Amazon’s brand, Wickedly Prime for 'foodies'

SEATTLE - Amazon has launched a private label food brand that is notable in part because it’s much more obvious that it’s a product of the online retail giant — starting with the name, Wickedly Prime, and the logo, a version of the Amazon smile with a tongue.

“We are Wickedly Prime, and our passion to experience and share the best flavors on earth has inspired us to create a new line of distinctive food and beverages, available exclusively to Amazon Prime members,” reads the Amazon introductory page, featuring gourmet popcorn, tortilla chips and almonds.

Amazon quietly launched the new Wickedly Prime private label this month, according to reports this week by TechCrunch and One Click Retail.

The e-commerce giant began rolling out private-label food products in June, starting with Happy Belly coffee and Mama Bear baby food. In those cases, however, the company was much more stealthy about the fact that they’re its own private label brands.

This is part of Amazon’s larger push into private-label products. The company has been more clear about its affiliation with its non-food private labels. The company sells household goods and other items under the Amazon Basics and Amazon Elements brands.

All of this could also play into Amazon’s broader retail strategy. The company is making a new push into physical grocery stores, with the unveiling earlier this month of the new Amazon Go store in Seattle, set to open to the public early this year.