Amazon planning to sell own-brand groceries and household items

Rumor are flying around that Amazon is preparing to make a big push into private-label groceries. WSJ claims Amazon will target niches with generally higher profit margins, with new brands with names like Happy Belly, Wickedly Prime and Mama Bear. These new products will include nuts, spices, tea, coffee, baby food and vitamins, but also household items like diapers and laundry detergents.

The first of the brands could begin appearing on Amazon’s namesake site as soon as the end of the month or early June, said one of the people.

Amazon has been working to develop the new private-label lines for several years and had approached branding consultants and manufacturers including TreeHouse Foods Inc., The Wall Street Journal reported last year.