CHOW TIME

MARYELLEN LO BOSCO

SCRANTON, Pa. -- Cowboys may be in short supply in the Poconos, but that hasn't stopped Wegmans Food Markets from bringing a taste of the Southwest to these here northeastern parts.

In fact, a southwestern promotion has been launched chainwide by the Rochester, N.Y., retailer, which never comes up short on creative ideas. Tex-Mex, like other multicultural themes that have gone before it, is the current subtitle in the continuing Wegmans saga, "What's for Dinner Tonight?"

Wegmans has featured the cuisines of Campania and Tuscany, Italy, and of Asia in the "What's for Dinner" promotion. The chain's last effort, which ran through March, spotlighted Sicilian cooking. Wegmans' recipe-development specialist Nella Neeck even flew to Sicily to tape a television show at the world-famous Regaleali Cooking School.

Like previous promotions, the southwestern one shows up all over the store and is tied to private-label products that can be used in recipes. When SN visited the Scranton unit, the promotion was in its second week, and a store-level source said it would run until mid-July.

In addition to featuring a new southwestern recipe every week at the "What's for Dinner" cooking station, Wegmans has created a large southwestern display in the grocery aisles. The chain is also cross-merchandising grocery items in other departments, most of them private-label products. Southwestern choices are available in the deli, in prepared foods and even in the floral department, which gave prominent placement to delicate cactus plants in tiny pots.

SN spoke with Jim Riesenburger, managing partner at Riesenburger, Leenhouts & Associates, a consulting firm based in Rochester, who agreed that the southwestern promotion demonstrated an "evolution" in the "What's for Dinner?" strategy.

"Certainly, it is a very strong strategy of theirs -- to create uniqueness by cross-merchandising and bundling products [for the purpose of developing] strong [customer] allegiance and a strong consumer base."

The "What's for Dinner" program began about five years ago. "It provides the customer with very strong solutions and creates a loyal return customer base," Riesenburger said, noting the Italian Classics line, which repeatedly has been used as part of the "What's for Dinner?" promotion, is kept fresh with new selections. Some of the private-label southwestern groceries being used in the current promotion are also new, he said.

"This is a good time of the year for the southwestern theme," Riesenburger said, "and they are doing an excellent job of cross-merchandising."

Wegmans' spokeswoman Joe Natale declined to comment on the new promotion, but SN got a first-hand look during a visit to the Dickson City unit in Scranton.

The first thing customers see when they set foot in the lobby is a large western tableau: A covered wagon pulled by a burro is flanked by zany cacti and a lone caballero in poncho and sombrero. The scene, set high above the entry doors, is called "Southwest Corral." Nearby, a large blackboard trumpets "Wegmans Southwest BBQ." To top it off, customers are treated to Roy Rogers' rendition of "Happy Trails" or other western music as they come into the store.

The southwestern display in Center Store is marked off on either side by a 10-foot-high rendition of the entrance to a corral, decorated with hay bales, wagon wheels, cow heads and so forth. One entrance is marked "Southwest Corral."

Inside the corral, on either side, is a huge stacked display of sodas -- mostly the Wegmans brand. Two-liters of W Diet, W Up, W Diet Up, W Root Beer, W Cola and W Mountain were all on sale, two for $1 with the Wegmans club card.

Also inside the corral are a variety of Tex-Mex and summer items: barbecue sauces, sandwich toppers, mustards, southwestern spices and packaged marinades, pastas, mayonnaise, ketchup, relish, pickles, olives, fruit salad, pork and beans, baked beans and potato salad. Many of these items are Wegmans brand.

Also merchandised in the corral, opposite the grocery items, are charcoal; cooking sprays; papers napkins, cups, plates and so forth; foil and wrap; trash bags, and barbecue tongs and mitts. Many of these items are also private label.

Outside the corral are more products merchandised on endcap displays, including Wegmans Southwestern Salsa, two for $3 and Wyandot Tortilla chips, 2 lbs. for $2.49 with the club card.

During SN's visit, the "What's for Dinner?" station was demonstrating Sante Fe Chicken with Fresh Corn, the featured recipe of the week. Grilled Mushroom Salad and the previous week's feature, Veggie Burritos, are also on the recipe card.

The cooking station is used to merchandise recipe items, such as Wegmans Sante Fe Marinade and Reynolds Hot Bags, on special for $2.99 with the Wegmans card.

Also displayed at the cooking station are Wegmans Original and Hickory BBQ Sauce, Southwest Salsa, White Corn Chips, and Olive Oil; Vigo Santa Fe Rice & Beans; Manny's Flour Tortillas, and Ortega Burrito Dinner Kit. Among the nonfood items on display were a grill and microwave cleaner, various kinds of barbecue wood chips, a grilling wok and a cast-iron fajita pan.

In the Market Cafe, one corner of the prepared food case is decorated with southwestern colors and motifs. During SN's visit, items in this section included grilled vegetables, guacamole, green peppers stuffed with rice, quesadillas and chicken breast with beans. A sign near the deli case said "Come'n Grill It" and again announced the Southwest barbecue theme.

In the meat department a number of signs advertise Wegmans' southwest barbecue, and themed display cases are used to cross merchandise grocery and nonfood items with meat. For example, one meat case stocks packaged spareribs and sliced beef and chicken in barbecue sauce and the top of the case is used to merchandise barbecue utensils, Wegmans barbecue sauces, ketchup and McCormick Grill Mates spices.