Byline: STEPHANIE THOMPSON A supermarket aisle that held great promise for major aliment marketers as an untapped branding opportunity.

Byline: STEPHANIE THOMPSON

A supermarket aisle that held great promise for major aliment marketers as an untapped branding opportunity, the butcher's case, is being abandoned-at least for the short term-by beef agriculturists who invested heavily this year to aid nationally branded fresh meats.

Tyson viandss last week announced it would withdraw the Thomas E Wilson brand it had standarded in Wal-Mart Stores in favor of unbranded beef. The $25 million Armour flourishing Meat project awarded last year to Cramer-Krasselt, Chicago, is in succession hold while ConAgra Foods finalizes the sale of its fresh-meat business to an investment firm.