Dairy Mart Convenience Stores, Gatorade Team Up for Cooler Display

When the Quaker Oats Co. approached Dairy Mart, Enfield, Conn., about placing an iced barrel of Gatorade in the front of Dairy Mart's convenience stores, there just wasn't enough room in the compact stores to accommodate the request. Or was there?By teaming up with Quaker in a dual cooler display, Dairy Mart provided choice, highly visible space not only for Gatorade but for its own brand of sports drink, called Captiva, introduced in May 1994.The patented, two-tiered, triangular cooler is designed to improve single-serve beverage merchandising by conserving valuable floor space. For the new Captiva brand (licensed to Dairy Mart convenience stores in 11 states) the "marriage" meant a product launch supported by the powerful brand recognition of Gatorade.Measuring 46 inches high and 22 inches in diameter, from one corner to the opposite flat side, the plastic, mobile unit holds 42 12-ounce cans, plus ice, in each ice bin. The barrel continuously drains so that products never sit in water. Double insulation slows melting. The two separate bins share one drainage system. Water from both bins drains down and collects in a centralized drainage reservoir at the bottom of the barrel. The reservoir features a patented shut-off drain. To release the shut-off, store managers pull out the 2-inch tube which protrudes from the shut-off, and drain the unit into a bucket or floor drain.Reportedly the only multilevel ice merchandiser ever made, the unit's two triangular shapes provide six highly visible billboard areas where silkscreened signage has been furnished. The Gatorade brand is emblazoned across the three top billboards while the Captiva brand, including its various new flavors, is emphasized on the bottom.Is the new marketing approach helping to boost sales of the new Captiva sports drink? States John Dunn, Dairy Mart's merchandising manager, "Historically we know that any beverage merchandised in a cold barrel increases sales. For example, we've had Coke, Pepsi, Snappie and other single-serve drinks in similar positions with excellent success. So I'd say yes."Dairy Mart cross-merchandises complementary products on the barrel, such as Keebler single-serve chips.Delivery of the new cooler tied in with a radio advertising campaign aired during the month of July. Each store was equipped with window banners, case cards, static cling signs, wobblers and other P-O-P materials to support the promotion.

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