MARKET BRIEFS 1996-03-04

Fresh Express, Tomato Team

sh Express Farms here has joined with the Florida Tomato Committee in a promotion that encourages the purchase of fresh tomatoes with Fresh Express Farms World Blend salads or Salad Kits.

In stores, the promotion will feature price cards with tear pad instant coupons for 25 cents off the purchase of both items. The promotion is being backed by full-page freestanding inserts that began appearing in February and will continue through April in 21 million newspapers in 28 cities.

Catalina to Launch Web Site

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Catalina Marketing Online here said more than 1,600 California supermarkets will participate in the launch next month of its cooperative World Wide Web site. The project will initially deliver advertising and promotional services to consumers for 11 California supermarket chains. Its Internet address is: http://www.supermarkets.com.

The service allows consumers to review specific manufacturer offers, peruse local market's weekly specials, view product information, plan meals and create shopping lists. Coupons printed from the program will feature several security measures, including EAN-128 household-level bar coding and sequential numbering to avoid tampering and duplication. Each coupon will be personalized with the consumer's name.

New Consultancy Formed

BANNOCKBURN, Ill. -- Prime Consulting Inc., a new consulting firm serving the consumer products industry, was launched here this month by Dan Raftery and Doug Adams.

Raftery was vice president of Willard Bishop Consulting, a consulting firm in Barrington, Ill. Adams was most recently president of Schaumburg, Ill.-based A.C. Nielsen's ECR & Retail Services division. He also spent 12 years at Frito-Lay, where he led the sales information and category management initiatives. PCI is allied with Willard Bishop Consulting.

Actmedia Promotions Wired

NORWALK, Conn. -- Actmedia here has launched an Internet site designed to publicize manufacturer promotions.

Called Supermarket Shopping Network Web, the site was developed in collaboration with syndicated consumer columnist Martin Sloane. Actmedia's Instant Coupon Machine and ShelfTake One promotions are featured on the new web site. Its Internet address is: http://www.mysupermarket.com.

Coupon Redemption Slips

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- A continuing trend of placing shorter expiration dates on coupons contributed to a decline in coupon redemption in 1995, according to CMS, the coupon clearing house here.

In 1995, 6.6 billion coupons were redeemed, a 4% decrease from 1994. However, the rate of decline slowed from the 10% drop experienced in 1994, amid signs that redemption rates are stabilizing. Freestanding inserts continued to increase in importance, accounting for 89% of distributed coupons in 1995 vs. 88% in 1994. However, during 1995, coupon distribution slid 1% to 325 billion coupons, continuing 1994's trend.

Demo Group Is Renamed

FARMINGTON, Conn. -- The National Association of Demonstration Companies has changed its name to Field Marketing Services Association, to better reflect the range of services offered by its members.

"The new name more correctly identifies what our members do," said Judy Foley, FMSA president, and head of JSF Promotions here. "We now have about 170 demonstration company members, and over the past year about 50% of them have formed in-store service branches."