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Hy-Vee Store Sets Sights on Its Newest Neighbors

Moving to a new area is always a stressful event, and most businesses recognize the importance of making a good first impression on new customers. So, being the first supermarket to greet a family to town and offer them free groceries as an incentive to visit a store can be a great way to generate loyalty as those customers begin establishing new shopping habits. Brad McAnally, store director for Hy-Vee here, explained that people who have recently moved to the area can be otherwise difficult to reach with traditional circulars or other print ads. “When new people come to town, the first thing that they do isn’t getting a subscription to the newspaper,” he told SN. “They like to feel things out. So, you’re generally going to miss them for a period of time when they move to town.” “That first moment is key. The hardest part of running a grocery store is getting them in the door. And it’s hard for people to switch grocery stores. So if they’re new to town, how do you get them in your door first?” McAnally addressed this challenge at his location by developing a locally exclusive partnership with Pinellas Park, Fla.-based Our Town America, a national new mover marketing company that sends targeted mailers with high-value coupons to families that have just moved to the Saint Joseph area. According to information supplied by Our Town America, his store’s program costs about $150 per month and targets an average of 114 New Movers per month. Of those who receive the mailers — generally coupons for $10 of free groceries — the response rate is almost 22%, or about 24 potential new customers each month. “They can use the coupon however they want to,” he said. “It’s a $10 bill basically, asking them to come check out our store.” These new shoppers also tend to browse the entire store and check out different departments, McAnally has noticed. The coupons have also provided a source of customer feedback, which is almost always positive, he said. “The cool thing is when they get done using these coupons, there’s a questionnaire that they can fill out. And I get a lot of those back. Out of the hundred or so that we send out per month we get about 10 back. They say, ‘We love your store, glad we got the coupon, I’m a loyal shopper.’ And I’ve had people over the years tell me, ‘Hey, the first time I came into your store was because I got that welcome thing in the mail.’ I hear that all the time.” Register for Supermarket News to read article article. Source: Supermarket News Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]

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PMQ Aug 2011 Idea Zone Top IDEA!

New Residents Find Customers Our Town America

You’ve just moved to a new town. So where do you eat pizza? At the pizzeria that invites you in for a free pie, of course! Get Them Hooked How do you sniff out the newbies in town? Try utilizing a direct mailing company with more than 39 years of experience to target new residents in your town. “It’s much harder to convert a customer to your store with coupons than it is to invite newcomers without established loyalties to try your pizza,” says Michael Plummer Jr. from Our Town in Pinellas Park, Florida. In fact, the average America family moves once every five years, making for a lot of fresh faces in the neighborhood and plenty of opportunities to snag new loyal customers. Read More Here… Source: PMQ Magazine, August 2011 Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]

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Grocery Stores Making Lasting Impact With New Mover Direct Mail Programs

Grocery Store New Mover Marketing Our Town America

Millions of Americans, 40 million a year according to the most recent census, move each year and are forced to develop a relationship with their new “go-to” grocery store.   More important than their staple pizza joint or dry cleaner, their grocery store is like their home away from home – it’s where they get food for their family, prescriptions to make it through the day…heck, some even do their banking there.   It’s a one-stop shop to knock out the honey-do list, so it’s important to find the store that “fits” the family. Read More Here… Source: PR News Channel, January 2012   Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]

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Moving and Starting Over in a New Neighborhood

Happy family on the floor with cardboard boxes moving in their new home

Whether you are moving for a sad reason like death, divorce or financial difficulties or a happy reason such as marriage, a new job or buying your first home moving can take an emotional toll. If you are living out of boxes, planning ahead can do wonders. Do your best to stay organized. Label boxes not just by the room, but by item as well. You will also find that creating a separate Moving Must Haves kit will make your life easier. Make sure to pack toilet paper, prescription medications, pain reliever, an alarm clock, paper towels and some basic cleaning supplies, snacks & water, food for your pets and a favorite toy for kids and/or age appropriate activities like crayons & coloring books.  This should be the last thing out and first thing you move in. If you have children, uprooting them from their familiar surroundings will most certainly add to the challenge. Learning a new school, making new friends, getting acquainted with their new teachers, and etc. But let’s face it, there is a lot more to it than that. It’s not just the packing and unpacking, not just the lost, missing or broken items, not even the tired feet and aching back. Moving is just plain stressful! Often times, a move means leaving behind family, friends, and everything with which you are familiar.  We as humans are creatures of habit; moving pulls that security blanket of familiarity right out from under us. Starting Over After a Move Learning your way around your new neighborhood can be tough.  Deciding which businesses to establish loyalties to – pizza places, veterinary clinics, housecleaning companies, and etc.  Some are easy to decide on, while others require some trial and error. It can be trying, deciding exactly what we are looking for and who we are comfortable with. What are you finding hardest to replace since your last move? Tell us Here!     Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]

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