• Specialty meat items can help grocers raise both their profits and their profiles in the meat case, say retailers in a Progressive Grocer webcast sponsored by NichePork
   
• NichePork Conference coming up in Ohio
   
• Consumer site launched on nichepork.org to make connections with producers
   
• Is your nichepork.org listing up to date?
   
• Producers click here to view your checkoff responsibilities or call 515-223-2617

Specialty meat items can help grocers raise both their profits and their profiles in the meat case, say retailers in a Progressive Grocer webcast
The October 17 NichePork sponsored webcast “Kicking It Up a Niche in the Meat Case: The Potential of Upscale Pork to Increase Fresh Meat Sales” proved to be an even hotter topic among retailers than anticipated. To read the Progressive Grocer article on the webcast, click here.

The webcast (which can be likened to an on-line seminar with live presentations made on screen) featured Wild Oats’ Kurt Luttecke, VP of Meat, Seafood and Foodservice, and Aileen Magnotto, co-owner of Magnotto’s Shop ‘n Save, a high-end independent in Hermitage, Pennsylvania. They talked about trends they’re seeing in the meat case for niche products and shared their insights about how they’re meeting this market opportunity. Research on the market potential for niche pork products was also presented by the National Pork Board’s Larry Cizek.

Webcasts are typically rated on how many pre-registrants attend the live event and how long they stay on-line during the event. The “Kicking it Up a Niche” webcast achieved over 100 live unique connections and a stay-through rate of 90%, a phenomenal rate for these types of events. The conversion rate (percent of pre-registrants that attend) also beat today’s standard – 30-40% is considered strong, this webcast achieved 50%.

A mix of retailers attended the webcast, including specialty and natural food markets, independent grocery stores, wholesalers/distributors, and mainstream supermarket chains. When asked if they typically offer niche pork products in their meat case, 61% said yes with another 24% saying they’re currently evaluating this. When asked what they consider the main benefit of carrying niche pork products, 30% said “to provide greater breadth of offering for customers seeking variety”, 25% said “to meet the needs of customers looking for niche pork products”.

To view the webcast click here. A link to the webcast can also be found on nichepork.org.

NichePork Conference coming up in Ohio
Pork producers interested in niche pork marketing and production will have an opportunity to learn more at another upcoming NichePork Producer Conference being held January 23, 2007 at the Ramada Conference Center of Bryan/Montpelier, Ohio.

The conference will feature a keynote speaker, presentations of consumer trends (national research and Ohio-based research), breakout sessions on the topics of getting started in niche, supply systems and producer marketing associations, and producer success stories. There
are also opportunities for exhibitors. A conference agenda with presenters and registration information will be available on nichepork.org late November/early December. For more information contact Florian Chirra at 419-636-5608.

This conference is being brought to producers by Ohio State University, Michigan State University Extension and the National Pork Board through the Pork Checkoff with sponsorship by the Ohio Pork Producers Council.

Consumer site launched on nichepork.org to make connections with producers
A consumer section is now live on nichepork.org to help make connections between consumers looking for something different and the niche pork producers who can provide what they’re looking for. The site’s featured producer database can be searched by mile radius and/or niche category. Links to find farmer’s markets nationwide are also provided. Click here to view the new consumer section.

Is your nichepork.org listing up to date?
If you’re part of the nichepork.org producer or processor database, now would be a great time to check your listing. If you’d like to make any updates or changes, simply call the Pork Checkoff Service Center at 800-456-PORK (800-456-7675). If you know of other producers or processors involved in niche pork production that may be interested in being listed, have them call 800-456-PORK (800-456-7675). There is no charge to be listed.

Producers: Click here to view your checkoff responsibilities or call (515) 223-2617