Archive for the ‘Press’ Category
Good Times at Ptaceks
Monday, July 26th, 2010Ptaceks is Hometown Proud
Thursday, June 17th, 2010
Ptacek’s IGA Challenges Community with Wii Fit
Thursday, March 11th, 2010
IGA Hometown Healthy Challenge is underway, and IGA Retailers around the country are increasing the impact of the event by adding activities tailored for their communities. Today, Pat Ptacek, store manager of Ptacek’s IGA, shares how he amped up his event with a local community member’s help.
When we started planning this year’s Hometown Healthy Challenge program we wanted make sure we had a local angle to tie in to get our customers excited. After a little research we struck gold. Turns out, we have our own local celebrity: A member of our community invented the Frii Board, a Nintendo Wii-compatible device that makes the Wii Fit balance board a better
exercise opportunity. Basically, it’s a component which connects to the Wii Fit balance board and makes it wobbly, which helps promote core stability and build core muscles. And the best part is that it has also proven to be a great tool in improving balance and coordination in kids with disabilities such as Down Syndrome.
Right away we recognized that we want to build the Frii Board into our event, so we set out to let the community know we would be having in-store demos during one weekend of our Hometown Healthy Challenge event. We used our e-newsletter and our Facebook page to promote it, as well as in-store bag stuffers and signage. The demos were a big success, and everyone left excited about our upcoming raffle of an entire Wii Fit package.
This event was a unique way to get our shoppers interested in fitness and exercise. When you think of working out, you usually think of something strenuous and boring, like running on a treadmill. We were trying to show our customers that working out can not only be fun, it can be a game!
Thanks,
Pat Ptacek
PTACEK’S IGA HONORED AT AFFILIATED FOODS MIDWEST FALL SHOW
Sunday, October 11th, 2009(Omaha, NE) Ptacek’s IGA was honored with an award on Friday, September 18, 2009 in Omaha, Nebraska at the Qwest Center in conjunction with the 78th Annual Affiliated Foods Midwest Fall Food Show. During the reception, IGA/USA CEO Mark Batenic commented, “Ptacek’s IGA in Prescott, Wisconsin has exhibited extraordinary support of the IGA label by striving to continually add new IGA items to their Product Mix. They have also continued to show increased sales growth over the past year. Their One Day Meat Sales continue to set Daily Sales Records each and every time. Their latest sale contributed to Daily Sales in excess of 100 Thousand dollars. Pat has also developed a weekly e-mail that goes out on Ptacek’s Web Site which list not only events happening at Ptacek’s but in the community and surrounding area as well. He also posts pictures of the latest sighting of ‘Ptacek’s IGA Red Reusable Bag.’ The bag has been seen all over the world. In recognition of their outstanding performance, Affiliated Foods Midwest is proud to recognize Ptacek’s IGA as one of our 2009 IGA Hometown Proud award recipients.”
Affiliated Foods Midwest is a member-owned cooperative providing independent grocers with a full range of foods, supermarket supplies and services throughout several states in the Midwest. AFM is a member of the Topco Cooperative, the 2nd largest producer of grocery goods in the United States.
A Message to IGA Retailers
Thursday, May 7th, 2009Since 1926, millions of customers have confidently shopped their local IGAs knowing that IGA promises a unique brand of personalized, neighborly customer service and community commitment. Today, Patrick Ptacek, manager of Ptacek’s IGA in Prescott, Wis., shares how he maintains close communication
with his customers through his weekly newsletter.
A few years ago we kind of half-heartedly began collecting e-mail addresses so we could send out occasional e-mails to let our customers know about sales and events at our store. From the beginning we could tell that these e-mails were working because we were seeing a lot more community involvement. Then about six months ago I started to think that it might be even more effective if we expanded our e-mail lists and started sending out a dependable, weekly update.
I started by telling our customers that we needed their addresses so we could share valuable information with them on a weekly basis. We papered the store with e-mail signup lists, put a call for e-mail addresses on our Web site, and within no time we had a respectable e-mail list.
Of course in the end you have to send out a good message to keep people from opting out of an e-mail. Early on I decided that the weekly message we sent out needed to reflect the personality of our store. I didn’t want it to look like a slick corporate piece. I get the newsletters from our competitors and they’re all boring, so I set out to do something that was homegrown, hometown proud and fun-just like our store. I write it myself, and I try to make people feel like they’re standing in the store having a conversation
with me.
Like anything you do, our newsletter is a work in progress, but I try to keep it fresh. Just recently we added the “Where in the World is Your IGA Red Bag?” – a contest where people can send in photos of themselves and their reusable Ptacek’s IGA bags in places all around the world. It’s been a big hit, and it keeps people coming back.
Anyone can do this. It doesn’t have to take a lot of time, and it doesn’t require a lot of skill. Communicate sales and events, include coupons, and keep it interesting and fun by talking about the community and the people in it. Your customers will love you for it. I get tons of e-mails about our newsletter every day, and our e-mail list keeps growing. Right now we’re at 700, which is pretty good for a town of 3,000.
Thanks,
Pat Ptacek
Below Pat and his wife Joy – his trustworthy proofreader – visit London’s
Hampton Court with their Ptacek’s IGA Red Bag.
