NAM promotion provides retailers and commissaries with sales lift
NAM promotion provides retailers and commissaries with sales lift
VIENNA, VA -- The U.S. Apple Association's National Apple Month program announced Jan. 24 the winners of the fall 2005 National Apple Month retail and military display contests, bringing the apple industry's fall generic apple promotion to a close.
"NAM celebrated the start of its second century of promotion and continues to deliver a promotional marketing event that kick-starts the domestic apple industry's marketing season," NAM Director Kay Swartz Rentzel said in a statement. "T. Marzetti's products and the National Peanut Board returned as promotion partners, and the use of their products provided for increased sales for everyone during the promotional period."
Vying for the four top prizes in the display contest were retailers and military commissaries from across the country and around the world. From September through November, entrants built displays in their stores that prompted consumers to buy more apples, apple products, Marzetti's products, peanuts and peanut products. These displays helped boost sales and increase bottom-line profits.
The displays treated consumers to healthy, nutritious U.S. apples, processed apple products and tie-in products during the launch of the industry's 2005 marketing season.
Contest entries were judged for the best health-oriented display, and then categorized based on store size. The 2005 title of Best Health-Oriented Display & Merchandiser was bestowed upon HyVee in Marshalltown, IA. The entry coordinator was John Sherman, a previous winner in the NAM display contest. The theme was "Three Apples a Day the Healthy Way" and the display featured 18 different varieties of fresh apples, 50 cases of processed apple products, more than 30 cases of Marzetti's caramel apple dips and crisp, and over 75 pounds of peanuts and peanut products.
Apples were featured throughout the produce department, along with banners carring key messages such as "3-A-Day the Healthy Way" and "Meet Your Antioxidant Super Hero." Additionally, customers were treated to several in-store samplings of T. Marzetti's Caramel Apple Dip and U.S. apples. During the promotional period, HyVee provided pamphlets that addressed the importance of antioxidants and the role apples play in the process.
In addition to providing consumers with a valid nutritional message, this HyVee store experienced sales lifts of 10 percent in apple sales, more than 5 percent in Marzetti's apple dip sales, 3 percent in Marzetti's apple crisp sales and 6 percent in peanut, peanut butter and peanut product sales.
Other first-place winners in the 2005 NAM retail display contest are:
" Stores with nine or fewer registers: Giant Food Mart in Cuba, NY; entry coordinator Chris Berardi.
" Stores with 10 or more registers: Cub Foods in Arden Hills, MN; entry coordinator Frank Herndon.
" Military Commissaries: Ft. Gordon in Fort Gordon, GA; entry coordinator Ramon Lopez.
First-place winners were awarded $1,000 for the store's creative efforts.
Entries were evaluated on the volume and variety of fresh apples displayed, the volume and variety of processed apple products and grocery tie-in products displayed, the use and volume of Marzetti's dips and crisp, the use and volume of peanuts and peanut products, display creativity and cross merchandising with other store departments.
"Year after year, the National Apple Month contest is successful on all fronts -- everyone wins with National Apple Month," said Ms. Rentzel. "Apple marketers use the promotion to kick off the harvest season and boost early- season shipments. Retailers use it to increase consumer sales and awareness, yield additional profits for the produce department and creatively merchandise throughout the store. Our other team members - Marzetti's and the National Peanut Board - proved to be excellent partners by providing additional opportunities for promoting and merchandising apples and apple products with their products."
The merchandising promotion continues to attract first-time participants. This year, 11 first-time participants placed in the contest.
"Once again, the fall display and merchandising contest shows why NAM is a terrific tool for launching fall apple sales in a big way" by increasing both shelf space and varieties used in displays, said Fred Hess, sales manager for Hess Bros. in Leola, PA, and chairman of the NAM committee.
Repeat winner Mr. Berardi, entry coordinator at the Cuba Giant store in Cuba, NY, featured 43 different varieties of apples, accounting for more than 365 cases of apples being sold in the 24,000-square-foot store. Additionally, the store sold more than 377 cases of apple products, 50 cases of Marzetti's product, more than 200 pounds of peanuts and peanut butter that increased overall sales of the featured products by more than 32 percent over the previous year's sales.
Mr. Berardi credited his local, regional and national suppliers with assisting in making "Giant's Apple Orchard" a phenomenal success. The store focused on young children and stressed the importance of eating healthy and understanding the reason for doing the same. Children were encouraged to "replace the candy bar or chip snack with an apple." Additionally, "Dr. Apple" sent invitations to community educators of pre-school, head start and elementary grades K-3 to visit him personally at the store. Approximately 375 children visited with Dr. Apple in the store and received the apple of their choice.
At Cub Foods in Arden Hills, MN, Frank Herndon found success in "Cub Apple Fest - Come Pick Your Own!" At this 12-register store, the display featured 14 varieties of apples and apple products in its apple orchard, more than 135 cases of Marzetti's products, 2,500 pounds of peanuts and peanut products, an apple tree and a huge caterpillar to attract consumers to the display and buy the featured items.
Military commissaries around the world also participated in the NAM display contest that yielded bushels of success for their patrons. During the height of the apple promotion, commissary patrons enjoyed top-quality apples, apple products, Marzetti's products and peanut products in creative retail displays.
Fort Gordon Commissary entry coordinator Mr. Lopez noted a sales increase of 51 percent while selling over 720 cases of apples, apple products, Marzetti's products and more than 2,000 pounds of peanuts and peanut products in the store.
For the sixth year, military commissaries competed among their peers rather than against retail supermarkets. Earning top honors were the following.
1. Ft. Gordon Commissary in Ft. Gordon, GA; entry coordinator Ramon Lopez.
2. Ft. Riley Commissary in Ft. Riley, KS; entry coordinator Robin Vincent.
3. Malmstrom Commissary in Great Falls, MT; entry coordinator John Nelson.
4. NWS Commissary in Goose Creek, SC; entry coordinator Shelia Simmons.
5. Smokey Point Commissary in Marysville, WA; entry coordinator Raymond Russell.
As always, the true winners of the military display contest are patrons of the commissaries. According to military commissary officials, the winners' prizes will be used for patron shopping sprees in the winning commissaries.
The 2005 NAM display contest entries were judged by an independent panel of produce and retail experts: Amy Philpott, United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association's vice president of marketing and industry relations; and Gordon Hochberg, vice president of The Produce News and publisher of theproducenews.com.
"NAM celebrated the start of its second century of promotion and continues to deliver a promotional marketing event that kick-starts the domestic apple industry's marketing season," NAM Director Kay Swartz Rentzel said in a statement. "T. Marzetti's products and the National Peanut Board returned as promotion partners, and the use of their products provided for increased sales for everyone during the promotional period."
Vying for the four top prizes in the display contest were retailers and military commissaries from across the country and around the world. From September through November, entrants built displays in their stores that prompted consumers to buy more apples, apple products, Marzetti's products, peanuts and peanut products. These displays helped boost sales and increase bottom-line profits.
The displays treated consumers to healthy, nutritious U.S. apples, processed apple products and tie-in products during the launch of the industry's 2005 marketing season.
Contest entries were judged for the best health-oriented display, and then categorized based on store size. The 2005 title of Best Health-Oriented Display & Merchandiser was bestowed upon HyVee in Marshalltown, IA. The entry coordinator was John Sherman, a previous winner in the NAM display contest. The theme was "Three Apples a Day the Healthy Way" and the display featured 18 different varieties of fresh apples, 50 cases of processed apple products, more than 30 cases of Marzetti's caramel apple dips and crisp, and over 75 pounds of peanuts and peanut products.
Apples were featured throughout the produce department, along with banners carring key messages such as "3-A-Day the Healthy Way" and "Meet Your Antioxidant Super Hero." Additionally, customers were treated to several in-store samplings of T. Marzetti's Caramel Apple Dip and U.S. apples. During the promotional period, HyVee provided pamphlets that addressed the importance of antioxidants and the role apples play in the process.
In addition to providing consumers with a valid nutritional message, this HyVee store experienced sales lifts of 10 percent in apple sales, more than 5 percent in Marzetti's apple dip sales, 3 percent in Marzetti's apple crisp sales and 6 percent in peanut, peanut butter and peanut product sales.
Other first-place winners in the 2005 NAM retail display contest are:
" Stores with nine or fewer registers: Giant Food Mart in Cuba, NY; entry coordinator Chris Berardi.
" Stores with 10 or more registers: Cub Foods in Arden Hills, MN; entry coordinator Frank Herndon.
" Military Commissaries: Ft. Gordon in Fort Gordon, GA; entry coordinator Ramon Lopez.
First-place winners were awarded $1,000 for the store's creative efforts.
Entries were evaluated on the volume and variety of fresh apples displayed, the volume and variety of processed apple products and grocery tie-in products displayed, the use and volume of Marzetti's dips and crisp, the use and volume of peanuts and peanut products, display creativity and cross merchandising with other store departments.
"Year after year, the National Apple Month contest is successful on all fronts -- everyone wins with National Apple Month," said Ms. Rentzel. "Apple marketers use the promotion to kick off the harvest season and boost early- season shipments. Retailers use it to increase consumer sales and awareness, yield additional profits for the produce department and creatively merchandise throughout the store. Our other team members - Marzetti's and the National Peanut Board - proved to be excellent partners by providing additional opportunities for promoting and merchandising apples and apple products with their products."
The merchandising promotion continues to attract first-time participants. This year, 11 first-time participants placed in the contest.
"Once again, the fall display and merchandising contest shows why NAM is a terrific tool for launching fall apple sales in a big way" by increasing both shelf space and varieties used in displays, said Fred Hess, sales manager for Hess Bros. in Leola, PA, and chairman of the NAM committee.
Repeat winner Mr. Berardi, entry coordinator at the Cuba Giant store in Cuba, NY, featured 43 different varieties of apples, accounting for more than 365 cases of apples being sold in the 24,000-square-foot store. Additionally, the store sold more than 377 cases of apple products, 50 cases of Marzetti's product, more than 200 pounds of peanuts and peanut butter that increased overall sales of the featured products by more than 32 percent over the previous year's sales.
Mr. Berardi credited his local, regional and national suppliers with assisting in making "Giant's Apple Orchard" a phenomenal success. The store focused on young children and stressed the importance of eating healthy and understanding the reason for doing the same. Children were encouraged to "replace the candy bar or chip snack with an apple." Additionally, "Dr. Apple" sent invitations to community educators of pre-school, head start and elementary grades K-3 to visit him personally at the store. Approximately 375 children visited with Dr. Apple in the store and received the apple of their choice.
At Cub Foods in Arden Hills, MN, Frank Herndon found success in "Cub Apple Fest - Come Pick Your Own!" At this 12-register store, the display featured 14 varieties of apples and apple products in its apple orchard, more than 135 cases of Marzetti's products, 2,500 pounds of peanuts and peanut products, an apple tree and a huge caterpillar to attract consumers to the display and buy the featured items.
Military commissaries around the world also participated in the NAM display contest that yielded bushels of success for their patrons. During the height of the apple promotion, commissary patrons enjoyed top-quality apples, apple products, Marzetti's products and peanut products in creative retail displays.
Fort Gordon Commissary entry coordinator Mr. Lopez noted a sales increase of 51 percent while selling over 720 cases of apples, apple products, Marzetti's products and more than 2,000 pounds of peanuts and peanut products in the store.
For the sixth year, military commissaries competed among their peers rather than against retail supermarkets. Earning top honors were the following.
1. Ft. Gordon Commissary in Ft. Gordon, GA; entry coordinator Ramon Lopez.
2. Ft. Riley Commissary in Ft. Riley, KS; entry coordinator Robin Vincent.
3. Malmstrom Commissary in Great Falls, MT; entry coordinator John Nelson.
4. NWS Commissary in Goose Creek, SC; entry coordinator Shelia Simmons.
5. Smokey Point Commissary in Marysville, WA; entry coordinator Raymond Russell.
As always, the true winners of the military display contest are patrons of the commissaries. According to military commissary officials, the winners' prizes will be used for patron shopping sprees in the winning commissaries.
The 2005 NAM display contest entries were judged by an independent panel of produce and retail experts: Amy Philpott, United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association's vice president of marketing and industry relations; and Gordon Hochberg, vice president of The Produce News and publisher of theproducenews.com.
