Southern Family Markets Wins 2009 Retail Beef Backer^® Award in Midsize Chain Category

Posted to BeefRetail.org in conjunction with May 2010 issue of Retail Beef Blast.

The Beef Checkoff Program has announced Southern Family Markets (SFM) as the winner of the Retail Beef Backer Award in the midsize chain category for their commitment to outstanding beef marketing and merchandising programs.

Southern Family Markets, LLC, headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, has 66 stores in Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Mississippi under the banners of Bruno’s, Food World, Piggly Wiggly and Southern Family Markets. In 2008, SFM rolled out an Angus Branded Beef program and began working with their local state beef councils while using BeefRetail.org as a resource to help build beef sales. 
They have utilized many of the informational tools to train and teach employees. They also educate their consumers and associates about the benefits of beef. The meat departments at each of the banner stores did an outstanding job of promoting beef throughout their locations, participating in several beef checkoff-funded programs such as:
• Seasonal Merchandising programs
• Slice and Save
• Beef Bargain Bundles
• Easy Fresh Cooking
• Beef Value Cuts

SFM further implemented their own independent programs in all banner stores. Also focused on training, SFM and the Alabama Beef Council conducted a successful Beef Training Camp session in April 2009, including more than 100 employees, including in-store associates, meat managers and executive officers.

“We must be an advocate of the industry in every aspect of the business, training being one of those areas,” said Jeff Burkhead, SFM Senior Vice President and General Manager. “Our primary goal in promoting beef is to add value at the meat case for the customer to save money, especially in this economy.”  

“Another component is educating our customers to reach out to us as the neighborhood experts,” said Carey Otwell, SFM Director of Meat/Seafood. 

All banners have a 24-hour ground beef freshness guarantee, meat cutters in each store, and promote Angus beef heavily.

Congratulations, Southern Family Markets!

See all winners here.