NEW YORK — Supervalu Inc. has launched its new Essential Everyday store brand at selected independent grocers.

Supervalu Inc. has launched its new Essential Everyday store brand at selected independent grocers.

Once the full rollout is complete early next year, Essential Everyday products will be available to more than 2,000 independent supermarketers nationwide. The line will include more than 2,400 products in the most important grocery and home goods categories, promising the same quality as national brands at a significant discount, according to the Minnesota-based retailer.

As part of the rollout Supervalu will replace the Flavorite, Richfoods and Homelife brands with Essential Everyday products.

"We are thrilled to be able to now bring our Essential Everyday line of products to our independent retailers," said Leon Bergmann, president of Supervalu’s independent business. "Early results have shown that Essential Everyday is performing very well at our 1,100 Supervalu-owned stores, and we believe that our independent retailers will see a positive customer response as well."

Since June 2011 Supervalu’s traditional retail stores have been transitioning from their banner labels to Essential Everyday in the cereal, wholesome snacks, pasta and pasta sauce categories. The chain has run extensive consumer testing on the Essential Everyday name and packaging, which returned very positive results. In package design research, Essential Everyday outperformed other store brands on measures of purchase interest, perceived value, premium perception and overall appeal. In addition, the change provides Supervalu with a single, recognizable brand name that will help create efficiencies in advertising and marketing.

Adding independent grocers "helps establish Essential Everyday as its own national brand," with a reach to more than 3,000 stores, Bergmann pointed out. "Timing and execution of this transition will occur as new product rollouts are completed and in conjunction with our independent retailers’ specific store needs."