|
FARM FRESH FOODS FOR
HOLIDAY GIFTS
New Items and More Choices in Stew Leonard's "Gifts By Mail" Catalog |
 NORWALK,
Conn., September 10, 2002 - Commemorating its 20th anniversary, the
Stew Leonard's "Gifts By Mail" catalog is being delivered to nearly
one million homes this month. The new catalog features 40 varieties of baskets,
tins, towers and other gifts ranging from sweet to savory. "Everybody loves to get a food gift basket. It always fits and it is fun to share," said Beth Leonard Hollis, founder of Bethy's Bakery and the Gift Center at Stew Leonard's. "All of our gifts are hand-packed, ship the next business day and come delivered in our signature 'cow-motif' box, which people love." |
| Stew Leonard's, with stores in Connecticut
and New York, is world renowned for their "farm fresh" foods;
80 percent of Stew Leonard's products are brought in fresh or prepared at
the store daily - so it is more like a "super farmers market"
than a traditional grocery store. Stew Leonard's Gift Center originated
from a loyal customer asking Beth Leonard to send some of Stew's baked goods
to his clients as a holiday gift. After the customer's clients received
the baskets, Beth's phone was soon ringing with requests for additional
orders, and the Gift Center was born. Twenty years later, Stew Leonard's
Gift Center sends out 100,000 baskets every holiday season. |
| The most popular basket is Stew's Sweet
Treats Basket, and it sells out every year. The basket retails for $29.99
and is filled with fresh chocolate chip cookies from Bethy's Bakery, freshly-popped
popcorn, rich chocolate truffles, butter toasted peanuts and gooey caramels.
|
| A current favorite is the Snack
Attack Basket brimming with three types of cheese, summer sausage, fresh
brewed Stew Leonard's coffee and crisp crackers. The Snack Attack Basket
retails for $39.99. |
| Along with past favorites, the "Gifts By Mail" catalog includes several new items put in specifically as a result of customers' requests. |
|
|
|
|
| "We recommend that people order now
to reserve a basket for the holidays since many of the gift basket items
sell out every year," said Beth Leonard Hollis. |
| Stew Leonard's "Gifts by Mail"
can be ordered online or by calling 1-800-SAY-STEW (729-7839). All items in the catalog are available through Fall 2003 and come with a "100 percent money back guarantee" if for any reason a customer is not satisfied. |
| Stew Leonard's was dubbed the "Disneyland of Dairy Stores" by the New York Times, because of its own milk processing plant, costumed characters, scheduled entertainment, petting zoo and animatronics throughout the stores. The company has received worldwide acclaim for excellence in customer service and quality and is featured in two of management expert Tom Peter's books: A Passion for Excellence and Thriving on Chaos. In 1992, Stew Leonard's earned an entry into The Guinness Book of World Records for having "the greatest sales per unit area of any single food store in the United States." Unlike traditional grocery stores that sell an average 30,000 items, each Stew Leonard's store carries only 2,000 items, chosen specifically for their freshness, quality and value. |
