RANDALLS USES FULL-PAGE AD TO PROMOTE ITS JUICE PRICES

RICHARD TURCSIK

HOUSTON -- Randalls Food Markets here recently tried to reel in some new shoppers with a full-page ad that called attention to its new, lower juice prices.

Mike Perry, a category manager at Randalls, told SN the ad was used to reflect Randalls new everyday-low-pricing policy.

"We actually went in and lowered thousands of retails throughout the store. The juice section happened to be one where our consumer base is not necessarily the strongest. We used the juice section to drop the retail and hopefully encourage those young mother shoppers to shop with us," he said.

The ad, which ran in March, was successful in getting more shoppers to try Randalls, Perry explained.

"We certainly realized a good sales advance in that category," he said.

The four-color, full-page ad announced to readers that "Randalls invites YOU to compare our low juice prices!" The ad listed 54 juice and drink items in a variety of packages, including V-8 cocktail vegetable juice, $1.49 a 46-ounce can; ReaLemon lemon juice, $1.69 a pint bottle; Sunsweet prune juice, $1.59 a 32-ounce bottle, and Mott's Beefmato, $2.25 a 32-ounce jar.

Also featured were Welch's grape juice, $1.39 a 24-ounce bottle; Libby's pear nec-tar, $1.89 for a six-pack of 5.5-ounce containers; Squeezit Lifesavers drinks, two six-packs for $3; Ocean Spray cranberry drinks, $5.49 for a gallon bottle; Texsun pink grapefruit juice,

89 cents a 46-ounce can; Texsun orange juice, $1.57 a 46-ounce can, and Tang sugar-free drink mix, $2.99 for a six-quart container.

"We may even run Budget Buys off of [those prices], which would be a further temporary price reduction," Perry said.

Randalls used shelf tags that stated "new lower price" for the first 60 days after the new pricing strategy was adopted to alert shoppers that the retails had been lowered. After 60 days, regular shelf tags were used. The chain also used banners and window signs announcing the new general EDLP pricing strategy.

Perry said the new pricing strategy did not entail a reset of the juice aisle or specific space management changes.

Randalls has used similar promotions with other categories throughout the store, including cereals and canned fruits and vegetables.