Dive Brief:

• Crate and Barrel on Thursday launched its first private label cookware collection dubbed The Kitchen by Crate.
• The collection features nearly 200 items, including bakeware, cutting boards, silicone utensils and storage containers, and ranges in price from $9.95 to $599.95, according to a company press release emailed to Retail Dive.
• The collection is available in stores and on Crate and Barrel's website.

Dive Insight:

With consumers spending more time — and cooking more meals — at home, Crate and Barrel is looking to capitalize on the heightened demand with the launch of its first cookware private label.

"More than ever, life is happening in the kitchen, and like other areas of the home our customers are being intentional about how they use their kitchen space and what goes into it," Alicia Waters, chief marketing officer at Crate and Barrel, said in a statement. "The Kitchen by Crate line brings the thoughtful design Crate & Barrel is known for into the kitchen and makes it accessible for any level of home cook."

More retailers have been turning to private labels as a way to increase margins, improve financial performance and differentiate themselves from the competition by providing unique products to consumers.

Target has been among the retailers reaping the benefits of owned brands: Of the mass merchant's 48 private labels, 10 are worth $1 billion.

Within the home sector of retail, Bed Bath & Beyond has made a big bet on private labels. As part of its turnaround strategy, the retailer announced it would introduce at least 10 private labels, eight of which launched last fiscal year. Sur La Table earlier this year launched an updated line of private label cookware about a year and a half after a joint venture by Marquee Brands and CSC Generation bought Sur La Table out of bankruptcy.

While Crate and Barrel, like others in the home sector, has experienced a boost from pandemic-induced buying trends, it has also undergone changes to its leadership during that period. The company announced in July of 2020 that Neela Montgomery would step down from the CEO role, to be succeeded by Janet Hayes. The company also brought on former Nike exec Jason Booth last year to serve as its chief technology officer.