Promotion Management

Visual merchandising (VM) is an indispensable retail discipline, consisting of a series of practical selling tools that are used to influence what and how much consumers buy. Successful retailers -- supermarkets in particular -- can employ effective and integrated VM practices as part of the retail experience and overall brand delivery, to successfully maximize sales and profits in-store -- essentially, it’s a silent selling service of sales-driving levers and tools.

Starting Sept. 20, Star® Olive Oil will invite home cooks across the United States to submit their favorite Mediterranean dishes for its “Flavors of the Mediterranean” recipe contest.

Fuel rewards solutions provider Excentus yesterday said that Safeway will discontinue its PowerPump fuel rewards program following a legal challenge filed by Excentus this past June, but according to the grocer, the lawsuit has nothing to do with the program’s termination.

Regional wholesaler Unified Grocers, Inc. is offering a next-generation Web-based software service to its retailer members to improve customer retention and store profitability.

The Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. and Breyers Ice Cream have formed a partnership to raise $100,000 for Feeding America (formerly America’s Second Harvest -- the Nation’s Food Bank Network) and its local member food banks through several initiatives to take place throughout September, which has been designated Hunger Action Month.

Unlike current all-in-one dry mixes, Chiquita Banana Bread Mix, which comes to market next month, is a unique offering that requires the addition of just two bananas, water and an egg, so the resulting bread features authentic banana flavor and a moist texture, in addition to zero trans fats and no preservatives.

Weis Markets, Inc. has named three district managers to oversee its stores in western Maryland and West Virginia, Northeast and Central Pennsylvania, and Binghamton, N.Y., where the company recently acquired 11 stores in the Empire State’s Broome County.

Market Street yesterday launched a rewards program that gives shoppers the ability to earn free groceries every time they shop over the next eight weeks.