NEW YORK Recognizing recession-weary consumers are buying more shelf-stable products, Del Monte, General Mills, Kraft and others are focusing their marketing and R&D efforts on the formerly unsexy center of the supermarket.
The move is notable because, for the past few years, most of Big Food's marketing focus has been on the outer aisles while the center store -- the middle aisles that hold everything from kidney beans to vanilla pudding to marshmallows -- got little attention.
"Center store is back," said Tom Vierhile, a research director who tracks new products at Datamonitor in New York. "People got away from it in the first place because it lacked the pizzazz and sex appeal" that's present in categories such as the frozen and fresh produce units, he said.
That's because retailers, for some time now, have used those outer sections as a branding tool, often investing marketing muscle behind seafood, produce and deli units to create a distinct supermarket experience.
Food makers, too, followed suit, with new products like Ore-Ida Steam 'N Mash potatoes and ConAgra's Healthy Choice Café Steamers winning key shelf space in the frozen section. But the recession and a back-to-basics focus by consumers are finally giving center store a chance to shine, industry experts say.
"I think what we're going to see now is, because more people are discovering or rediscovering the center store, these companies are now saying, 'This is the time to advertise. We are going to innovate,'" said Phil Lempert, the self-proclaimed "Supermarket Guru."
Among marketers shifting their focus to the center:
• Del Monte. The pet and consumer foods maker recently began advertising its canned fruits and vegetables line for the first time in 10 years. Called "Stretch Your Dollar," the $15 million campaign, via Smith Brothers Agency in Pittsburgh, aims to persuade shoppers to buy canned over fresh or frozen products.
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