Circular Features

Low retail prices, combined with aggressive promotions, have boosted pork sales at Hy-Vee to record levels for 2009, according to officials from the West Des Moines, Iowa-based grocer.

Sam’s Club is introducing special holiday pricing on 40 items while supplies last. Examples of the limited-time deals to be rolled out in honor of Turkey Day include a Vizio 47-inch LCD TV with 240 hertz refresh for $997, toys for $15 and $20, and a three-piece sterling silver and 1/3 carat diamond bangle bracelet set for $148.

With an eye on sweet holiday citrus sales, Vero Beach, Fla.-based Seald Sweet International has received its first loads of Spanish Clementines in the United States.

Hain Pure Protein Corp. and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. (MSLO) are clucking about the launch of a new Martha Stewart-branded whole turkey that will be distributed broadly in supermarkets and warehouse clubs across the country just in time for the 2009 Thanksgiving season.

Stemilt has unveiled a new “Big Apple” promotion for jumbo-sized apples size 56 and larger that will provide the “wow” factor many shoppers expect to see in grocery stores during the holiday season.

The Kroger Co. and Nestlé Purina have teamed up for the second annual “Tales for the Pet Lover’s Heart” campaign, which celebrates the unique bond between people and their pets while simultaneously raising funds for animal welfare organizations nationwide.

In this time of economic uncertainty for many, Berkeley, Calif.-based Grocery Outlet, the largest extreme-value grocer in the United States, is offering shoppers guidance on how to put together a turkey dinner with all the trimmings for no more than $3 a person, or about $17 for six people.

What a difference a year makes. Restaurant operators enjoyed a solid 2008, but by mid-year 2009, more than 4,000 had closed and the average guest check plunged more than 8 percent.