HOMELAND TEST OF FAKES PROVES REAL SALES DRAW

ROSEANNE HARPER

OKLAHOMA CITY -- In a move to boost lucrative party sales, Homeland Stores here put a fake submarine sandwich and two fake party trays on top of a deli case in one of its stores.

So far, the test, which began in December, appears to be succeeding, said Joel Turner, deli-bakery merchandising director for the 112-unit chain.

"I don't have figures specifically on the sandwiches, but I can easily say that inquiries about subs are up 30% to 40% since we put this up in December. And overall party business is up significantly." He declined to be more specific about sales increases.

Before testing the replicas, which are made of FDA-approved plastics, the chain had relied on its party brochures and some signs to sell its submarine sandwiches and party platters. "The fake sandwich and platters attract a lot of attention. We had to wrap the sub in Saran wrap because people kept touching it to see if it's real. The platters are protected because they have domes on them," Turner said.

Homeland's edible submarine sandwich is $7.95 a foot, or $42.95 for a whole six-foot sandwich.

While the test has been a decided success, the cost of the replicas is at the moment holding the chain back from putting them in all its delis.

"We've been talking to our vendors about co-oping with us on some of these. The cost adds up when it comes to putting them in more than 80 delis," Homeland's Turner said. The list price for one fake four-foot submarine sandwich, made to the retailer's specifications, is $375, and the list price for a fake custom-made 16-inch party platter is $300. Quantity-order discounts, however, are available. And Homeland got a special price on the test replicas, which are not custom-made.

The "American Style" replica submarine sandwich being tested at Homeland contains three kinds of meats, two cheeses, lettuce, tomatoes, bell peppers and onion rings. "These items sound expensive, I know," said Michael Estes, vice president of marketing at Fax Foods, the replica tray manufacturer, "but we put a tremendous amount of detail into them to make them look authentic. They're hand-painted. And most retailers want the replicas made to look exactly like the real trays or sandwiches they've been offering. That requires our making a special mold.