'Post-Dispatch' Does Direct Mail for Grocery Chains

By: E&P Staff The Pulitzer-owned St. Louis Post-Dispatch will create a direct-mail venture with two area grocery chains in a move to expand the daily's advertising reach.

The program, called Local Values, begins on March 1 and allows stores to target geographic zones via Post-Dispatch carriers and the U.S. mail. So far, Dierbergs Markets and Shop 'n' Save have made firm commitments to Local Values.

"We're really excited about it," John Muckerman, vice president/marketing at Dierbergs, said in the Post-Dispatch. The chain had been using the ADVO service for the past 15 years.

The Post-Dispatch, which is a relative latecomer to the direct-mail business, is looking to lure more customers to Local Values with cost savings and improved targeting.