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Sansolo Encourages Retailers to Aim Higher

LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- Retailers were encouraged to make the ever-competitive marketplace work for them here yesterday by Michael Sansolo, senior vice president of the Food Marketing Institute, at Information Resources Inc.'s Summit titled "Changing the Game."

LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- Retailers were encouraged to make the ever-competitive marketplace work for them here yesterday by Michael Sansolo, senior vice president of the Food Marketing Institute, at Information Resources Inc.'s Summit titled "Changing the Game." "Incremental improvement is not good enough," he said. "Retailers are doing things better, but somehow they're not winning, because the game is changing on us. We're living in a world where being average means losing. Don't fight on someone else‘s turf; make it work for you." Sansolo noted that Supervalu's Save-A-Lot does a good job of tapping into a critical niche. "These stores don't look special, but they're special and distinct because they match consumer values and shoppers‘ needs," he said. "Save-A-Lot caters to the needs of lower economic classes and allows them to make effective use of their spending power." As shoppers seek retailers that meet their distinct needs, location is becoming far less important, he noted. "They'll drive past a number of stores to reach one that matches their values," said Sansolo. "Whole Food's apples are apparently grown on a different planet, because they cost three times as much, but people will go out of their way to get them." -- Julie Gallagher