Father’s Day Promotions Heat Up

The meat department is once again front and center for Father’s Day merchandising and promotions.

This year, Hy-Vee stores are offering a promotion during Father’s Day weekend, June 19-20, through which shoppers can order custom beef cuts from the Hy-Vee Choice Reserve and Hy-Vee Prime Reserve private label brands based on the preferences of the father in their lives. The West Des Moines, Ia.-based retailer also shares steak cooking tips and recipes on its “Meat the Facts” web page.

The Fresh Market, Inc. is making it easier for people to celebrate Dad with a home-grilled meal. The Greensboro, N.C.-based chain is offering ready-to-cook Father’s Day meal solutions, including an Ultimate Kabob Meal for $49.99 and a Tomahawk Meal for $99. Both serve four people and include meat, sides and dessert.

Equipment is also part of grilling-centric Father’s Day promotions. For example, Cincinnati, Ohio-headquartered The Kroger Co. is offering discounts across its banners for Father’s Day gifts for delivery, including 30% off grills and smokers. Kroger’s online Father’s Day store features an array of barbecue supplies and tools for in-store, pickup and delivery and recipes for grilling meat and other foods.

Sweepstakes are part of promotions for this year’s celebrations, too. Fareway Meat & Grocery, a Boone, Iowa-based chain with 124 Midwest locations, is offering an Ultimate Father’s Day Giveaway, with prizes including high-end wood-fired smokers and “grill master” kits.

Overall, consumers are expected to ramp up their celebrations this time around. A new survey conducted for the National Retail Federation by Prosper Insight & Analytics projects that U.S. consumers will spend more than $20.1 billion on gifts and other items for Father’s Day and are preparing to dole out more than they did last year now that regular lifestyles are resuming.