CIRCLE K
Circle K's Midwest division positioned the chain's Polar Pop soda fountain service as offering "Cool gifts for the holidays." Window clings directed shoppers to a promotional site to buy holiday merchandise, including T-shirts, sweatshirts, [image-nocss] caps, backpacks, tote bags and mugs, carrying the Polar Pop logo, according to the "C-Store Field Report."
In other holiday activity, floorstands stocked seasonal merchandise, including "stocking stuffers" such as gift cards. Other, more typical signage promoted Circle K premium coffee and touted deals on Polar Pop, grill-service items, PepsiCo products and firewood.
Elsewhere, Circle K's West division is promoting coffee with a "KoffeePalooza 2009" sweepstakes that awards $5,000 in store gift cards "so you can get your morning hot beverage for free for a very long time," according to the division's website. The sweeps runs Nov. 3 to Dec. 31. Entry is online.
Meanwhile, the Southeast division is running a "Coffee Concoction Contest" that awards a year's worth of free coffee and a premium mug to the winner who submits the best coffee or cappuccino recipe using products from Circle K's Ajava bar, the In-Store Marketing Institute reported. The contest runs Nov. 3 through Dec. 31.
Elsewhere, the Arizona division this month hosted such vendor-specific promotions as: A buy-one-get-one offer for a free Fuze energy drink with purchase, redeemable via tearpad coupons on cooler clings. A cross-merchandising offer from Coca-Cola Co. dangling $1 off the combined purchase of two hot dogs and a 20-ounce Coca-Cola product or one hot dog and a 2-liter Coke SKU. Cooler clings support the promotion. A continuity program from PepsiCo awarding $40 gift cards to MLSgear.com to shoppers who mailed in 10 labels from 20-ounce bottles and a redemption certificate distributed on cooler clings. An incentive from PepsiCo awarding tickets to a Phoenix Coyotes National Hockey League game with purchase of four eight-packs of product. A cross-merchandising offer from Anheuser-Busch providing $1 off the combined purchase of a hot breakfast item and two 24-ounce cans or one four-pack of Chelada (Budweiser & Clamato or Bud Light & Clamato) beer. Cooler clings with tearpads support the promotion. A "two for $2" offer on Mars Inc.'s M&M's, communicated on floor clings accompanied by plastic dump bins shaped like the brand's "spokescharacters." Laval, Quebec-based Alimentation Couche-Tard operates 2,883 corporate-owned and 975 affiliated Circle K stores in 43 states.
In part 2 of this report tomorrow, CSP Daily News will uncover the In-Store Marketing Institute's reports on Speedway SuperAmerica and ampm's recent marketing efforts.
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