MORTON WILLIAMS SUPPORTS ISRAEL

BARBARA MURRAY

NEW YORK -- Nine-unit Morton Williams Associated Stores in the Bronx has built endcap displays in its seven Manhattan stores, featuring products from Israel to show support for that beleaguered nation. The displays are signed with the blue and white colors of Israel and call attention to "Israeli products."

The eight-shelf displays are given prominent position in the stores, about in the middle-front in two stores SN visited. Products have been selling very well since they were displayed on June 21, store officials report.

"We have such a large customer base that would be interested in doing what they can to help Israel's devastated economy," said Avi Kaner, vice president of the chain.

In setting up the promotion, which has no end date, Morton Williams executives got in touch with Izzet Ozdogan, president of Osem USA, Englewood Cliffs, N.J., a wholly owned subsidiary of the largest food manufacturer in Israel, with a 51% share majority holding by Nestle. They chose items that were good sellers, "so it could be a win-win [deal]," as Kaner told SN. "We wanted to arrange for good pricing that would be attractive to our customers. We came up with a list of items and prices and arranged for the distribution." Many of the 50 products in the display carry the Osem name, but some other brands represented are Maccabee beer, Beigel sesame pretzels, Wissotzky teas and Yavne jarred, red-pepper strips and olives.

The pretzels, at 99 cents for a 7-ounce bag, is "such a good price, we even sell them up in the Bronx," said Kaner, adding that the promotion is showing sale patterns that vary neighborhood by neighborhood. "We are selling Israeli dates; some stores are out of them already. Each manager is learning to gauge the demand," Kaner said.

He said the customers buying the products represent a cross section of Jews and non-Jews.

"Between 1,500 and 3,000 people visit each store every day, and we've had it up for about a week and a half now. In that time, we have gotten only one formal complaint: A customer asked 'Why don't you have a display of Made in Palestine items?' We're pleased with that," Kaner said.

Mario Persichilli, manager of the Morton Williams Associated store at 81st Street and First Avenue, told SN he has received "many compliments" on the display. "Many have said 'Wow, it's about time you got a decent section here.' A lot of them are happy to see the different foods from Israel," he said.

It was the idea of Morton Sloan, president, according to Kaner, sparked when they heard news stories that a Norwegian supermarket chain was planning to boycott Israeli products.