2014 HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS MAGAZINE LINCOLN DAILY NEWS.com November 26, 2014 13
estimated the market and ended up with
over 260 tons of turkey left in their
warehouse after Thanksgiving. The
company challenged its employees to
come up with an innovative way to
market the surplus.
Swanson Salesman Gerry Thomas was
on a Pan Am flight from Nebraska to
Pennsylvania and observed a single
compartment tray being used on a trial
basis by the airline to serve passengers
a warm meal in flight.
Thomas swiped one of the trays
and then re-created it into a multi-
compartment tray that would keep the
peas separate from the potatoes and
gravy. He presented the tray and a
marketing plan that drew attention to
the increasing popularity of television
in the United States. The dinners were
marketed as a quick and easy way to
enjoy a meal during a favorite show.
In the first 12 months, the company
sold over one million Swanson TV
dinners.
Macy’s was not the first
Thanksgiving Day Parade
The first Thanksgiving Parade was
hosted by Gimbel’s Department Store
in Philadelphia in 1920. The Macy’s
Day Parade came along four years later
in 1924 and was held on Christmas
Day.
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