The crusher

As I was cruising through Wal-Mart Sunday on the way to the auto service desk to pick up my car, I noticed that Wal-Mart was running green seedless grapes at 68 cents per pound.
That's the type of wrecking ball promotion, much like the 76 cents per pound on peaches last week, that gets the rapt attention of consumers and unmitigated dread from other retailers. It is one overwhelming promotion in the midst of assumed everyday low prices throughout the whole department. While the rest of the department may not leave consumers with any particular impression, they will remember the 68 cents per pound and favorably credit it to Wal-Mart's discount reputation.

I was also in a SuperTarget Sunday, and their top feature was a three pound clamshell of red or green seedless grapes at $4 each. The grapes in the display were from Fruit Patch and the Grape Connection.

Cantaloupes and honeydew were featured at 2 for $4, including King Fisher honeydew; cantaloupes were not marked with PLU stickers. Driscoll's strawberries in one-pound clamshells were on sale at 2 for $4.

Large peaches (4038 PLU) and large nectarines (4378 PLU) were priced at $1.50 per pound. The nectarines were labeled with "Tastemark"; "Guaranteed sweet produce of USA."

Miniseedless Pureheart watermelons were priced at $3.99 from Dulcinea Farms, and Tuscan style cantaloupe were also featured at the same price.

SuperTarget featured two-pound poly bags of Market Pantry (own brand) peaches, nectarines and plums at $2.49 each. The bags featured nutrition labels and the 5 a Day logo.

Pluots were $1.88 per pound and Saturn peaches were priced at $2.99 per pound.

Chiquita Gold extra sweet pineapple at $3.99 and and bananas were 52 cents per pound.

SuperTarget also displayed some South African navels and an impressive array of apple varieties, including selections from Washington state, New Zealand and Chile. They did have one display labeled "Pink Lady" that included at least some "Cripps Pink" fruit.