Van's Natural Foods Turns 25 As Shifting Consumer Preferences, New Products Fuel Rapid Growth

VERNON, Calif., Nov. 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Van's Natural Foods, founded in 1988 before gluten-free and natural foods were in the mainstream, is celebrating its 25^th anniversary – healthier than ever. Over the past five years, the natural foods pioneer has nearly tripled its business and is experiencing explosive growth in 2013 as consumers increasingly seek nutrient-rich foods that deliver great taste, affordability and all-family appeal.

The dramatic surge comes as Van's, the leader in better-for-you frozen breakfast for nearly two decades, continues a highly successful expansion into multiple high-growth shelf-stable categories such as snacks, snack bars and cereal. In late 2012, the company introduced whole-grain, gluten-free crackers, snack bars and cereals, which won healthy food awards and rave reviews from consumers. After the products experienced rapid acceptance and success in numerous leading conventional and natural food retailers, Van's extended the line with additional cracker varieties, snack chips and sandwich bars. More new product rollouts are planned for 2014.

Van's believes its widespread success in new categories is the result of both its reputation as a trusted long-term leader in the natural food industry and a large shift in consumer preference toward smaller players with more thoughtful, wholesome products that are creating strong personal connections with their consumers. This change was examined in a recent article in Advertising Age about the increasing impact of small brands on big-brand market share. Anthropologist and author Grant McCracken, part of the MIT Convergence Culture Consortium, cited the growth of everything from craft beers to farmers markets to specialty packaged foods as proof of the trend.

"After 25 years, our escalating growth rates and the phenomenal success of our new products demonstrate that the way consumers select and interact with food brands is undergoing a major, long-term shift toward ingredient-focused foods made by brands with strong core values," said Van's CEO Eric Kufel. "We are fortunate to enjoy one of the largest and most engaged social media communities in the natural foods industry, which we've built by being fun, educational and transparent and by offering simple, clean, nutrient-rich foods the whole family can enjoy."

For the increasing number of Americans with food sensitivities and allergies, including the one in three Americans who avoid dietary gluten, Van's offers what few brands do – healthy gluten-free products with the highest-quality ingredients at affordable prices. Many foods labeled gluten-free use unhealthy ingredients in place of gluten, rely on sugar and artificial flavorings for taste, and can cost up to triple the price. Van's remains committed to its allergy-sensitive consumers by delivering a simple, wholesome ingredient deck and selling at comparable prices to traditional brands.

"While we have been happy to be a trusted brand for our loyal consumer base for 25 years, we are incredibly gratified that our mission and our products have struck a deep chord with an ever-widening audience of millennial and allergen-sensitive consumers," said Kufel. "We know now this is just the tip of the iceberg for a growing group of consumers who expect more from their food and the companies that make it."

For more information on Van's, go to www.Vansfoods.com or to www.facebook.com/vansfoods.

Media Contact:
Suzanne Miller
214-379-7000
[email protected]

SOURCE Van’s Natural Foods