TOM THUMB SPORTS OFFER FOR HALF-PRICE PARTY TRAY

DALLAS -- In a year that has seen supermarket delis promoting party trays with much enthusiasm, Tom Thumb Food & Drugs here used a new strategy: a half-price offer for Super Bowl parties.

In a full-page newspaper ad at Super Bowl time, a boxed-in offer in the middle of the page says: "Buy One Party Tray. Receive a Second Party Tray of Equal Value Or Less at Half Price."

This was the first time Tom Thumb had made such an offer, said Carroll Brown, vice president of bakery and deli for the 54-unit chain. "We did it because January is traditionally such a slow month in the deli," said Brown, noting that his party tray ad was the most aggressive in the market. "The nearest to it was a $5-off coupon that one of our competitors ran."

The effort worked to the retailer's satisfaction, Brown said.