Sargento Moves From Dairy Case Into the Aisle With MooTown Snackers

Some snack items are moo-ving out of refrigerated units and into the dairy aisles of supermarkets nationwide, thanks to the Dairy Snack Center.Sargento Foods, a name well established in the dairy case for cheese products, began introducing its Dairy Snack Center in March. The center is designed to house the company's MooTown Snackers, which are non-refrigerated snack items."We have offered the Dairy Snack Center to retailers to bring dairy snack items off the dairy case shelves," says Robert Peiffer, creative director of Sargento Foods Inc., Plymouth, Wis. Peiffer explains that 10 percent to 20 percent of the company's accounts typically house non-refrigerated items such as pretzels & cheese and bread-sticks & cheese on the refrigerated dairy shelves because the items are associated with dairy products. The Dairy Snack Center frees up valuable refrigerator space without having to sacrifice the dairy section placement.The complete system is available in four versions, Peiffer says. "One of the reasons it was created this way is to be flexible. They [the retailers] have options to choose from that make sense for their store."The permanent units come in one- and two-sided versions. The smaller versions measure 31 inches wide, 48 inches high and 23 inches deep. The larger versions have the same footprint but are 72 inches high. The one-sided displays hold a full case of eight-pack boxes in each facing, for a total of four cases per shelf. The two-sided displays hold half a case of eight-pack boxes, for a total of two cases on each shelf. The units house the eight-pack boxes, five-pack boxes or individual, single-serve packages for the dump bins.The units' dimensions, Peiffer stresses, were created to conform precisely with the way Sargento packs its products and the way the products are shipped to the store. He adds that "the eight-pack boxes are our hero product because it gives us the best billboard."The base of the unit is wood with a melamine finish and T-molded edges. The main construction is square tubing, sheet metal and wire. The sides are sheet metal formed into a c-channel that accepts slide-in styrene graphics."The sides and tops of the displays allow us to incorporate bold graphics to support the Sargento brand without using its logo," notes Peiffer. The top of the unit also accepts slide-in header graphics. Sargento realizes that this type of unit may also be used to house competitive products, but Peiffer says the MooTown Snackers' bovine characters, Mooreese and Moolissa, pictured on the side panels "give us very good brand support."The shelves are adjustable wire grids positioned at a 15-degree angle. The dump bin is vacuum formed with clear dividers. Retailers can order units with or without the dump bins, and the shelves are fully adjustable to maximize space and product visibility, according to Peiffer. "The shelves were designed to be the most convenient and logical from a stocking standpoint," he adds.For larger retailers, Sargento is offering customization of the header. "If a chain is large enough, we will print the supermarket's logo on the headers of all the units at no additional charge," says Peiffer. He notes that five major retailers have already taken advantage of the offer.Sargento is offering the center free to its best accounts. "We have gone through extensive time and money to introduce the centers and tell customers why it makes sense for us and them as well," states Peiffer. Right now, the company is targeting supermarkets for placement. "That is our main thrust now, but that may grow and change."The units have physically changed since their introduction to retailers. According to Peiffer, Sargento "will continue to listen to our customers and modify [the units] as needed down the road." He adds that the units might evolve based on customer response and usefulness to retailers. Holes on the sides of the units will allow for future merchandising opportunities such as pegs or side trays to showcase new products.The displays were designed and manufactured by Chicago Display Co., Melrose Park, Ill. Approximately 2,500 units have been placed in stores since their introduction.The retailer response has been "nothing but positive sell-in," Peiffer says, "with good initial consumer acceptance." Some retailers have begun to stock more Sargento products since the center's introduction because, as he notes, "We now have a place for them to stock it."

Sargento Moves From Dairy Case Into the Aisle With MooTown Snackers

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