CARGILL HONORS RETAILERS FOR BEEF MERCHANDISING

WICHITA, Kan. -- Cargill Meat Solutions recently honored Holiday Quality Foods and Bigg's for initiating distinctive programs that expanded or creatively highlighted the retailers' premium beef offerings.

e Sterling Silver brand of premium meat during peak store hours, and embracing the complete brand by adding the pork and deli lines to its product selection. Officials at Cargill also praised the retailer for training associates on the quality differences of premium meats and having the associates on duty to answer questions and help shoppers make meat selections.

Cottonwood, Calif.-based Holiday Quality Foods, a 25-store chain, earned the Sterling Silver Brand Retail Grocer of the Year Award. Cargill officials noted the Northern California chain has boosted its beef sales volume, launched several marketing initiatives and staff training programs, and used the Sterling Silver line of meat products to increase its customer store loyalty and consumer confidence. The retailer increased its volume of sales of Sterling Silver brand meats by $590,000 over the previous year, officials said. Cargill also acknowledged Southern Foods, a Greensboro, N.C., meat supplier, with the Sterling Silver Consumer Direct Innovation Award. The supplier carries the full line of Sterling Silver beef, pork and deli products, and is considered to be the single largest consumer direct supplier of the brand worldwide.

The Sterling Silver brand includes a full line of meat products, including fresh premium beef and pork, as well as fully cooked prime ribs and cooked deli meats. Excel Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Cargill, introduced the Sterling Silver brand in 1991, and now offers it to retailers and food-service customers.