WEGMANS PROMOTES PRIVATE-LABEL LINE

Carol Angrisani

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Wegmans Food Markets here promoted the 10th anniversary of its "Food You Feel Good About" private-label brand with a sweepstakes tied to its Shoppers Club Card.

Customers could enter by purchasing three or more items in the health-oriented line between March 31 and April 27 and swiping their Shoppers Club Card at the checkout. They could also enter by sending in their name, address and phone number to Wegmans' advertising office.

Contestants could win a trip for four to Nickelodeon Studios in Burbank, Calif., or a Wegmans' Gift Card for either $500 or $250. What started out as a 32-item line has grown to feature more than 900 products. Packaging features a bright yellow banner that carries the words "Food You Feel Good About." Items in the line contain nothing artificial, like colors, flavors or preservatives. Fat, sodium, and sugar content are also kept in check.

The line was the brainchild of Colleen Wegman, now senior vice president of merchandising, according to Wegmans' Web site, www.wegmans.com.

As a college student in 1991, she created "Operation Eat Right," an idea to "provide foods that taste good, that people feel good about eating, at an affordable price," the Web site states.