Best-Loved promotions

Shopper Report, The, Dec, 2001

In keeping with the promotional spirit of the holiday season, we asked shoppers to tell us about their favorite promotions. Almost 50 percent of our respondents shared favorites on one of more categories. Our interpretation of the responses suggests that food stores and their suppliers would get a higher rate of return on their promotion dollars by putting them into sampling than they are getting from double and triple coupons, BOGOs and other discounts.

In the food and supermarket category:

1. Triple Coupons topped the top of mind favorite list.

2. BOGOs came in second.

3. Free and almost-free turkeys came in a close third.

4. Tastings and samplings ranked fourth and were noted with much pleasure and enthusiasm by many who cited them, e.g., "I love it when they have sample foods scattered throughout the store."

5. Frequent shopper card discounts were mentioned without much excitement.

6. Community-minded promotions supporting local schools or charities were considered praiseworthy. "I think it's great that a percent of my purchases goes to a school of my choice."

Additional food and supermarkets promotions that were cited with enthusiasm:

* Cooking classes at the store

* Percent off total purchase

* $ Menu at McDonald's -- also their monsters, movie tie-ins and 49 cent specials

* Acceptance of expired coupons at Dominick's

* Carnation Cocoa mixes going on sale at back-to-school stock up time

* Self check-out at Kroger

* Doughboy points on Pillsbury Products

* Free fifth gallon of milk at Bilo

* Free products from Giant Food

Several respondents noted old promotions with wistful halos:

"I used to love the dish and glassware promotions -- haven't seen one in a long time."

"Safeway had a Dove van with free ice cream bars outside the store about 8 years ago. I keep hoping it will happen again some day."

Other retail promotion favorites:

* Kohl's distributes free store cash/merchandise cards to promote new store openings and gives a $10 gift card for spending $25

* Macy's/Boscov's Thanksgiving parade

* Cosmetic free gifts with purchase

* Free products at Office Max and Comp USA

* When Marshall Field bought Dayton's, they got a lot of good will by giving charge customers a 15% discount period and a free box of candy

* Taking extra percent of items already on sale

* Senior discounts on specified days

* Wal-Mart's August white sales

* Walgreen's rebate book

* Kmart's Blue Light Specials