Lowe’s Market, Quincy County Market Earn Top NGA Creative Choice Honors

Lowe’s Market in Littlefield, Texas, and Quincy County Market in Quincy, Ill., were awarded the highest honors in NGA’s Creative Choice Awards, which celebrate excellence in outstanding marketing and merchandising programs in the grocery industry. 

Lowe’s Market took the Outstanding Marketer nod for its “What’s For Dinner” campaign designed to create in-store buzz and increase sales. The components of the effort included periodic specials, which included a full meal of free items if the customer purchased a specified meat or entree item.

Quincy County Market earned the Outstanding Merchandiser prize for its “American Flag Made of 2,028 Cupcakes” entry. Created and orchestrated by store’s bakery department, the effort featured a giant American flag made of cupcakes that were sold for $1 each to raise funds for a local Illinois veterans home.

Declaring independent grocers “as the innovators in the industry,” Peter Larkin, NGA president and CEO, commended all of the entries for their “unique and original campaigns that set them apart from national chains.”

Sponsored by Kellogg’s and Unilever, this year’s Creative Choice awards featured 10 different categories with two winners for each: one entry from an operator with one to 15 stores, and one entry from an operator with 15 or more stores. Marketing campaigns and merchandising events or promotions held between Dec. 1, 2016, and Dec. 1, 2017, were eligible to enter the competition, which honors the best marketing and merchandising programs in the grocery industry that have increased item or department sales, positively impacted overall store sales or provided a unique benefit to the community. 

Related:NGA Taps Clarion Events as Equity Partner for Annual Show

Over 450 entries were judged based on the criteria of creativity, clarify, and effectiveness by a panel of industry experts. Check out the full list of winners.