Perimeter

Can the produce department draw kids like the cereal and cookie aisles do?

Varieties and packaging options keep the tea category steeped in sales.

CHICAGO -- A panel of culinary chefs from the Illinois Institute of Art here selected the winning recipes from among eight finalists vying for top honors in IGA's Hometown Holidays Recipe Contest.

WILMINGTON, Del. -- The Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) here said yesterday it was launching an in-store event, "Go Over the Hedge for Good Health" in more than 2,000 Wal-Mart Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets across the country May 21. The promotion ties into the opening of the DreamWorks movie "Over the Hedge," by encouraging families with children to eat a colorful variety of fruits and vegetables daily for good health.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- H.E. Butt Grocery Co. and ConAgra Foods, Inc. are teaming up to help celebrate Mother's Day this weekend with free cooking camps.

SCHENECTADY, NY -- Price Chopper here yesterday opened Ben & Bill's Deli -- billed by the Northeast regional retailer as "the Best N.Y.C.-style deli between Manhattan and Montreal" -- inside the Price Chopper in Slingerlands, N.Y. The new feature is part of a 10,000-square-foot addition to the now 83,000-square-foot store.

PARK CITY, Utah -- Del Monte Fresh Produce has entered into a partnership with Park City Group, Inc. here to provide tools and analytics in support of Del Monte's branded fresh-cut fruit program.

The drive to up the ante on service is evidenced by the increased deployment of customer-facing technology such as information kiosks, digital media displays, and marketing and promotion technology, all in essence dedicated to making more effective connections to shoppers and their needs. This high-touch environment also results in the avoidance of self-checkout technology, though, as the numbers show, most independents realize they'll eventually have to install these units for competitive reasons.