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A MATTER OF COORDINATION

If the dinner and video concept is such a natural, why has it been placed on the back burner at many grocery chains?age of, such as snack foods. Certainly there is an opportunity, but I think we probably have bigger opportunities underneath us that we aren't tapping," said Bob Glisch, vice president of operations at Mega Mart, Oak Creek, Wis."Dinner and a movie seems like a natural idea, but Bel Air

If the dinner and video concept is such a natural, why has it been placed on the back burner at many grocery chains?

age of, such as snack foods. Certainly there is an opportunity, but I think we probably have bigger opportunities underneath us that we aren't tapping," said Bob Glisch, vice president of operations at Mega Mart, Oak Creek, Wis.

"Dinner and a movie seems like a natural idea, but Bel Air Markets hasn't done anything with that as yet," said Rick Ang, buyer at Video Mart, Sacramento, Calif., which racks video departments in 17 Bel Air supermarkets in the Sacramento area.

Too many other projects and not enough time are two reasons why Nash Finch Co., Minneapolis, hasn't cross promoted HMR with video, said Clifford Feiock, video coordinator. "The potential is there, but no one has figured out how to do it yet. It really comes down to cooperation between two or more departments and, in the grocery business, that is not easily done," he said.

Lack of interdepartmental cooperation has been one of the biggest obstacles to implementing cross-promotional programs of any kind in supermarkets, said Ron McMillin, vice president of sales for the Western region of Sight & Sound Distributors, St. Louis.

"There's a huge potential. But unfortunately, supermarkets so far have not really done a good job of utilizing some of these tie-in programs to maximize business," he said.

"The problem seems to be the ability to take all of these different partners and coordinate them when they are going through different buyers and different profit centers within the store. When you cross over like that, it seems to be something everybody resists because it creates so much extra work. That's what we are running into," said McMillin.

However, this is starting to change, he noted. "A number of the more aggressive supermarkets and rackers are now trying to utilize these programs, get more out of them, and use the market development funds that are available," he said.

"It's going to require somebody to take the lead and make it happen, and create the success stories that will provide others with the necessary motivation to get it done," he said.