PUBLIX UNIT MAKES FRESH STATEMENT FOR SHOW

ROSEANNE HARPER

TAMPA, Fla. -- Publix Super Markets spotlighted its fresh-meals program at a new store here during the Food Marketing Institute's MealSolutions '98 show and conference.

The Lakeland, Fla.-based chain, which has some 500 units scattered across the Southeast, opened its newest Tampa unit last month just across a bridge from the city's convention center where the FMI's third annual MealSolutions event got under way Oct. 4.

The small-format Publix unit, at 27,000 square feet, sits right on toney Bay Shore Boulevard, which is lined with old, upscale, waterfront homes. The store also backs up against the high-income, gentrified Hyde Park section of the city. It stands no more than half a mile from a Kash n' Karry Food Stores unit in Hyde Park.

The Publix meals center illustrated bundling, sampling, logical cross merchandising and signage that tells customers what's there, all of which FMI MealSolutions attendees were told are the keys to "solution selling."

Attendees had just heard via seminars and the FMI's newly launched Idea Center (see related story, right) that arranging meal components together to make it convenient for the customer can boost sales of the products involved by as much as 60%. Making it easy for the customer to buy a meal and get out of the store quickly is the trick, they said.

During the three days of the convention, the Publix meals center would be moved toward the back of the store later to put it nearer an expansive display of Publix' "Quick Takes" chilled meal components. They also said it would not be staffed everyday as it was up front during the FMI event.

Up front, the center sported a large Meal Solutions sign overhead with the Publix logo, and employed a six-foot, low-profile, reach-in refrigerated case. Meal components such as prepacked Quick Takes lasagna, quiches, fully cooked half ducks in vacuum-packs with a separate package of orange sauce, branded prepacked salads, store-made salads and cut fruit were displayed together.

As an illustration, a shopper's carry-basket placed in the reach-in case held a quiche, a package of prepared bow-tie feta pasta, a bag of mixed salad greens, a bottle of salad dressing and a bottle of wine.

The reach-in display case was flanked on one side by a demo station where a chef-garbed associate was offering samples of duck with orange sauce. At each end of the meals case, tilted wooden crates were used to display bags of Chicago (small, hard-crust) rolls and loaves of French bread.

Signs on the front of the refrigerated case said, "Servings for two. Ready-to-Go Meals." Two complete meals -- quiche with feta bow-tie pasta, and duck with orange sauce served with asparagus in butter -- were suggested on signs and on handouts, and preparation times were noted. For example, one handout said, "This entire meal can be prepared in less than 28 minutes. Precooked duck with orange sauce, 20 minutes; asparagus spears with butter, 4 minutes; produce bag salad, with dressing, 3 minutes."

Bottles of chardonnay and cabernet savignon wines were merchandised on wooden display racks at the meals center. Canned, whole asparagus spears and bottled salad dressings were displayed on a narrow shelf at the back of the refrigerated, reach-in case.

The French bread was $1.19; the Chicago rolls, six for $1.62; the fully roasted half duck, $5.49; a 10-inch quiche, $5.49; and bow-tie feta pasta, $3.49 a pound. Fresh-cut fruit salad, store-packed in deli containers, was $3.49 a pound.

The half ducks are sourced frozen, but quiches and side dishes and entrees such as lasagna in heat-sealed containers are delivered fresh, never frozen, from the chain's central commissary in Lakeland, a store-level source told SN.

In addition to the meals center, two additional demo stations were in operation the day SN visited the store. Across from the deli meats counter, a staffer offered samples of Boar's Head turkey and ham. Further down the aisle, another associate was offering samples of pan-seared tuna.

A store-level source said the manager of the store is about to rev up the demo schedule. He noted that a permanent demo staffer had recently been added to the store's payroll.