FMI 1998 ANNUAL CONVENTION 1998-05-18 (2)

MARYELLEN LO BOSCO

CHICAGO -- Meal solutions were top of mind at the Food Marketing Institute's annual Show and Exhibition here, with major Center Store manufacturers showcasing their latest retailing concepts.

Kraft Foods, Northfield, Ill., for example, kicked off its "Kraft Plus" umbrella program, which includes an expanded co-marketing strategy that uses Kraft brands and a retailer's noncompetitive categories to create meal solutions in Center Store.

"We are developing meal solution-oriented merchandising concepts with our retail partners," said Mike Polk, vice president of category sales management and strategy for Kraft Foods.

Albertson's, Publix Super Markets, Kroger Co., Harris Teeter, Ralphs Grocery Co., American Stores Co., Vons Cos., Dominick's Supermarkets and Jewel Food Stores are among the retailers on the cutting edge when it comes to implementing Kraft's meal solutions, Polk added.

Currently Kraft has 21 meal-solutions concepts, including ethnic and kids. All the concepts use the same merchandising unit, which accommodates refrigerated and dry grocery products, changeable signage and recipe cards.

One of Kraft's new meal-solutions concepts is "Mexican Dinner Classics," which uses refrigerated and dry products. Some of the items include Jell-O, Velveeta cheese, Taco Bell salsa, Taco Bell meal kits, Country Time Iced Tea, Kool-Aid Kool Pops, Kraft puddings and box cheese cake, and Knudsen or Breakstone sour cream.

Similarly, Pillsbury, Minneapolis, is testing a multitemperature meal-solutions unit at several stores in the Pittsburgh-based Giant Eagle chain. The program can hold fresh, frozen, refrigerated and shelf-stable ingredients.

The test showcases four meal solutions or recipes, along with their ingredients, which are changed every other week. The chain is about halfway through the test, according to Linda Devroy, market research manager for baked goods at Pillsbury.

Bestfoods, Englewood Cliffs, N.J., has also jumped on the meal-solutions bandwagon with an innovative co-branding, co-marketing program that will be launched at units of Giant Food, Landover, Md., this month.

Called "Quick and Easy Home Cooked Chicken Dinners," the program brings Bestfoods brands (Mazola, Sargento and Hellmann's), Tyson Holly Farms chicken and Reynolds Wrap together.

Bestfoods is also cross merchandising its mayonnaise, salad dressings and oils this summer. A floor display with a sign reading "Garden Fresh Meals in Minutes" and recipe ideas will showcase one Center Store product at a time in the produce department.

Publix Super Markets, Lakeland, Fla., and Lucky Stores South, Buena Park, Calif., are already using the cross merchandising unit, said Lyon.

In response to consumer need for meal solutions, McCormick/Schilling has repositioned its seasoning mixes as a key ingredient in culinary creations. The mixes were relaunched last summer as the McCormick Meal Idea Center, with new packaging and a self-contained merchandising unit.

Meijer Inc., Demoulas Supermarkets, Smith's, Mars, D&W Food Centers, Redner's and G&R Felpausch Co. are among the retailers that are doing a good job with the repackaged line, she said.