Holiday prompts grocery specials
Small-town stores deck the halls with contests and prizes
By Scott Ritter Special to the Kansan
Students from medium or small towns might have noticed differences since arriving in Lawrence. Gone are the days of the local barber asking about gossip or making a trip through town without worrying about stoplights and heavy traffic.
Alvin's IGA, 901 Iowa St., said that it plans sales on items such as ham, turkey and pumpkin pie. They said the Christmas season was one of the busiest seasons of the year.
Jim Lewis, manager of Checkers, 2300 Louisiana St., also said plenty of Christmas foods will be on sale.
The holiday season has brought out one other noticeable difference: the way grocery stores celebrate it. Lawrence's grocery stores are getting into the holiday spirit with gigantic sales on the traditional holiday foods, but it is a big change for those used to the more local-oriented celebrations at small, non-chain grocery stores.
"In the past, we have had Santa and his
reindeer out front and may do that again this year." Lewis said.
Food 4 Less,2525 Iowa St., and the three Dillon's stores, at 1740 Massachusetts St. 3000 W.Sixth St.,and 1015 W.23rd St., had not made specific plans yet but promised huge sales to their customers.
Those used to living in larger cities may not find that unusual, but many may be more used to what happens in Burlington,a town of 3,000 people south of Topeka. Burlington has one grocery store in town.
The grocery store, Hoover's Thriftway, is operated by a local man and his son and daughter. They have been very successful, in part because of the local feel they attempt to keep in their store.
Co-manager Tammy Salava said, "On the Saturday before Christmas, we set up a tree at the front of the store and give away random prizes to customers."
The prizes are donated by Hoover's and other local merchants. In the past, Hoover's has given away stuffed animals, lottery tickets, grocery certificates and other items.
This year, the store also is having carolers sing in the store on the days leading up to the holiday.
"I think the large grocery stores don't do this because they don't have to, " Salava said. "They are not as community-oriented as we are."
Left:
Justin Hosek
Quail Run
6th grade
The best thing
about the K-Youth program is:
"It teaches kids to look at different things differently."
COMMUNITY * K-you * December 8, 1993