Save A Lot fires up big summertime promo

With COVID-19 vaccinations rising nationwide and more consumers itching to get out and about, Save A Lot is upping the seasonal marketing ante this year with the “99 Days of Summer” campaign.

The St. Louis-based discount grocer said Friday that the new summer promotion, running May 31 to Sept. 6, will serve up “hot” daily deals, weekly offers and sweepstakes that shoppers can enter to win through Labor Day.

Starting May 20, Save A Lot customers can get a chance to win $99 Save A Lot gift cards from a daily drawing and sweepstakes grand prizes. And beginning on Memorial Day, shoppers will get access to weekly digital scratch-offs with coupons, special offers and more, the retailer said.

Customers can sign up online for the summer promotion at savealot.com/99daysofsummer. Save A Lot said more than 150 winners will be awarded gift cards and other free products for enrolling, which will enter them into the sweepstakes. Grand prize winners will be announced after the close of the campaign.

One grand prize winner will be awarded $9,999 in Save A Lot gift cards that can be used on in-store purchases. (Image courtesy of Save A Lot)

“As the days ahead are getting ever brighter, we’re ready to infuse some much-deserved joy into summer that will surely bring excitement to each and every one of our customers, especially after the year we’ve all had,” Tim Schroder, senior vice president of marketing at Save A Lot, said in a statement. “By promising one-of-a-kind surprises throughout all 99 days of summer, we’re hoping to spread some fun and enjoyment while continuing to offer top-notch service and high-quality grocery items.”

Related:Grocery shoppers plan to welcome a summer with fewer restrictions

Among Save A Lot’s deals and prizes, each day from May 20 to Sept. 6 one person will be selected via email to win a $99 gift card, with 110 winners in total. Also via email, each week starting May 31, Save A Lot said it will send subscribers a new offer one product — such as buy-one-get-one-free or other offers with “significant price savings” — that can be used in store.

Shoppers also will see 99 Days of Summer savings offers on the weekend. Each Sunday, Save A Lot will email customers “digital scratch-offs” that reveal special coupons and deals on Save A Lot-brand products and national-brand items that can be redeemed in-store. Two-day sales on selected products, such as fresh summer produce or meas cut fresh in-store, also will be held each weekend at Save A Lot stores nationwide.

Grand prizes winners will be announced on Sept. 7, Save A Lot said. The top winner will be awarded $9,999 in Save A Lot gift cards that can be used on in-store purchases, while the runner-up will receive $999 in store gift cards. Another 36 people will win a year’s supply of Coca-Cola 12-packs (awarded as a $275 Save A Lot gift card), and five winners will get a year’s supply of Farmington bacon (awarded as a $400 Save A Lot gift card). Other prizes include a year’s supply of Kingsford charcoal (24 eight-pound bag, retail value of $156), Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing (two dozen 24 oz. bottles, retail value of $97) and KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce (two dozen 18 oz. bottles, retail value of $97).

Related:Save A Lot shifts to wholesale model

Overall, Save A Lot has a retail network of more than 1,000 stores in 33 states, with the vast majority of the locations licensed by over 200 independent grocers, and operates 13 distribution centers. 

U.S. grocery shoppers already have been ramping up summertime purchases. According to new research from advertising efficacy specialist NCSolutions, Americans bought barbecue-related consumer packaged goods (CPG) at a faster rate in April than in April 2019, before the pandemic.

The top-growing barbecue-related categories for the 12 months ended April 2021, compared with a year earlier, were seafood ( 29%), chicken ( 18%) and vegetables and meat alternatives ( 17%). On a sequential basis, household spending on outdoor essentials — including items such as suntan lotion, charcoal, coolers, and garden and patio supplies — grew 19% from March to April 2021, while purchases rose 8% for meat and 5% for condiments and sauces, NCSolutions reported.