THRIFTWAY SLASHES PRICES TO PROMOTE APPLES

ROSEANNE HARPER

SEATTLE -- Thriftway Stores here gets very aggressive with new-crop apples and Washington's big harvest this year makes it easy to keep the retail price way down, Thriftway officials said.

Six varieties -- Granny Smith, red and golden delicious, galas, Jonagolds and Raeburns -- were promoted recently, for the second year in a row, for 39 cents a pound.

"That, I'll guarantee you, will be the best retail price in the market. We're passing a great value on to our customers," said Bill Earnest, produce director for the 35 stores in the Thriftway chain.

The 10-day, price-driven promotion kicked off last month with a full-page ad in a Sunday edition of the Seattle Times, and Thriftway's full-color circular gave the apples full-page treatment on the front and back covers.

"We merchandise the apples in high-graphic bins and, with the weather still good, some stores have them outside with pumpkin, squash, cider and other seasonal items. There are some great tie-ins, and we offer recipes [using apples as an ingredient] on our Web site."

The high-graphic bins provided by the Washington Apple Commission, Wenatchee, are being used in most Thriftways. The bins, which hold seven boxes of apples, depict a mountain orchard scene and feature a graphic of the commission's mascot, a spunky apple figure who wears a baseball cap.

"The idea is to attract kids' attention to apples in the stores," said a WAC spokesman.

The apples Thriftway promoted were U.S. No. 1s and U.S. extras, Earnest said.

It's almost imperative, he said, to keep the price low because at this time of year apples are everywhere -- at other supermarkets, farmers' markets and even roadside stands. The only way to attract the customer's attention is with price, Earnest explained. Among the competition, the price usually ranges from 79 cents to 99 cents a pound, so 39 cents a pound is truly an eye-catcher.

Earnest said he expected the promotion to be very successful because it was a hit last year.

"We sold as many as 10 truckloads last year [during the promotion]. Just picture 10 semis lined up down the road. That gives you an idea of how many," he said.

That compares to two or three truckloads when the price goes back up to its everyday range of 59 cents to 79 cents a pound at Thriftway.

The next big push on apples at Thriftway will come in January when controlled-atmosphere crops become available.

"That's the Winter Crunch promotion," Earnest said. "Then, we feature high grades and extra fancy. Again, there will be six varieties."