ACME SALE WARMS ICE CREAM VOLUME

RICHARD TURCSIK

MALVERN, Pa. -- Acme Markets here heated up its summer ice cream sales by running a month-long, one-third-off sale on all half-gallon containers of ice cream and frozen yogurt.

The four-week sale was merchandised through weekly circulars, newspaper ads, hand-printed signs on freezer doors and large window signs. Giant pink and white "One-third-off all half-gallon ice cream and frozen yogurt" banners were strung across the outside entrance of many stores.

During the last two weeks of the sale, which lasted through Aug. 27, the chain also used portable coffin case freezers to merchandise its Acme private-label ice cream at $1.59 a half-gallon. The merchandising ploy also marked the launch of Acme's participation in the Superfridge program run by Superbin USA, Guilford, Conn.

Officials at Acme could not be reached for comment, but observers in the Philadelphia area told SN that it was the first time Acme has run a sale of this magnitude on ice cream.

"Acme has always done well on ice cream, but they are trying to take the peaks and valleys out of their ice cream sales. This has been a great program for them," said one source.

"I think it is going to be part of their forward format, an annual event for them," he said.

"In the last seven to eight months, Acme has really stepped up their sales activity with name brands that are one-third off or 25% off," one southern New Jersey observer noted. Sources said the more popular flavors moved more quickly than Acme expected. "Initially there were some problems because they didn't think the impact would be that great and they had to get up to speed on the better flavors."