“Displays featuring Hormel Real Bacon Toppings and Idaho® potatoes inspire consumers to elevate their favorite Idaho potato recipes with the convenient and delicious addition of Hormel Real Bacon Toppings,” said Meghan Baumann, brand manager of Hormel Real Bacon Toppings. “Ultimately, the display contest drives purchase for our retail partners and provides meal solutions for consumers. Congratulations to all of the contest winners!” A winning display from Strack & Van Til in Highland, IN.“The responses were amazing,” he said. “Customers were taking pictures of the display, and we got nonstop positive comments. We left the display up for six weeks, and the customers were disappointed when we took it down. It took a lot of team effort and time to make the display, but it was well worth it.”
“Valentine’s Day sentiments inspired the appealing display of happy-go-lucky Spuddy Buddy characters at Broulim’s in Shelley, ID,” said Produce Manager Simeon Siders. “The display won first place among stores with 6-9 registers, and it also helped boost the store’s produce sales 11 percent while it was up.”
“We were tying it into Valentine’s Day and wanted to relay the love of potatoes with the love of our valentines,” said Siders.
Produce manager Danny Kim created the first place winner in the one to five register category by building up rather than out. “This store doesn’t have the room to make a big display on the floor,” said Kim, who works at Pick-Rite Thriftway in Montesano, WA. “That’s why I did the display on top, with a tractor wagon as a potato cart and an airplane advertising in the ‘sky.’”
Kim said his customers knew the display was entered in the IPC contest, and they regularly asked him, “Did you win yet?” So he was happy to share the good news when he got the winning call. “I was screaming when I won!” he said.
Each contest entrant also was included in a random sweepstakes drawing for an $8,800 trip for two to Rome or the cash equivalent. This year’s winner was Jazlin Sprague, formerly a produce manager of Fareway Meat & Grocery in Adel, IA. “I was so excited — I’ve never won anything before!” said Sprague, who had entered the retail display contest in 2019 and 2018. The store’s category manager also will receive a Rome trip for two or the cash equivalent, as part of the Category Manager Match Program.
Retailers competed with other same-size stores in one of three categories: one to five cash registers, six to nine cash registers, or 10-plus cash registers. Within each store category, entrants could win these prizes:
- 1st place -- $1,500
- 2nd place -- $1,000
- 3rd place -- $750
- 4th place -- $500
- 5th place -- $250
- Honorable Mention -- $100 (100 selected from remaining entries)
A winning display from Broulim's in Shelley, ID.In addition, the Category Manager Match Program provided equivalent prizes to category managers for stores that qualified for a first through fifth place prize and a sweepstakes prize. Everyone who entered the contest received a free Gourmia ExpressPot with 14 cooking modes plus automatic pressure control and locking.
