McCaffrey’s Private Label
As private label continues to be a key competitive differentiator for grocery retailers, McCaffrey’s needed its packaging to work harder on the shelf.
Much of the original private label packaging had been developed without a cohesive design system. Some items were designed by vendors, others by non-design stakeholders, resulting in a fragmented look across departments. While the products themselves were strong, the visual presentation lacked consistency and impact, especially when compared to competing store brands.
The goal was multifaceted. The packaging needed to elevate brand perception, scale easily across departments and formats, and appeal to a younger customer, even without clearly defined demographic data. The challenge was to modernize the look of private label without disrupting the trust McCaffrey’s has built with customers over decades.
Role:
Creative Direction
Brand Strategy
Project Management
Continuity Management
Packaging Design
Vendor Management
Prepress
2023 - Ongoing
Year:
A strong system eliminates
any guesswork.
Systems Before Styles
Private label requires a framework, not a collection of isolated designs. The system was built to unify existing products while creating a foundation for future expansion. This structure allows new items to launch with consistency and confidence rather than starting from scratch each time.
Packaging earns attention on the shelf, not on a screen.
Designing for Shelf Reality
This work was informed by time spent in the aisles. Shelf density, category adjacency, and competitor packaging all shaped the design decisions. The goal was clarity first, followed by recognition and cohesion across the line.
Modern does not mean unfamiliar.
Interpreting “Younger” Without Data
With no formal definition of what a younger customer looked like, the design focused on visual cues that signal modernity without trend chasing. Clean typography, consistent structure, and controlled moments of personality helped the brand feel current while remaining familiar.
Good systems create momentum.
Designing to Enable Growth
The impact of a cohesive system extended beyond packaging. Clear visual standards encouraged stronger collaboration between the buying and marketing teams and supported ongoing private label redesigns across categories. The system reduced design fatigue, improved turnaround time, and made future decisions easier to execute.
Performance Comparison
Coming January 2026!
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