CHILLED FOODS SEEN TAKING SALES AWAY FROM FROZENS

RUSSELL SHAW

ATLANTA -- Daniel Evans, chief executive officer of Bob Evans Farms, Columbus, Ohio, says sales of refrigerated foods in supermarkets will continue to come largely at the expense of their rivals in the frozen food case.

Speaking at the annual conference of the Refrigerated Food Association held here late last month, Evans, whose company has expanded its product line from sausages to prepared refrigerated foods, said shoppers want to buy fresh products.

"We know from our experience in sausage that when they buy links and patties, they want to see the meat. They don't have any confidence unless they see it fresh," he said. "Because customers are trained that way, they know that when they go to the frozen food side, they give up some flavor there."

While shoppers may crave fresh foods, Evans doesn't think that the sale of refrigerated foods, like Evans' line of prepared salads, Mrs. Giles Country Kitchens, will be hurt in a major way by supermarket salad bars.

"Supermarket salad bars are a factor, but I think it is more of a factor against the carry-out food sold by restaurants. People tend to take salad bar carry-out home or back to the office and have it for lunch, so the salad bars are taking away more from fast foods than the business we are in," he said.

In growing the Mrs. Giles brands, which Bob Evans Farms acquired in 1991, Evans said a key strategy is to integrate the logistical advantages in the existing distribution network.

When they make their rounds to supermarkets, salesmen-distributors drop off salads at the same time they deliver sausages. This is a strategy that Evans said he believes ensures freshness while economizing on shipping expenses.