Retailer Campaigns

AUSTIN, Texas - With the start of school right around the corner, Whole Foods Market is aiming to help parents build better lunchbox menus for their children by advocating new twists and alternatives that add variety, nutrition, and energy.

SEATTLE - Safeway, Inc.'s Seattle Division will send care packages every month from local communities to soldiers stationed in Iraq. Beginning this September, one Safeway store each in the division's operating areas of Washington, Montana, and Alaska will serve as a collection point for community residents to donate items for a care package to be mailed to the Middle Eastern country.

DANBURY, Ct. - Bristol Technology is once again working with Progressive Grocer as sponsor of the 2004 Category Captains awards program. The program honors CPG companies whose innovation, commitment, and leadership in category management raise the bar for all supermarket industry suppliers.

CAMDEN, N.J. - The Campbell Soup Co. here has joined forces with Scholastic and NBC's "American Dreams" series for a novel promotion that will tie in an essay contest sponsored by Campbell's with a storyline on the show.

CINCINNATI, Ohio - The Kroger Co., based here, yesterday opened its 500th supermarket fuel center at the City Market store at 128 South Townsend St. in Montrose, Colo., the same town where the chain opened its first supermarket fuel center in 1998.

INDIANAPOLIS - A new line of bacon and smoked sausage products linked to basketball legend Oscar (The Big O) Robertson will launch in Marsh Supermarkets this weekend. The items join several locally produced products sold exclusively by the Indianapolis-based retailer.

NORTHBROOK, Ill. - Retailers have a new month of recognition to add to their merchandising calendars, as the Low Carb Manufacturers Alliance (LCMA) kicks off its first-ever "Low Carb Month" promotion in January 2005.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Comedian Drew Carey, Cleveland's favorite son, would likely highly approve of the new partnership inked between The Kroger Co. and the Ohio Department of Development's Division of Travel and Tourism to boost visitors to the Buckeye State.