Kroger Showcases a 'Treasure' Trove of Store Brand SKUs

Kroger is testing a merchandising concept that positions select private-label SKUs as unique, hidden gems, and running a complementary marketing campaign.In the fall, Kroger rolled out an "eye-catching, center-store" endcap display dubbed "Treasure EmporiYum" at its Newport, KY, store stocking frozen and packaged foods from private label brands such as HemisFares and Private Selection, according to Supermarket News. Outfitted with a large "Treasure EmporiYum” sign and promising "a trove of fantastically unique finds," the endcap stands eight-feet-tall and comprises: three sides for merchandising, a cooler for stocking frozen foods, a backlit sign, anda map/buried-treasure-themed signage kit including a cooler clings and shelf strips. “We have large stores, and we have spent the last number of years creating some unique items our customers will really love. And we think we have more exciting ‘treasure’ than other places because ours is buried treasure. We have 100,000 SKUs, not 2,000 SKUs. So we really wanted to unbury the treasure,” Gil Phipps, Kroger’s vice president of branding, marketing and our brands, told Supermarket News. “We’ve created a dense and intense place for it called the Treasure EmporiYum, with ‘X marks the spot’ on these items throughout the aisles. We really want to call them out and tell customers about what makes them so special that it’s worth stopping and reading."Beyond the test display, Kroger launched a broader Treasure EmporiYum marketing campaign to spotlight SKUs from its Private Selection, Simple Truth, HemisFares and Kroger brands. The marketing plan for the campaign includes an eight-page booklet highlighting a "carefully curated collection of distinctly delicious discoveries" from the aforementioned brands such as Private Selection grilled mushroom and truffle oil pizza, HemisFares unfiltered Sicilian extra virgin olive oil, Simple Truth organic sparkling coconut water, and Kroger "prime rib and horseradish" potato chips. Available in Kroger stores and across multiple chain websites, the booklet also communicates the retailer is growing its "ever-expanding array of culinary curiosities" and encourages shoppers to discover Treasure EmporiYum SKUs throughout the store, "marked with a X." “I think customers want to know the stories behind the products,” Phipps told Supermarket News. “We made the [booklet] informative and fun to read so customers can learn about the items in their cart.”In stores, cooler headers employing an “X hits the spot” message promote the campaign while shelf tags within the aisles identify participating products by depicting an X. Features in December and January circulars support, encouraging shoppers to look out for the shelf tags. Online, chain websites host a dedicated Treasure EmporiYum page that serves to plug the campaign, tout participating products and direct users to:a digital-version of the aforementioned flyer,pages dedicated to "craft snacks & sodas," "small batch sauces," "frozen finds," "oils and olives," "Italian bronze cut pastas and sauces," and "fair-trade coconut water," andrecipe pages.

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