WILD OATS COMMUNITY MARKET SCORES WITH TASTING FAIR

RICHARD TURCSIK

BUFFALO GROVE, Ill. -- The Wild Oats Community Market here scored with a "Seventh Inning Stretch Tasting Fair" that featured "better-for-you" ballpark favorites.

During the event, which was held during a weekend in mid-May, this branch of Boulder, Colo.-based Wild Oats was transformed into a non-stop picnic. Wild Oats advertised its tasting fair through newspaper ads and in-store signage.

"We had free popcorn and peanuts that we gave out. We had a barbecue on the outside of the building. We had different vendors come in, like some manufacturers of natural burgers and tofu hot dogs," said a store-level source.

The source added that various beverage items, including spritzers, waters and all-natural juices, were also sampled during the event.

While popcorn and peanuts were given away free, many of the other items were featured at a reduced price for shoppers during the event, the source said.

Although the promotion did not surpass expectations, it did meet its mark, the store-level source said.