In a flat market, finding new retail partners is one of the most obvious ways to grow sales, and so grocery stores are becoming an important channel for some publishers. With The Supermarket Diet, which has the backing of the Good Housekeeping brand, Sterling has hit on a title that's getting an unusually good reception at major U.S. grocery chains.
Eleven accounts, including Safeway, Kroger and Publix, took about half of the 95,000-copy printing. Many are taking 12-copy displays of the $19.99 hardcover, which landed on December 27. The rest of the books have shipped to B&N, Target, independents, wholesalers and Canadian accounts, according to Sterling president Andy Martin.
"A smart supermarket can see this book as helping to sell their products," he said, explaining that the low-calorie diet promises weight loss using brand-name packaged foods.
The partnership with Good Housekeeping has given the book strong exposure, in addition to lending authority to the diet. The magazine ran a six-page feature on the book and diet in its January issue, and will continue to support it online and through a Good Housekeeping column that's syndicated in Hearst newspapers. The Supermarket Diet comes out of Hearst's book deal with Sterling.
USA Today also gave The Supermarket Diet the thumbs-up when it appeared in a January 4 diet roundup. The book's author, nutritionist Janis Jibrin, will do a satellite TV tour in 20—30 markets that's underwritten by the Calorie Control Council, a nonprofit representing the low-calorie and reduced-fat food and beverage industry.
Though the mass merchandise channel has a higher return rate than any other, the B&N-owned Sterling has more incentive than other publishers to take the risk, since Borders and Costco refuse to support many of its books, including The Supermarket Diet. The move could pay off, especially if recent efforts by upscale supermarkets to merchandise and discount hardcovers more aggressively are successful.
Whatever happens in the supermarkets, a hefty 15,000 copies of The Supermarket Diet will get front-of-store placement in B&N stores. That's not a bad start for a diet book.
