RETAILERS TRY LUCK WITH CREDIT-CARD SWEEPSTAKES

DEENA AMATO-McCOY

FOSTER CITY, Calif. -- At least 1,500 retailers nationwide hope to increase sales, customer traffic and customer basket sizes through a co-promotion sweepstakes that will award 10 winners with all-expenses-paid trips to San Francisco.

Retailers are joining forces with Visa U.S.A. here, Colavita U.S.A., Linden, N.J., and the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau, San Francisco, to promote a sweepstakes running in stores through April 30. Retailers expect the sweepstakes to promote the purchase of higher-ticket items such as olive oil.

This marks the second year that Genuardi's Family Markets, Norristown, Pa., is participating in the promotion throughout all 27 of its stores. The retailer expects to achieve similar results to the sweepstakes' first run in 1997.

"We saw dramatic increases in sales of the olive oil as compared to the same period without the promotion," said John Paul, category manager for Genuardi's. "We experienced a lift of at least 35%. We anticipate even better results this year."

Pathmark Stores, Woodbridge, N.J., is participating in the sweepstakes for the first time in its 135 stores.

"The promotion should create additional customer traffic and credit-card usage," said Richard Savner, spokesman for Pathmark.

Cardholders are automatically entered in the sweepstakes each time they use their cards between March 1 and April 30 to pay for groceries. Visa is monitoring the electronic entries.