WEIS MARKETS OPENS DOORS TO KIDS CLUB

BARBARA McDONALD

SUNBURY, Pa. -- Weis Markets here has a new chainwide Kids Club program.

The Weis Kids Club was launched during Weis Markets' annual Kids Week, July 26 to Aug. 1. During that time the stores offered a variety of samplings and kid-friendly promotions, ending with KidsFest, held Aug. 1, in 68 Weis Markets stores. Kids Club membership continues to be offered.

"We want a trip to a Weis Markets store to be a fun experience for our customers' children," said Norman S. Rich, Weis Markets president. "Our Kids Club will help make coming to a Weis Markets store a more enjoyable experience for young families and their children."

Membership is free to children under age 13. There is no minimum age. Upon joining, children get a Weis Kids Club Membership card.

When accompanied by an adult, children who are members are eligible to receive a free cookie or their choice of an apple, orange or banana, or a slice of cheese from the deli. The Weis Kids Club operates in all Weis Markets, Mr. Z's and King's stores.

The Weis Kids Club program will also help promote selected private-label products targeted at children, such as cereal.

Two cartoon figures, a bull and an owl, who may be named in a contest, are used as part of this promotional campaign. The program is being supported by extensive in-store signage and a multimedia advertising campaign.

"During the holidays, we will sell a stuffed bull with an owl on its shoulder, which is how they appear," said Dennis Curtin, spokesman for the chain.

Weis Markets is working on expanding the program to include an educational component to help kids learn about nutrition and other issues of interest to families.

Weis Markets also runs Project Kid Care ID each August, a program developed by Polaroid, in which a photographer in the store takes the child's photo and puts it in a passport-sized pamphlet. Later the parent can fill in the name of the child, address, height and weight, in case he or she is ever missing.

"We remind our parents to update this once a year," Curtin said. A store usually does from 150 to 300 photos in the single day that pictures are taken.