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STRESS SALES, NOT COST CUTS, RETAILERS URGED

BALTIMORE -- Supermarket owners are putting too much emphasis on cost-cutting, and not enough on sales, charged George Chirtea, vice president of merchandising at Supervalu, Minneapolis.Chirtea, speaking last week at the second annual Supermarket College conference here, said every supermarket owner and manager should focus on increasing the average customer purchase and getting the customer to come

BALTIMORE -- Supermarket owners are putting too much emphasis on cost-cutting, and not enough on sales, charged George Chirtea, vice president of merchandising at Supervalu, Minneapolis.

Chirtea, speaking last week at the second annual Supermarket College conference here, said every supermarket owner and manager should focus on increasing the average customer purchase and getting the customer to come back regularly.

While cost-saving measures have received a lot of industry attention lately, Chirtea warned the conference, "You have to develop a sales mentality. Nobody ever saved himself into profitability. You have to sell yourself into profitability."

Supermarket College drew almost 400 participants, double the number of last year, said Murray Raphel, the show organizer and president of Raphel Marketing, Atlantic City, N.J. Predominantly retailers, the attendees also included wholesalers, manufacturers, students and vendors.

TAGS: Supervalu