WELLNESS MAGAZINE PUSHES STORE LABEL

Carol Angrisani

MILL VALLEY, Calif. -- Private-label natural, organic and environmentally friendly products ranging from recycled bathroom tissue to natural pineapple juice are enjoying more attention at Mollie Stone's here and at other retailers.

The products, marketed under the Natural Value label, are getting the extra exposure through Natural Solutions, a free, 32-page health and wellness publication that's exclusive to Unified Western Grocers, a Commerce, Calif., distributor, and its retailer members.

Mollie Stone's just started carrying the monthly magazine at the checkout, and the store is pleased to see customers picking it up and commenting on it, owner David Bennett told SN.

"It's educating our consumers about the value of natural foods," Bennett said. "What makes it so nice is that it's free and is packed with recipes, coupons and information."

The October issue contains a full page of coupons for the Natural Value line of natural and organic foods and planet-friendly nonfood items. The products come from Gourmet Specialties, a subsidiary of Unified. Each coupon has a face value of 25 cents and can be used on any Natural Value item.

While Unified has promoted Natural Value in previous issues of the magazine, October is the first time it included coupons for the brand, said Dean Allen, director of procurement and marketing for Gourmet Specialties in Livermore, Calif.

Gourmet Specialties launched Natural Value about a year ago with about 50 stockkeeping units. The line has since grown to 75 products and could reach 100 SKUs in the near future, Allen said. New items include natural baby wipes and refills; recycled-paper lunch bags, paper plates and dinner napkins; sliced pineapple; and sea salt.

Natural Solutions is produced for Gourmet Specialties by Taste for Life in Peterborough, N.H., which publishes healthy living magazines for natural and gourmet retailers. The magazine's goal is to grow awareness of natural foods, Allen said.

"Natural Solutions lets our retailers show that they're involved in natural-food products," Allen said.

A growing number of retailers provides free in-store health and wellness publications.

The success of Unified's magazine depends on whether readers consider it credible, said Tanya Miller, vice president of the J. Brown Agency, a marketing/promotions company based in Stamford, Conn.

Natural Solutions was introduced in January. Along with Mollie Stone's, operators distributing the magazine include Andronico's, Albany, Calif.; C&K Markets, Brookings, Ore.; and Joey Franco's PW Supermarkets, San Jose, Calif. Each store gets 500 free copies.

Andronico's, C&K Markets and PW Supermarkets didn't respond to requests for comment.

Manufacturers help offset the cost of Natural Solutions by paying to have their products included, Allen said. Along with private label, about 24 national-brand products are promoted each month. The October issue features such items as Amy's vegetable lasagna and Garden of Eatin' tortilla chips.

Gourmet Specialties just introduced shelf extenders that let retailers highlight advertised items in the aisles. In-store displays and temporary price reductions provide additional support. Mollie Stone's plans to develop its own point-of-sale materials to promote featured items.