NASH FINCH NOW FLYING DOVE APPROVAL PROGRAM

DAN ALAIMO

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Nash Finch Co. here has rolled out the Dove seal of approval program to 44 corporate stores with video rental departments, according to Clifford Feiock, video coordinator. The program uses stickers to identify rental videos that meet the criteria of the Dove Foundation, Grand Rapids, Mich., for family-oriented content. The program, which Nash Finch launched in May, has been met with favorable comments from customers, said Feiock. "It's another service that we are offering our customers to help them to find some quality, family-type programming," he said. The Dove Seal program is now used by about 250 retailers with a total of 650 stores, said Scott Rolfe, director of corporate services, Dove Foundation. About 70% are supermarkets, Feiock said.

Among the retailers now using the program are Meijer and D&W Food Centers, Grand Rapids, Mich.; Roundy's, Milwaukee; H-E-B, San Antonio; Glen's Markets, Gaylord, Mich.; Dillon Food Stores, Hutchinson, Kan., and Bashas', Chandler, Ariz. The program costs $100 per store to sign up for the first year, $75 per year for the first store to continue, and $50 per store, per year for additional stores, said Rolfe. Nash Finch, which plans to build inventories of Dove-approved products, is merchandising the Dove-approved titles in separate areas within the various categories, said Feiock. For example, all the comedy titles that are Dove-approved are displayed at eye level in one part of the comedy section. Nash Finch will eventually offer the program to its independent customers that have video departments, he said. The company is also talking to Dove about participating in some of its other promotions, such as the Dove Family Film Festival, run in conjunction with local movie theaters and other tie-in partners, said Feiock.