RETAILERS BREW CINCO DE MAYO BEER EVENTS

RICHARD TURCSIK

Retailers are gearing up their beer departments for Cinco de Mayo, the increasingly popular Mexican holiday that celebrates the anniversary of the Mexican victory over the French in 1862.

The holiday is particularly popular in areas where there is a high concentration of Hispanic consumers, such as the Southwest. As a result, retailers in those areas plan on running promotions on Mexican and domestic beer for the occasion.

"We're going to have a special Cinco de Mayo ad that will feature some Mexican items and tie in with the grocery department. Last year we did it with Old El Paso," said Bob Jennings, buyer and merchandising manager of the beverage department at Raley's Supermarkets, West Sacramento, Calif.

"This year Miller is advertising with a grocery item, which I believe is Lay's Tortilla Chips. We also have a Tequila in there. We have a whole group of items, including Corona," Jennings said.

Cinco de Mayo is one of the biggest merchandising events of the year at Houston-based Fiesta Mart, which operates a chain of Hispanic-oriented supercenters.

"Each year Cinco de Mayo gets bigger and bigger in our stores," Oscar Sicola, Fiesta Mart's liquor and beer buyer-merchandiser, told SN.

"We'll have mariachi in the stores. There will be a Mexican flair in the stores during that time frame. This will be a storewide event for us," he said.

"We'll be merchandising Miller Lite, which is a big item in the Hispanic market, as well as Bud Lite, which is growing all the time. We'll also be advertising all the Hispanic beers: Modelo, Corona, Dos Equis, Tecate, Bohemia," he explained.

Milwaukee-based Miller has developed a series of off- and on-premise promotional materials that will begin appearing in mid-April. English and Spanish versions of mini display cards, static stickers, cross-merchandising display cards, danglers and case cards using the "It's gonna be one hot party" theme will be available where allowed by law.

Barton Beers, the Chicago-based importer and distributor of Corona Beer west of the Mississippi, has developed a new "La Casa de Corona" permanent corrugated display that will debut for Cinco de Mayo.

"This display is the largest and most impactive that we've developed to date," said Timm Amundson, brand manager at Barton Beers, who added that many retailers began preparing for the event as early as March.

"We use a Cinco de Mayo countdown calendar to kick off that event. The calendar is sent out to market ahead of our other materials, and retailers can post it in early March," Amundson explained.

Retailers told SN large floor displays help draw attention to the holiday and stimulate sales.

"If the display is available in this market we'll have it up," said Fiesta Mart's Sicola, who added that each store has freedom when it comes to displays.

"From my end, I'll run the beers in the ad that the Hispanic consumer wants. We run ads in Spanish-language newspapers in Spanish, as well as English-language ads," he said.

Vern Buford, head buyer of grocery at Rice Food Markets, Houston, said while his chain is not planning on running a Cinco de Mayo promotion in its upscale Rice Epicurean Markets, Hispanic beers will be featured in the company's other formats.

"We have another format called our Price Busters stores and that is where we will have the Cinco de Mayo theme with the Hispanic beers, foods and so forth," he said.