ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a short case study which deals with the performance of the store-brand line ja!Naturlich. The purpose of this case study is to describe the launch of the ja!Natürlich line and to analyse potential factors in its success. Introduced by the Billa/Merkur Group in Austria in October 1994, ja!Natürlich was the first store-brand label of organic food products to be marketed in that country. The Austrian food retailing sector has seen a strong trend in the concentration and growth of large-scale retailing. The majority of consumers associated organic food with health, but also with expense and consumption without pleasure, explaining its marginal position in the Austrian market. Organic food production is based on a system of farming that maintains and replenishes the fertility of the soil. To appeal to potential customers, the concept that 'organic food tastes better' was proposed as the fundamental message for product development and advertising strategies.
