Marketing and Sales

Summary: The Consumer Relations files contain correspondence with Kings customers, many of whom wrote to express compliments or criticism to the management (1985-1990). After 1988 the letters begin to show how customers reacted to the sale of Kings to Marks & Spencer, and the management style change. Many customers disliked the changes made by Marks & Spencer, particularly the increased number of British goods introduced to Kings stores. The files also include the results of panel discussions with customers, an effort to find out what customers liked and disliked about the Kings stores, and how they would improve them (1990).

The Human Resources files consist of surveys, awards, job descriptions, orientation, personnel evaluations, telephone directories, and training materials. The survey files include analysis and results reports of employee surveys (no date, 1981), a strategy for human resources prepared by Brian Wittlin (1986) and an employee "roots" survey (1986). The awards files pertain to the Kings Service Club Awards Dinners and Dances, including the 50th Anniversary of Kings (1986). The files hold programs, remarks and keynote addresses by Allen Bildner and his son Robert (1985), and tributes to long-term employees, including Angelo Delmonaco (1961), Jim Meister (1983), Ed Edelstein (1985), Ed Lowenfish and Sid Feinstein (1984), and Stanley Wall (1988). The one orientation file holds "Working Together at Kings," a handbook for new employees, no date [1950s]. The job description files outline the responsibilities for all levels of Kings management, including the President and CEO, the Director of Store Operations, the Meat Sales Manager, the Grocery Sales Manager, etc. (no date, 1983, 1984, ca. 1988). Also part of this subgroup are personnel evaluations for Allen Bildner (1948) and Leonard Schechter (1949), telephone directories for the corporate offices and stores (no date, 1985, 1987), and a memo from Leonard Schechter to Joseph Bildner calling for the institution of a training program (1951).

The files in the Finance subgroup are arranged by decade. The records largely consist of financial statements for the Bildner Bros. Partnership and later the Kings Super Markets, Inc. A Ledger kept by Joseph Bildner for Kings Super Markets is one of the earliest records in the collection and shows the expenditures and income of the brand new business in 1936 through December 1940. It is a handwritten document with references to Kings affiliates and related companies, such as Mojoda Holding Company, Kings Self Serve, and Kings Inc., as well as the company's investments. The Financial Statements for Kings Super Markets and its wholly owned subsidiaries begin in 1955, and are available through 1986. Prior to this, the financial statements of Bildner Brothers, a partnership trading as Kings, document the growing company's financial condition (1940-1955).

In addition to Financial Statements, the files for the 1980s also hold bonus-related files and Financial Plans. The bonus files hold background information and criteria for distributions of achievement bonuses (1984, 1985), reviews of Bonus Committee meetings by Ed Lowenfish (1984, 1986), and the Bonus Book for 1988. The Financial Plans files consist of capital needs projections (1984), income forecasts (1987), and three versions of a Five Year Business Plan for 1988-1992.

The Legal file holds a consulting agreement with Joseph Baum Company for food merchandising services (1993). The Marketing and Sales folders are subdivided into Advertising, Sales and Promotions, Store Openings and Reference. The advertisements and sales circulars consist of seasonal advertisements, special promotions and contests for Kings and Packards (spanning from 1950-1975 with gaps, 1982-1983, 1991, 1996). The earliest are reduced copies of the advertising circulars, which were removed from binders during the processing of this collection (1951-1952). However, many are full-page advertisements, which appeared in local papers in New Jersey (in boxes 62 and 63). Also included in the ads are notices of the grand opening of Kings in East Orange (February 6, 1952), Maplewood (September 1961), Oakwood Mall (April 1966) and in Chatham (January 1975), recipes for holiday meals (1959-1962), a poem commemorating Memorial Day (1961), and a series of ads featuring employees (With Love from Kings, 1973-1975). Allen Bildner is pictured in an ad, a fundraising effort for the Special Olympics (1982). The 60th Anniversary of Kings is noted in a series of circulars (1996).

The Sales Promotions files document selected marketing events at Kings and Packards (1949-1989). The contents of files range from a Life magazine promotion that featured "Mr. Joe" on a mocked-up cover (1952), mailings to customers with one dollar coupons (1966) and customer brochures with certificates or coupons for stamps (1966) to memos and display information for a Summer Foods Festival (1982), background on themes and contests such as "April in Paris" (1983) and "A Taste of Hawaii" (1983), and sales promotion bulletins and a Kings golden anniversary salute to New Jersey (1986). A promotional packet contains a brochure, ad, and newsletter related to the acquisition of Kings by Marks & Spencer (Fall 1989).

Contained in the Store Openings series is an invitation to a private showing of "newest" Kings Super Market on 250 Central Avenue in Orange, NJ (1958). The folder also holds a postal card with an image of fruit and produce displays. The one folder of Reference information contains an undated list of old product advertisements owned by Kings.

The Operations subgroup contains Operations Bulletins from Kings Headquarters to the stores regarding new pricing plans, sales campaigns, products to push, and upcoming events (1959-1960). The bulletins also discuss employee morale, encourage attention to detail, and urge employees to exert their best efforts. There are also minutes for Packaging and Uniform meetings, where issues of grocery bags and employee uniforms are discussed (1983), and memos from the "Bust the Bureaucracy" Committee calling for examples and employee feedback (1987).

The Planning files consist of a reorganization plan for Bildner Brothers prepared by J.H. Cohn and Co. (1955), strategic and growth plans for Kings Super Markets (1983-1998), a 50th Anniversary strategic plan with individual, departmental and corporate goals (1986), and a pricing strategy project (1992).