Versailles IGA Scores First Place in National Display Contest

Jul 16, 2019

IGA retailers take note: there’s money to be made in potato displays! For the past 28 years, the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) has held an annual retail display contest for grocers to help promote February as Idaho Potato Lovers Month, and if you’re not participating, you’re missing out.

Just ask the team at Versailles IGA in Versailles, Indiana, who created and submitted one of the 5,266 retail displays nationwide, increasing potato sales and taking home a $1,500 cash prize as the winner in the small-store category (one to five registers).  

“We had so many wonderful entries this year for both large and small displays,” said IPC Marketing Manager Jamie Bowen, who managed the display contest, with $150,000 in cash awards given out in three categories. “It’s always difficult to pick winners, but this year was especially challenging. We love it that so many retailers are creating such imaginative Idaho® potato displays, driving sales during what is traditionally a slower time of the year.”

The local farming and Amish communities helped inspire the country-themed backdrop for Versailles IGA’s 1st prize display. The elaborate display was truly a team effort from the produce department, said Produce Manager Bill McRoberts. “We really enjoy doing it, and we sold a lot of Idaho® [potatoes] when it was up,” he added.

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According to Store Owner Bobby Wood, the store has placed in the top five in their category in four out of the five past years they’ve entered the contest, but this is the first year they scored first place. He credits produce employee Rosella Elliott as getting the store involved in the first place and coming up with creative ideas each year.

Each in-store display was required to incorporate clearly marked fresh Idaho® potatoes (bag, bulk, or both) with a clear label showing the Idaho® name and the "Grown in Idaho®" seal, an Idaho dehydrated potato product and any variety of Hormel® bacon toppings. The displays also needed to feature IPC special themed point-of-sale materials: double-sided Potato Lover’s Month logo display signs, double-sided signs with appetizing photos, and inflatable IPC-branded balloons. Retailers were required to showcase the display in their stores' produce sections for at least one week between January 14 and March 15, 2019.

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Hormel® bacon toppings was a natural choice to partner with Idaho® potatoes in the display contest, since “52 percent of consumers use bacon toppings on their potatoes,” said Hormel® bacon toppings Brand Manager Corrine Hjelmen in a news release. “It’s our fifth year doing the contest, and we are excited about planning the sixth.”

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In addition to the $1,500 cash prize, the store received a free 1.5-liter Toastmaster Air Fryer, which is sent to everyone who entered. The Category Manager Match Program also awarded equivalent prizes to corporate category managers for stores that qualified for first through fifth place prizes.

For more information and to enter in 2020, go to https://idahopotato.com/retail/plm-winners/2019.

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