IGA JOINS DINNER KIT TREND WITH ETHNIC MEAL OFFERINGS

BOB BAUER

CHICAGO -- IGA here is getting into the emerging dinner kit trend, with the introduction of two ethnic dinner kits.

Patrick P. Sylvester, IGA's brand director, said two kits, produced by North Star Foods, St. Charles, Minn., should be available sometime this month.

One kit is a 21.2-ounce stir-fry chicken and vegetables kit. "It comes complete with everything -- stir-fry sauce, the chicken and the vegetables," Sylvester said.

The other, a 24.2-ounce fajita kit, will become part of IGA's Celebracion line of Mexican-Hispanic products introduced last March.

"[North Star is] getting the art this week and said they would have packaging in three to six weeks. The items will probably be available shortly after the first of the year," Sylvester said. "They were trying to time it because they've got some food shows. One in particular is a Cal Growers selling show in the Phoenix area for Supervalu. All of their IGA wholesale divisions will be at the show to look at the products. It's in the third week of January."

Sylvester said the kits will retail anywhere between $4.99 and $5.99. "The brands are between $5.99 and $6.99. So it will probably be a little under the branded product." An officer at North Star said the company has been producing a similar product for Fleming, Oklahoma City, since November. "We've been doing a couple of other private labels for about the last four or five months," he added.

The official said the dinner kit category is taking off and will continue to grow quickly. "With all the wives working, it's a lot simpler for them to open a bag of [dinner], throw it in a pan, stir it and serve it and still have a good, hot meal."