Who Makes Target's Good & Gather Brand?
Target's Good & Gather has grown into a multi billion dollar grocery brand in just a few years. I cover the suppliers, the strategy that killed Archer...
Quick Answer
Good & Gather is Target's flagship grocery private label, launched in September 2019. Target does not manufacture any of it. The line is produced by a network of third party suppliers under contract, with Target setting the recipes, ingredient restrictions and packaging.
The brand crossed $2 billion in sales within its first year and is now Target's largest owned brand, with more than 2,000 SKUs covering dairy, frozen, snacks, pantry staples, beverages and fresh produce. It absorbed and replaced Target's older grocery labels including Archer Farms, Simply Balanced and most of Market Pantry.
Why Target Killed Archer Farms and Simply Balanced
Before 2019, Target's grocery aisles were a patchwork of brands. Archer Farms was the premium line. Simply Balanced focused on natural and organic. Market Pantry was the cheap everyday brand. Each had its own packaging, its own marketing budget and its own suppliers. Shoppers found the segmentation confusing.
Target's leadership decided to consolidate everything under one umbrella brand with consistent design and a single set of ingredient promises. Good & Gather was the result, and the company spent two years quietly phasing out the older labels in favour of the new one.
Market Pantry still exists for some basics, but the vast majority of Target grocery items are now Good & Gather. Archer Farms was fully discontinued by 2022.
The Ingredient Promises
Good & Gather launched with a set of public commitments that defined what would and would not go into the products:
- No artificial flavors
- No synthetic colors
- No high fructose corn syrup
- No artificial sweeteners
- Where possible, no preservatives
These are not as strict as a fully organic or non GMO certification, but they are a meaningful step above standard mass market grocery. The promises let Target market the brand as "clean label" without taking on the cost of full organic certification.
The Supplier Network
Target has not published a Good & Gather supplier list, but the suppliers can be traced through plant codes, public food safety filings and supplier announcements. The network is similar to other major private label brands.
- Dairy: Regional dairies including Dean Foods (now part of Dairy Farmers of America), HP Hood and various local processors depending on the store region.
- Frozen meals: ConAgra Foods and Pinnacle Foods (also owned by ConAgra) produce a significant share of Good & Gather frozen entrees and pizza.
- Snacks: Snyder's Lance, Shearer's Foods and Utz handle chips, crackers and pretzels.
- Coffee: Many roasts are produced by Coffee Holding Company and other regional roasters.
- Bread and bakery: Flowers Foods and Bimbo Bakeries.
- Fresh produce: Sourced through Target's existing produce supplier relationships including Del Monte Fresh and major regional growers.
The Premium Reserve Sub Brand
Target launched Good & Gather Signature in 2020 as a premium tier within the same brand family. Signature covers items like aged cheeses, gourmet pasta sauces, specialty olive oils and seasonal limited edition products. The pricing sits between standard Good & Gather and national specialty brands.
This three tier structure (Market Pantry for cheap basics, Good & Gather for the everyday clean label line, Good & Gather Signature for premium) gives Target a private label option at every price point without confusing shoppers with multiple brand names.
How Good & Gather Compares on Quality
Independent taste tests and consumer reports have generally rated Good & Gather products favourably against national brand equivalents. The pasta sauces, salsas, frozen fruit and dairy items in particular tend to score at or above the national brand benchmark, often at 20 to 40 percent lower prices.
The brand's weak spots tend to be in categories where flavour profiles are heavily branded, like sodas, certain snacks and ice cream, where shoppers have stronger loyalty to the national brand experience.
The Takeaway
Good & Gather is one of the fastest growing private labels in American retail, built by consolidating Target's messy legacy grocery brands into a single clean label umbrella. The suppliers are familiar names from the rest of the private label industry, but the ingredient promises, packaging design and tier structure are what give the brand its premium feel without a premium price.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Good & Gather organic?
Some Good & Gather items are USDA Organic certified, but the brand as a whole is not. The line focuses on excluding artificial ingredients rather than meeting full organic standards.
What happened to Archer Farms?
Archer Farms was discontinued by 2022. Most of its product range was rebranded under Good & Gather or Good & Gather Signature.
Who makes Good & Gather coffee?
Multiple regional roasters including Coffee Holding Company. Target does not publish a single supplier per roast.
Quality and Sourcing
Good and Gather emphasizes ingredient simplicity, clean label standards, and competitive pricing. Target's scale allows the brand to source from a wide network while maintaining consistent quality control.
Why Private Label Matters
- Higher margins than national brands.
- Exclusive products that bring shoppers back.
- Flexibility to respond to consumer trends quickly.
How It Compares
Good and Gather competes directly with Whole Foods 365, Trader Joes private label, and Kroger's house brands. For Target shoppers, it offers premium feel at a value price, which continues to drive both basket size and store visit frequency.