As summer grilling season approaches, lamb loins stand out as a real star. Tender, flavorful and a snap to prepare on the grill, loins make the perfect warm weather entrée. To help generate interest in loins and bump up overall lamb sales, regional retailer Hy-Vee Supermarkets and the Iowa Lamb Board have developed a cooperative promotion that positions loins directly in front of Hy-Vee shoppers. The timing of the promotion couldn’t be better; record low wholesale pricing has created the opportunity to feature loins at great savings to customers.

Hy-Vee Supermarkets, headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, is one of the top 20 supermarket retailers in the nation and a strong supporter of American Lamb.

The joint promotion is running in 250 Hy-Vee stores in 7 Midwestern states (Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, South Dakota, Missouri, Kansas and Illinois) from February through August 2009.

The goals of the joint promotion are to:

• Increase loin chop sales by 20% during the 7-month promotion period, compared to the same time frame a year ago

• Increase overall lamb sales by 15% during the 7-month promotion period, compared to the same time frame a year ago

Hy-Vee shoppers will be targeted in two ways:

• In-store TV commercials to grab customers’ attention and direct them to the lamb display
• In-store demos and sampling featuring loin chops and other cuts to promote lamb’s great flavor

In 2007, Hy-Vee Supermarkets and Iowa Lamb worked on a joint project designed to increase sales of American Lamb through a high-quality case-ready lamb program and supporting POS materials. The project was very successful; lamb pound sales increased 38% from October 2007 through August 2008 compared to the same period the previous year.

Hy-Vee and the Iowa Lamb hope to build on the success of their previous collaboration by leveraging the current promotion to boost sales of loin chops and other lamb cuts despite the stiff economic climate. The project will be evaluated based on sales data and feedback.