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Deli all-stars: value-added style and sustenance in the deli-meats category wallop a homerun.

Article Excerpt
Wegmans, H.E.Butt, Schnuck Markets, Giant Eagle, Hy-Vee, Harris Teeter, and Loblaw's. These names come up again and again as leaders in the supermarket deli department. Deli departments at each of the retailers on Meat Retailer's Deli All-Stars line-up are ahead of the pack when it comes to offerings such as a unique or upscale product mix, value-added products and services, merchandising efforts, innovative labor initiatives, and food-safety programs.

"At a time when a lot of things in other perishables are becoming more homogeneous, the deli has allowed these retailers to continue to offer a customized and possibly exclusive, distinctive product offering," says Bill Bishop, president of food and beverage-focused Willard Bishop Consulting, Barrington, IL.

"The deli is a place where you can stand out and really be perceived based on your own merits, other than price, and be perceived in a distinctly different way," Bishop says. "These retailers also stand out because they have been successful at truly branding the deli. Delis that reflect a very clear point of view of what makes them unique have earned the right to brand themselves."

Perishable departments, particularly the service deli, are responsible for setting a chain's custom image, agrees Heidi Wederquist, director of channel relations for Denver-based National Cattleman's Beef Association (NCBA).

"Service, variety, merchandising, displays, lighting, freshness, packaging, convenience extras, store placement, and signage all contribute to the unique image--good or bad--of the store via these departments," Wederquist says.

In the deli department, service and variety take priority on Wederquist's list.

Outstanding service in the deli is increasingly being supported with technological advances.

"Really attentive, effective service is the basis of creating a standout deli department. That service can either be personal alone or augmented with technology," Bishop says. He notes that the best service providers are increasingly offering staffed service augmented by touch-screen ordering. Portable hand-held, in-store PDA ordering, is being tested, which Bishop predicts will revolutionize the deli.

"Kiosks are one thing, but the real power here is dynamic interactive technology in the store," Bishop says.

In the mix

The deli-meats product-mix game is made up of national and regional players. As both retailer and processor consolidation continues, industry experts predict brand identities will become more prevalent in the deli department. Major deli-meat suppliers such as...

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