WALDBAUM'S PROMOTION HIGHLIGHTS PRICE CUTS

RUSSELL REDMAN

CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. -- Waldbaum's Inc. here has implemented an aggressive in-store merchandising program under a new plan that slashes prices on thousands of groceries.

The 92-store chain kicked off the effort -- called "Now Lower Prices" -- this month with two full-color circulars: a broadsheet fold-out detailing the program and a 20-page booklet showing discounted items. The latter was wrapped with an imprinted band that further explained the campaign.

Cast in a bright blue background, the fold-out's cover read, "Waldbaum's Introduces Now Lower Prices. Prices Keep Goin' Down In Grocery...Down In Meat...Down In Produce...Down In Frozen Food."

Pictured inside the fold-out were grocery aisles peppered with dozens of Now Lower Prices shelf markers. The brochure continued, "Waldbaum's has lowered prices on thousands of items, in every aisle and every category. Just look for the blue and yellow tags that say: Now Lower Price. Then look for big savings on your overall food bill." The chain's other shelf-tag discount programs, Powerbuys and the Valued Shopper Club Card, also were described.

The accompanying booklet listed hundreds of America's Choice, Master Choice and national-brand groceries at reduced prices. Now Lower Prices, Powerbuys and Valued Shopper Club logos indicated products discounted under those programs.

Featured items, mostly in the grocery section, included Pringles potato chips, Snapple beverages, Pampers diapers, America's Choice frozen vegetables, Master Choice soda and 9 Lives cat food.

Introducing the Now Lower Prices campaign, the band around the booklet said, "1000's of New Lower Prices...Look for this symbol all over the store," and featured the Now Lower Prices logo.

"It's a whole new program that's been put in place," said a spokesman from A&P, Montvale, N.J., Waldbaum's parent company. "It's a total in-store sign package complete with items that will be on display plus shelf talkers for other items that are featured."

Endcap and other special displays also showcase featured items, and more circulars will follow, he added. "In terms of totality, it's a very major program," he said.

Now Lower Prices builds on Waldbaum's Powerbuys tag program, the spokesman explained. "It's more extensive. With Powerbuys, we select items on a weekly basis. [Now Lower Prices] encompasses over 2,000 products that will be reduced in cost, plus there are the key features attributed to Powerbuys."

An ongoing program, Now Lower Prices gives Waldbaum's an edge in its suburban Long Island, New York, trade area, according to the A&P spokesman. "We're doing something very intense to show that we're different from our competitors," he said.

Waldbaum's rivals include King Kullen Grocery Co., Pathmark Stores, Edwards Super Food Stores, Grand Union Co. and Melmarkets' Foodtown, which is being acquired by Quincy, Mass.-based Stop & Shop Cos.