That's the Way Chocolate Chip Cookie Day Crumbles

Last Friday evening, I ran to my local Kings store to pick up a few things. While waiting on line at the deli counter I started browsing through the circular and was alerted that I was missing out on an important national holiday. Turns out Friday, August 4 was National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day. (I was wondering why the banks were closed).

In honor of this auspicious occasion, Kings was running a one-day sale on David’s Chocolate Chunk Cookies in their bakery department. It was a big sale too - for this one day only the cookies were half-price. There were tastings throughout the day in the Bakery Department, although I did not see any on my visit. However, I did see a stack of boxes of David’s Chocolate Chip Cookies and – because of the one-day sale – decided to splurge and buy a box for myself. The sale price was $3.72 for six cookies, which I still thought rather expense, but I could never imagine myself paying $7.44 for a few of cookies!

I realize that the proliferation of these “National This” and “National That” holidays has really gotten out of hand, but I have to give Kings credit for capitalizing on it. In addition to the boxes in the bakery department, they also had smaller bags of David’s Chocolate Chunk Cookies merchandised from a wicker basket at the Courtesy Counter.

Other retailers would be wise to take a page from Kings’ playbook. Turns out last Sunday (August 6) was National Root Beer Float Day, sponsored by Blue Bunny ice cream and A&W Root Beer. While I did not have the occasion to visit a supermarket, I wonder if any of them merchandised bottles or six-packs of root beer next to the ice cream doors in the frozen food aisle. Astute stores could have set up sampling stations or had an employee make root beer floats and sell them to customers outside the store, with the proceeds going to charity.  They also could have sold ancillary non-foods items, like glass mugs, straws and ice cream scoops.   It would not only create fun and excitement in the store – but also add to the bottom line.