SALES DOUBLE AT LUNARDI'S THANKS TO FULL HMR ROLLOUT

MINA WILLIAMS

LOS GATOS, Calif. -- The Lunardi's Supermarkets store here saw sales double since the introduction of a full-fledged home-meal replacement program, said a company official.

The operator's Los Gatos deli department tested service hot meals-to-go with the installation of a full-service steamer table.

According to Paul Lunardi, owner of the five-unit independent, deli sales have doubled in that unit. Offerings include chicken, roast leg of lamb, pork loin and turkey breast on a rotating menu basis along with side dishes plus some hors d'oeuvres.

This success has spurred the retailer to add a similar service hot food case to the 23,000-square-foot Belmont, Calif. unit.

At Belmont, the new hot case will be positioned adjacent to the service-deli case, taking the space of a multideck self-service refrigerated pasta case.

The pasta case, along with the refrigerated pastas and sauces, is being moved to the back of the store in line with the service meat department.

The welled case is being moved up to the produce department where it will house prepackaged branded salads, dressings, tofu and juices. This effectively removes self-service branded chickens from Lunardi's merchandising mix.

With the marketplace dominated by chains like Safeway and Lucky and with several Price/Costo units within a 50-mile radius, the independent continually tinkers with its case placements and merchandising, keeping an eye on consumer service, quality and product needs, Lunardi said.

"Never rest on your laurels," Lunardi cautioned. "As soon as you do, a new Safeway or Costco opens up."