RETAILERS PUSH WHOLE MEAL FOR GRADUATION

ROSEANNE HARPER

Supermarket delis have done their homework on graduation parties, and some are putting in a little extra effort this year.

They've found that worry-free foods like cold chicken, relish trays, egg rolls and chicken wings score high with graduates and their guests. But most of the eight retailers SN polled last week said this year they're pushing to supply the entire menu -- dessert and all. It's the whole-meal concept with some flare.

They're making more of an effort to tie bakery in with deli with signs and suggestive selling, and at least one retailer is doing so in a full-page ad that broke last week.

"I'm running a full-page ad that features our party trays and cakes, and last week I sent bag stuffers promoting our message cookies, out to all the stores," said Phillip Grasso, director of deli operations for 172-unit Ingles Markets, Black Mountain, N.C.

One retailer is making a tailored-to-the-school dessert right in the deli.

"We've created a Jell-O cake this year with two layers of Jell-O in school colors separated by a layer of cheesecake, and we've put up signs in every deli calling attention to it," said Bonnie Zainer, deli specialist for 75-unit Sentry Markets, Waukesha, Wis.

Most retailers said graduation parties are a growing business for them. Some don't do any particular promoting for graduation because the parties range over such a wide time frame. Community college, university and high school graduations can be anywhere from mid-May to the end of June, said one retailer.

Nonetheless, word-of-mouth advertising has provided steady growth, most said. SN talked to deli and catering directors in different markets last week about graduation parties. Here's what they had to say:

Phillip Grasso Ingles Markets

Black Mountain, N.C.

We're running a full-page ad this weekend featuring items for graduation parties. It includes a coupon for 15% off party trays and sheet cakes. That starts May 16, and the coupons will be good through June 18.

Also, we're promoting our large, 12-inch cookies, the kind you see sold in shopping malls. We decorate them and add a custom message. They're $5.99, a lot less than some I've seen elsewhere.

We have fliers up front that promote the message cookies. It has an illustration of a diploma with little people running across it. There's an order form on it for the message cookies.

George Kapalczynski food-service, bakery director

Baker's Supermarkets Omaha, Neb.

We're working together more, tying in our cold meat platters with a graduation cake from the bakery. We'll call attention to them in ads. And we're pushing our catering department for these events, too.

Last year we began putting more emphasis on gearing our in-store signage and promotions to the particular area for graduation. We're identifying schools, and the store deli manager and bakery manager are sending letters this year to the schools. In some cases, we're using school colors in the deli and bakery.

Carol Moore director, food service

West Point Market Akron, Ohio

We emphasize our cold buffet at this time of year, and we try to sell people on letting us do the whole menu. As a matter of fact, we've developed several items that are particularly good at room temperature.

We suggest our balsamic chicken, which is marinated in balsamic vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil. We tell customers that because of the acid in the vinegar the product holds up particularly well unrefrigerated.

Even without particularly promoting our menu for graduation, our sales for graduation parties have continued to grow and expand. Generally, the growth of our catering business has been exceptional. I think it's because, with our customer base, so many of them have everything but time. They want something easy.

Bonnie Zainer deli specialist

Sentry Markets Waukesha, Wis.

We're concentrating on heat-and-serve pans of sliced beef, ham and turkey with gravy, and fresh, store-made salads for graduation parties.

We've put them together in a package that we've begun to promote as the "Great Deli Buffet." It's versatile because they can have the meats cold or in heatable trays with gravy. Then they choose from four potato dishes, three pastas, three salads and several desserts.

One of the selling points is that we can put this together in a couple of hours because it's all done in-store and they're items we sell every day. This year, too, we have homemade signs in stores that say, "Don't forget to order your Jell-O cake in school colors." We created a cake at Christmastime that had a layer of red Jell-O, then a layer of cheesecake, then a layer of green Jell-O, and we sold so many of them then, we decided to do school colors at graduation time. We make them in the deli.

Graduation party business has grown each year for us, and I think there's room for a whole lot more growth. More women are going into the work world, and they want to enjoy their days off. They don't want to be cooking or cutting up vegetables.

I'm hearing more and more people say they're celebrating eighth-grade graduations. I think everybody likes to have a party. They're just looking for the opportunity.

Most party sales are added sales. We're getting the money that might have been spent at a fast-food restaurant.

Ed Boxman deli merchandiser

Xtra Super Food Centers Pompano Beach, Fla.

We're not doing anything specifically for graduation time. We concentrate more on holidays. So now we're offering some buy-one-get-one-free items, but that's geared toward Memorial Day weekend. It's picnic-type food.

Elizabeth Little president, owner

V. Richard's Inc. Brookfield, Wis.

We don't do particular promotions for graduation, but starting early in May we run a line at the bottom of our ad that reminds people to plan for their "seasonal" parties. I may put a burst in that says "Don't forget graduation."

I think we've built graduation party business by paying attention to the schools during the year. For example, we've donated whole sheet cakes, decorated in school colors, to area schools for special events, such as a post-prom party.

Cakes are big at graduation. Sometimes people don't want to have a big event, but want to have guests in for coffee and cake. We've been pushing the whole menu more in the past year or so. We do that simply by telling them how easy it will be for them. We pack everything up, and can include a tablecloth as well as napkins and forks. And they see the price is competitive.

People want simple food for parties this time of year. They're informal and sometimes outdoors. Small sandwiches and fruit and vegetable trays are the most popular. I can't remember when anybody ordered hot food for a graduation party.

deli executive

Midwest regional chain

We're using bag stuffers this year, for the first time, that have coupons for $3 off any quarter-sheet cake and $3 off any large party tray. Next week we're running a coupon in our ad for $2 off any party tray.

We do well with our relish tray for graduation parties, and our watermelon fruit basket. We carve out a watermelon and put cut-up seasonal fruit in it. People want munchy stuff this time of year.

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Wegmans Food Markets Rochester, N.Y.

We don't do anything to promote items for graduation parties in particular. We do call attention to items that would be good for parties, but that's just because of the time of year.

People are entertaining less formally nowadays, anyway. Our deli ad doesn't say anything about graduation; it's just geared toward casual eating.

I don't know if this area is unique, but graduations cover a long span of time. Some community colleges might have theirs early in May, but in New York State, high schools don't have graduation until the end of June.