A&P EXPANDS MASTER CHOICE BRAND INTO FRESH MEATS

ERIC THORSEN

MONTVALE, N.J. -- A&P, one of the nation's leading proponents of private-label items, has extended its Master Choice store brand to include a new line of fresh meats.

According to Andy Carrano, vice president of marketing and corporate affairs, Master Choice Beef is the most recent extension of a three-year business plan to increase the retailer's private-label program to 20% of sales by the year 2000.

"We'll be looking at all of our fresh foods to see what products we can use the Master Choice brand on," he said.

The USDA Choice meats are currently available in all cuts. As an added value to customers, each comes with its own on-pack cooking instructions, said officials.

Carrano said that newly developed in-store signage will alert customers to the introduction, with additional advertising penetration coming from circular ads and commercials.

Joe Hoffman, vice president of meat merchandising and procurement at A&P, said in a release that a pork line branded earlier under the Master Choice program experienced nationwide sales increases of 20% and that a similar response is expected with new Master Choice Beef.

Since first launching the Master Choice in 1987, A&P has renewed its commitment to private label following the appointment last year of Christian Haub as A&P's president and chief executive officer [see A&P's Haub is Calling for Private-Label Growth, SN 11/23/98].