'NEMO' TO LURE GIANT EAGLE SHOPPERS

Dan Alaimo

PITTSBURGH -- Giant Eagle is putting a big push on the video release of the Disney/Pixar hit movie, "Finding Nemo," which streeted last week, said Chuck Porter, director, Iggle entertainment and video.

The animated "Finding Nemo" is the top-grossing movie of the year so far, garnering nearly $340 million in revenues. Industry observers predict it will also be a top-performing video title in the fourth quarter.

"I expect 'Nemo' to be our best video sell-through title of the last few years," Porter said. "I expect it to be better than 'Monsters, Inc.' was last year, and I expect a lot of excitement in our stores and a lot of fun in our stores."

Giant Eagle is running two different promotions to support the title. In one that started Oct. 26, consumers who buy specified Kraft products receive a Catalina coupon good for $5 off the purchase of "Finding Nemo," he said. The coupon will print the week before the release and the week of the release, and will bring the retailer's price on the title in line with loss-leader pricing of the mass merchants. Giant Eagle advertised "Nemo" for the minimum advertised price of $19.95.

In a second promotion that began with the title's release, Giant Eagle offered free Kellogg's Pop-Tarts with the purchase of "Finding Nemo." With the combination of offers, "that should put us well under MAP," Porter said.

A display contest was held to encourage stores to actively cross merchandise the video with the packaged goods items, Porter said.