Back-to-school: Stores ready for multiple shopper missions earn high grades  When summer winds down, moms begin thinking ahead to the structure of the Back-to-School season. Compared with warm-weather freedoms, BTS is all about getting the family fully back on schedule. School, work and after-school activities wreak havoc with household timing of meals.
Here are tips on how supermarkets can help: • Emphasize "brain food" for learning and energy foods that help everyone excel. Mom wants to make her entire family "advantaged" for success. Highlight essentials for nutritious sit-down meals at home and tasty treats for study break at school. She feels in control and "back on task" with ConAgra Foods brands as Chef Boyardee®, Banquet®, Peter Pan®, Manwich® and Kid Cuisine®. And she makes kids happy with snacks such as Snack Pack®, Orville Redenbacher's® and Crunch 'n Munch®.
• Help multi-tasking mom organize her shopping trip to find the right food for every eating occasion. Whether she's picking up energy foods for soccer practice, treats for movie night at home or fuel for school, let her know you're the perfect one-stop destination.
• Think convenience for the multiple food needs she manages. This includes everything from larger-sized value packages for the pantry to single-portion snacks for eating on-the-go that fit in kid-sized hands.
• Address her budget concerns. Value is top of mind because of the cost of back-to-school expenses such as clothing and supplies. Cross-promotions between food and general merchandise can be especially effective this time of year.
• Push taste boundaries. Families will appreciate mom's inventiveness in turning ordinary meals into something special. Offer simple recipes with a twist—Italian pasta skillets and Mexican spaghetti. Ideas like these appeal to moms because 45 percent prepare more meals at home, yet just 15 percent create a weekly menu before they shop.1 1 TNS Shopper 360 Survey, 2010 IN THIS ARTICLE         
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