INSALACO MARKETS GUARANTEES NEW PRIVATE-LABEL PROGRAM

JULIE C. BOEHNING

SCRANTON, Pa. -- Insalaco Markets here is backing its new private-label program with a unique "No Questions Asked" guarantee.

Customers who are unhappy with any product in the Food Club line can either get a refund or a national-brand replacement. "Select It Taste It Believe It," Insalaco circular ads read. "If you are not satisfied we will replace the product with the national brand or refund your money." While the "No Questions Asked" program is not new to the retailer, this is the first time it is being heavily promoted for private label.

"It's part of our marketing strategy that we decided to make a piece of the [Food Club] program," said John McCabe, vice president of procurement/grocery at P&C Foods division of Penn Traffic, Syracuse, N.Y. Insalaco is a Penn Traffic subsidiary.

Meanwhile, Insalaco has almost completed switching units from the Kingston to the Food Club private-label program. Both Kingston and Food Club are distributed through Topco Associates, Skokie, Ill.

Nearly all Insalaco stores now carry four new Food Club product lines: Food Club, for packaged groceries; Top Crest, frozen foods; Pet Club, pet foods and pet care products, and Top Care, a health and beauty line.

"We're probably 95% [converted] or better at Insalaco right now," said McCabe.

Insalaco switched brands after it opened a new warehouse last year. Prior to that, Penn Traffic's Riverside division in DuBois, Pa., was Insalaco's supplier.

McCabe said the conversion will simplify operations for the entire division.