-branded accessories began to vanish. Best Buy began promoting other third-party options and reduced shelf space for its own label. The change was subtle and unfolded over several product cycles. Shoppers now find fewer Insignia items on store displays.
12. Rite Aid’s Tugaboos Baby Products
Rite Aid on Wikimedia
Tugaboos was Rite Aid’s private label for baby care items like diapers, wipes, and shampoo. The brand was introduced as a value option to compete with larger national brands. As Rite Aid underwent restructuring, many of its niche private labels were dropped. Tugaboos slowly disappeared from stores without much consumer notice. Remaining stock was absorbed into Rite Aid’s broader generic product lines.
13. Target’s Up & Up Diapers (Rebranded)
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Up & Up is still an active brand, but its diaper packaging and quality have undergone significant changes. At one point, Target reworked the entire line, replacing much of the original product range with reformulated versions. While the name remains, many parents noted the switch and viewed it as the end of the original diaper product. This created confusion and frustration for loyal shoppers. In a way, the original Up & Up diapers quietly disappeared under the same label.
14. Meijer’s Source Brand
Meijer, Inc. on Wikimedia
Source was Meijer’s generic label for health and personal care products. It included items like pain relievers, vitamins, and bandages. Over time, Meijer opted to unify its branding, slowly removing the Source name from shelves. These products were reintroduced under the main Meijer brand. Source faded from the scene with almost no mention.
15. ShopRite’s Readington Farms
ShopRite Co. on Wikimedia
Readington Farms provided dairy products like milk, cream, and butter exclusively to ShopRite stores. It was a long-standing private label known in many households across the Northeast. As ShopRite updated its branding and supply chain, Readington Farms was gradually phased out. New packaging and names replaced the familiar farm-style label. It’s one of many house brands that quietly disappeared despite years of loyalty.