CONCERT TITLES USED AS HUNGER AID

DAN ALAIMO

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- P&C Food Markets here and Grand Union, Wayne, N.J., are promoting concert videos with major stars as part of a program that benefits hunger charities. The retailers began running the six-week program, called "In Concert Against Hunger," in late May. The tapes were advertised at $6.99 each with a $5 minimum purchase at the store, and with 75 cents from each unit sale going to Second Harvest and The Center on Hunger, Poverty and Nutrition Policy. "This is another way that we try to give back to the communities where we operate to help meet the hunger need," said Sue Hosey, vice president of consumer affairs at P&C. The retailer is involved in supplying food banks in its market areas, she said. "In this case, it is very easy for us because the program was brought to us, and we support it through our ads and in-store signage," she said. In addition to supporting the hunger charities, "it allows customers to get something at a good price," she said. "We seem to be seeing more and more cause-related marketing programs like this. They are easy and everybody benefits," said Hosey. P&C began the program on May 29 in all 187 of its stores, including its Quality Markets and Big M divisions, said Jerry Saslow, executive vice president of Excel Marketing Services, Garden City, N.Y. Excel is a sales promotion company that worked with Promotional Concept Group, New York, to bring the program to retailers.

Grand Union started the program on May 22 in all 250 of its stores, Saslow noted. Grand Union executives did not return phone calls for comment. Stop & Shop Cos., Boston, was the first retailer to run the program. It started on April 10 and ran for six weeks in 91 stores, said Saslow. While a Stop & Shop executive declined to comment, Saslow said, "It went excellently. They were very pleased with the program." A difference between this promotion and others like it is that 75 cents from each unit sale goes to the charities, regardless of how the overall program fares, said Saslow. "That makes it very palatable from a consumers' point of view. They get a great rock group or individual star on a video and, in addition, they know that money is being donated to a very worthwhile charity," he said.

The program also promotes and moves concert videotapes, a category that has not sold well in any class of trade, said Barry Grieff, chairman and chief executive officer of Promotional Concept Group.