(LOS ANGELES) — Unified Western Grocers’ Apple Markets have introduced a new marketing strategy with weekly advertising inserts targeted to a specific customer base. The 16 Apple Market stores, part of Unified’s Banner Markets, Inc. division, select either a conventional or Hispanic weekly ad, a choice defined by the demographics of each individual store.
“We’ve been able to split the Apple Market customer base almost in half, “explained Terry Stadheim, director of retail advertising for Unified Western Grocers. “The stores typically segment into either a Hispanic, or what we call a conventional, customer base. We basically give the stores the option to choose which ad to run.”
The Hispanic ad features food products traditionally used in a Hispanic household, such as ribs, stew meat and other cuts of pork and beef plus a variety of produce and seasonings including melons, yams, cilantro and tomatillos. In the ad, these and other product names appear in both English and Spanish. The ad also relies on a more colorful background to highlight certain products, a design element Stadheim said other Unified stares and California retailers have used successfully in ads reaching the Hispanic population.
The conventional weekly ad takes a more traditional approach when it comes to the products featured. Driven by national brands, the conventional ad focuses on branded products throughout. Some of the Hispanic items remain in the ad but in a less-featured position. “The feedback we’ve received to date has been positive,” said Stadheim of the new ad program.” We’ve heard from some of our Hispanic customers who like the look of the ads and the products that are featured because they are items purchased on a regular basis.”
Unified Western Grocers, Inc. is a retailer-owned wholesale grocery cooperative that supplies independent retailers throughout the Western United States. Unified and its subsidiaries, which generated approximately $3 billion in sales during the 2000 fiscal year, offer independent retailers all the resources they need to compete in today’s supermarket industry.
This press release contains forward-looking statements with respect to benefits expected to be derived from the proposed acquisition. There are a variety of factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the statements above. These factors are outlined in Unified's Form 10-Q and other interim reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Furthermore, Unified undertakes no obligation to update, amend or clarify forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.