Progressive Grocer - November 2008 - (Page 94)

Grocery list Fresh food Cutting it thin Value deals, clever cross-promotions, and merchandising that targets lucrative shopper segments are among the tactics of smart grocers looking to get higher meat sales out of a holiday that could be low on cheer. By Meg Major To mark October Pork Month, Hy-Vee launched a promotion offering four new $10 pork specials. During a Kroger Labor Day promotion, sales of baby back and spare ribs soared 9.3 percent, according to the National Pork Board. C onsumers across all income levels might not be feeling as jolly as usual heading into this holiday shopping season, but retail meat executives are nonetheless maneuvering mightily to offer the right mix of options across all species and price levels, both to keep their consumers interested and their profit margins as strong as possible. The Nuestro Rancho brand of Hereford-based beef, recently rolled out at over 30 Superior Grocers, targets Hispanics, who buy three to four times more beef than their nonHispanic counterparts do. All indications are that most consumers have turned to trading down to less expensive cuts, purchasing fewer meat products, and working down inventories from their home freezers, to reduce their grocery bills. Smart grocers are responding accordingly, via in-store marketing, and messages on their Web sites and in their e-newsletters, to promote budget-friendly meal options built around meat. Here are some recent examples: San Antonio-based HEB has been aggressively promoting a series of recipes for seven meals to feed a family of four for under $10, using its fully cooked private label entrees. Salisbury, N.C.-based Food Lion is also touting core items “to make dinner for four less expensive,” by displaying ingredients each week that shoppers can use to prepare a meal for under $10, including spaghetti and meatballs and chicken and biscuits. For its part, West Des Moines, Iowa-based Hy-Vee hosted a highly successful pork-themed promotion featuring four new $10 pork specials— including boneless ribs, thicker chops, and American chops—to celebrate October Pork Month. “Hy-Vee is building on the success of its recent 10-pork-chops-for-$10 94 • Progressive Grocer • November 2008 merchandising strategy,” says Ryan Mills, retail marketing manager for the Des Moines, Iowabased National Pork Board’s (NPB) Midwest division. Mills praises the chain as a perennial partner of the Pork Checkoff. Hy-Vee backed the 10-for-$10 pork offer through in-store displays and banners, circulars, coupons, and Hy-Vee TV, which reminds shoppers to purchase pork for a perfect mealtime solution. The $10 Hy-Vee Blue Ribbon Pork items were further supported by in-store samples of fresh pork. “Customers often purchase pork when it’s presented this way,” says Mills. Keeping in mind that nothing says “Oktoberfest” better than sausages www.progressivegrocer.com A H E A D O F W H AT ’ S N E X T http://www.progressivegrocer.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Progressive Grocer - November 2008

Progressive Grocer - November 2008
Contents
Front End
Nielsen’s Shelf Stoppers/Spotlight
Market Snapshot
Lempert Report
Independents Report
Cover Story: Store of the Month
PG Industry Event
Private Label: What Economic Downturn?
Private Label: Critical Mass
2008 Category Captains Awards
Beverage Alcohol
Meat Snacks
Meat Trends
Produce
Holiday General Merchandise
Equipment Innovations

Progressive Grocer - November 2008

https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/stagnito/pg_201006
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/pg_201005
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/pg_201004
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/pg_201003
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/pg_20100102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/pg_20091112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/pg_200910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/pg_20090809
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/pg_20090607
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/pg_200905
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/pg_200904
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/pg_200903
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/pg_20090102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/pg_200812
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/pg_200811
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com