With the slightly warmer weather and the hints of buds on the trees, March and April are the perfect months to promote your garden items like gloves, topsoil, terra cotta containers, seeds, bulbs, gardening tools, and so forth. Fragrant bulbs at the entrance of your store are also sure to wind up in your customers' shopping carts. Foodwise, it's the time of year many people begin to consider whether their New Year's diets have been a success; summer bathing suit weather is much more of a reality in spring than it is at the start of the new year! People will be eating more salads and yogurt as well as "lite" products. Memberships to the gym go up, and so will your sales of nutrition bars and bottled beverages like water and sports drinks.

These food items are even more popular at this time because the warmer months usually mean the beginning of Little League games and adult recreational sports. Also on the sports front, there are a number of professional level games happening that usually prompt get togethers with friends and family in front of the television. Game food, like chips, pretzels, dips, cheese, crackers, beverages, sandwich fixings, as well as ready-made sandwiches, if your store has a deli, should be promoted in March for the big basketball games.

This time of the year is also the time when the world's major religions celebrate their most sacred holidays. These holidays usually entail large meals with the the whole family; knowing a bit of each holiday's history will only allow you to market the celebration more effectively.

Islamic New Year (1423): March 4, 2003

This is the first day of Muharram, the first month in the Islamic calendar, which is a lunar calendar and therefore moves 10-11 days each year. Islamic New Year reminds Muslims of the migration (Hijrah) of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina in the year 622 C.E. Islamic New Year does not have religious services associated with it, but often Muslims use the holiday to send greeting cards and celebrate with family and friends with subtly spiced delicious Halal meals (see Organic Living).

Many Muslim foods are not so well-known to the mass population in the United States, but some food items central to the Islamic diet are gaining popularity, like couscous, shish kebabs and tabouli. Entice your customers - Muslim and non-Muslim alike - to sample from some of the more well-known delicacies your store has to offer. This will not only raise awareness of Islamic foods to the whole population, but will also encourage your Islamic neighbors to shop in your store. After all, there are an estimated 1.5 billion Muslims in the world, making Islam one of the world's largest religious group. There are an estimated 6-8 million Muslims in America, making Islam the second largest religious group in the United States. While the majority of American Muslims were born in this country, they are from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds: 42% are African-American, 24% are South Asian, 12% are Arab, 5% are African, 4% are Persian, and the remaining 13% are European, Southeast Asian and Turkish. (Source Islamic Network Group)

Passover: Begins April 16, 2003

Passover, also known as Pesach, is an eight day Jewish holiday that commemorates the flight and freedom of the Israelites from Egypt. Customs associated with Passover include eating matzoh, or unleavened bread, throughout the entire festival, and eating bitter herbs and other foods at the Seder celebration. While many reasons are given for eating matzoh, the most popular tradition is that it recalls the bread the Israelites ate at the time of the Exodus: in their rush to leave Egypt, they did not have time for the bread to rise. Throughout the holiday, observant Jews will eat no leavened food, replacing breads, pastas, and cakes with matzoh and other specially prepared foods.

Before the holiday begins, a traditional Jewish woman/wife will remove and discard all food with leavening from her household, doing a thorough job, to assure not so much of a crumb remains.

Passover is a family holiday and a happy one. The first night is the most important, followed by the second night. It is traditional for a Jewish family to gather on both these nights for a special dinner called a Seder where the story of the Israelite exodus from Egypt is retold by the reading of the Book of the Exodus.

Haddon House carries a vast assortment of Kosher items as well as Kosher for Passover products; for more information about our Kosher program, please contact your Haddon House sales representative or Frank Zacharewicz, director of Kosher Marketing at (609) 654-7901, extension 295.

Easter: April 20, 2003

Easter is one of two main religious holidays in the Christian calendar, the other being Christmas. According to tradition, Easter marks the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The calculation of Easter's date is partly based on when Passover occurs, which commemorates the Exodus. It is during Passover holiday that Jesus is believed to be resurrected.

In Western Christianity, Easter marks the end of the 40 days of Lent, a period of fasting and penitence in preparation for Easter, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Sunday.

As with other Christian holidays, Easter is also commercially important, with big sales of confectionery items such as chocolate Easter eggs, marshmallow bunnies, Peeps, jelly beans, and greeting cards. Traditionally, the family gathers for a feast of lamb or ham, breads, potatoes, dessert, and more. Your bakery and butcher department sales should increase this time of year, especially by using cross-merchandising techniques in one area of your store to market select items from other areas (canned pineapples near your hams, for instance).

Haddon House is your source for delicious Easter chocolates and other treats. Be sure to check out the Creative Merchandiser deals in this issue! We also carry a wide range of items to enhance your Easter table, like our very own delicious wild rice, as well as savory sauces and gravies, canned and frozen vegetables and much more!

With proper advertisements and reminders (like signage and food tasting demos) throughout your store, the family-oriented holidays, as well as National Frozen Food Month, at this time of year will guarantee you great sales.

Happy Spring!

Photos by Dena O'Hara.