2025 marks a major milestone for Best Choice as it celebrates its 40th anniversary. Since its start in 1985, the brand has grown into a household name, known for providing affordable, quality products that compete with national brands. From pantry staples to fresh products to non-foods and everything in between, Best Choice has built a legacy rooted in customer satisfaction and community support. Let’s take a closer look at how this incredible brand has evolved over the years and what makes it such a benefit to AWG member retailers today.
A Look Back: Milestones in Best Choice’s 40-Year Journey
1985: The Beginning of Something Great
Best Choice was born in 1985 with a bold mission: to offer consumers a line of products that could compete with national brands in both quality and price. In its very first year, the brand introduced 360 products, quickly gaining traction among savvy shoppers looking for value without compromising on quality, and creating a competitive edge for AWG member retailers.
1987: Save-A-Label — A Program that Gives Back
In 1987, Best Choice launched its philanthropic Save-A-Label program, a key initiative that would go on to strengthen the relationship between AWG member retailers and the communities where Best Choice products are sold. Over the past 38 years, more than 9,100 nonprofit organizations have benefited from the program, showing Best Choice’s deep commitment to helping AWG member retailers make a difference in their local communities.
2005: Celebrating 20 Years of Quality
By 2005, Best Choice had built a strong reputation for affordable quality. The brand celebrated 20 years of success by continuing to innovate and expand, representing $586 million dollars in sales, a rapid 6.7% increase over the prior year. The Best Choice lineup included 2,500 items, bringing savings with additional penny profit to AWG member retailers.
2013: Packaging Updates
In 2013, Best Choice embarked on a redesign of its packaging, giving its products a fresh, modern look. The updated font for the food logo helped streamline the brand’s visual identity, making it even more recognizable on store shelves. Sales had grown to a record $1.15 billion.
2022: Revamping Packaging for the Modern Shopper
In 2022, the brand began a comprehensive redesign of its packaging across various categories, including food, over-the-counter medicines, and vitamins, ensuring that its products stood out with a modern, fresh appeal.
2023: A New Online Experience
In 2023, Best Choice launched its redesigned website, making it easier than ever for consumers to explore the brand’s extensive product lineup and discover new favorites. The website also featured a “Where to Buy” page, driving more traffic to AWG member retailer stores.
2024: Doubling-Down on Quality Assurance
What sets Best Choice apart from the competition is its unwavering dedication to providing quality products at affordable prices. Whether it’s the staple items relied on for decades (like cake mixes, biscuits, and popcorn) or new items introduced in 2024 (like French toast sticks, gummy vitamins, and body care), each product undergoes rigorous testing to ensure it meets the highest standards, even at times exceeding the quality of the national brand.
In 2024, a new quality assurance lab that tests every AWG Brands product yearly was set up in Lenexa, Kansas in close proximity to AWG’s headquarters building. This ensured a continued focus on quality and easy access by AWG’s Food Safety and Quality Assurance team.
2025: Expanding Offerings
Best Choice is expanding its offerings with exciting new programs. These include:
- The launches of Pure Wonder by Best Choice and Hello World by Best Choice
- Updated packaging and products for fresh departments including Best Choice from the Farm, Best Choice from the Bakery, and Best Choice from the Water
- Product innovation such as new seasoning mix flavors, expanded paper offerings, new candies, and more.
What’s Next for Best Choice?
As Best Choice celebrates 40 years of success, the brand is looking ahead to even greater accomplishments. With new product lines, refreshed packaging, and a continued focus on quality and value, Best Choice is poised to remain a trusted choice for shoppers, creating store loyalty for AWG member retailers. Whether customers are stocking their pantries with everyday essentials or exploring innovative products, Best Choice offers something for everyone. It continues to address the original need of AWG member retailers: to be able to offer national-brand quality products, but at a discount to the customer.
Here’s to 40 years of Best Choice—an anniversary worth celebrating and a brand that continues to make a positive impact for AWG member retailers and their customers.
