VENDORS, CHAINS LINK FOR ANTIDRUG EVENT

RICHARD TURCSIK

NEW YORK -- Major supermarket chains in this market joined forces with several leading Center Store suppliers in a monthlong promotion to raise funds for drug-prevention programs.

The "Shop to Stop Drugs" campaign, coordinated by Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, Alexandria, Va., involved more than 1,000 supermarkets in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area operating under the A&P, Waldbaum's, Food Emporium, Foodtown, Grand Union, King Kullen, Kings, Pathmark and Acme banners. The program ran through last month.

Manufacturer partners included Diamond Crystal table salt, Bumble Bee solid white tuna, Lavazza premium coffee, Mott's Fruitsations, Success rice, Carolina rice mixes, Seneca apple chips, Welch's grape juice, Purina Dog Chow, Kellogg's Cocoa Frosted Flakes, ReaLemon lemon juice and Marcal 1000-sheet bath tissue.

Over 750,000 coupon books with coupons for the featured products were distributed in the stores, and a freestanding insert was placed in newspapers. Another aspect of the program, which was modeled after the Check-Out Hunger Campaign, placed tear pads of $1 coupons at the registers. Shoppers wishing to donate to the CADCA simply handed a coupon to the cashier who then scanned it and added $1 to their orders.

"Grand Union is proud to be a participant, and we will be gladly accepting the coupons in our stores," said Donald Vaillancourt, vice president of corporate communications and consumer affairs for Grand Union Co., Wayne, N.J.

Michael Rourke, senior vice president of corporate affairs for Montvale, N.J.-based A&P, which operates A&P, Waldbaum's, Super Fresh and Food Emporium stores, said point-of-sale kits supplied by the CADCA were placed in all stores. The kits explained the program and identified the participating products.

"The featured items were identified by signs and special shelf tags. Some items also had displays," Rourke said.

"We are involved with Shop to Stop Drugs because it is a very good program. We tested it last year and it seemed to work very well. We have now broadened it to the entire metropolitan New York area," Rourke said.

A&P also merchandised the program through $1 coupons placed in its circular.

King Kullen ran a strip across the top of one page in its weekly circular listing the participating brands. Officials at Westbury, N.Y.-based King Kullen Grocery Co. could not be reached for comment.