GET ON BOARD

For supermarkets that host brand shows, the expensive, attention-getting promotions remain accessible and free of charge. It is a no-brainer proposition of any retailers: manufacturers pony up millions of dollars send tricked-out marketing vehicles loaded with customer-grabbing freebies directly to supermarkets' front doors; and supermarkets accept. Meanwhile, brands continue to take the highways in increasing numbers, opening up scads of traffic-generating opportunities for retailers.