Marsh Debuts Everyday Discount Program

JON SPRINGER

INDIANAPOLIS — Marsh Supermarkets here is expected to announce on Thursday a new program of extended everyday discounts on thousands of items at Marsh stores.

Marsh’s “Good ’Til” program is the first such pricing program in Indiana, and is being introduced to help Marsh improve its price image among shoppers and grow sales and market share, Joe Kelley, chief executive officer of Marsh, told SN in interview this week.

“We think there is an opportunity between our everyday pricing, which we’ve been told is too high, and our promotional pricing, which is getting better all the time,” said Kelley, explaining that Good ’Til was one element in an overall value proposition that also leans on Marsh’s reputation for service and its equity as a local company. “This puts us in the arena.”

The new lower prices in the Good ’Til program take effect Oct. 9 and will last at least through Jan. 1. The retailer said it would run the program four times a year, with discounts extending for about three months each. Kelley said between 2,500 and 4,500 prices will be lowered in each round of the program, focusing on the most popular items. Marsh and its product suppliers are combining on the price investment with the expectation that volume and margin dollars will improve.

“I think the Good ’Til program can grow to 15% of our total [$1.2 billion] volume if we do it right,” Kelley told SN. “And 15% of our total volume, on the items the consumer buys most, will really resonate with consumers.”