Too Soon? Your Back to School Retail Strategy

We know that it is only June, and with the school year just ending, most people are not even thinking about September and heading back to the classroom. But, when it comes to merchandising, even with summer displays out, you really need to be thinking ahead. Don’t leave your back-to-school retail strategy to the last minute.

Here are our top tips for ramping up your retail merchandising for August:

·        Create connections. A smart back-to-school retail strategy is one that creates connections, not only with your customer, but in the customer’s mind as far as product connections. Draw customers in by playing on their emotions (example: moms who care about healthy snacks or the idea of ‘brain food’).

·        Set up an experiential marketing campaign to get parents thinking about healthy snack and lunch options. Play on the desire to pack items that are both nutritious and fun, that kids will like. Parents want to know about the options they have for packing healthy food for their children, so give them ideas that lead to more sales.

·        Use sensory technology to create engagement. Displays that are interactive give customers the chance to find out about the nutritional benefits of certain products, or the advantages some products have. Having an interactive display gives them the chance to take in this information, while at the same time getting their attention in a way that static displays cannot.

When it comes time to implement those visual merchandising tactics, keep on top of customer service. Back to school shopping can wreak havoc on your shelves – make sure that you have the staff on hand to ensure that shelves remain well stocked and tidy. If customers can’t find what they are looking for, they can’t buy. Also, ensure that line-ups don’t get out of control – this can be hazardous to your customer loyalty levels, and thus your bottom line. Make sure that you have enough staff to handle peak periods and increased traffic.

People support should be a big part of your merchandising strategy. Ensuring that crowds don’t have an impact is critical. This year, instead of going through the process of hiring for temporary positions and having to train new employees, why not work with a company that can provide you with the staff at very short notice, individuals who are already trained, trustworthy, and experienced. That way, you save yourself the time and money!

For more about getting your retail strategy for the back-to-school shopping season in place please contact Storesupport 1-877-421-5081.

Visual Merchandising: Mass Merchants Need Displays

When it comes to visual merchandising, we all know that having a plan in place is important – but how important is it? Do customers really pay that much attention? Can a visually striking display actually garner that much attention and increase sales? According to the 2014 Mass Merchant Study by Point of Purchase Advertising International (POPAI), yes, they can!

Discussing the Mass Merchant Study, an article on RetailWire made some important points. The study revealed some really interesting results as far as visual merchandising, and keeping these in mind the next time you sit down to re-establish or fine-tune your marketing strategy is probably a really smart idea.

Perhaps the most notable finding was that 82% of purchase decisions are made in-store. What does this mean for you? The article had this to say: “Consumers who shop at mass merchandisers make a lot of decisions about what they're going to buy at the shelf. Getting them to buy more has a lot to do with retailers' in-store media and display strategies and tactics.”

Additionally, according to the article, the study found that 34% of shoppers don’t rely on a shopping list. Again, this means far more opportunities for you to entice and attract.

Check out the full article here: http://www.retailwire.com/discussion/17334/mass-merchants-need-displays.

So, how can you take these stats and turn them into ROI? By implementing various strategies into your visual merchandising plan that yield real results. For more about how to get your in-store visual merchandising strategy up-to-snuff, please contact Storesupport today by calling 1-877-421-5081.

Creating Connections: Sensory Technology in Retail Merchandising

The retail CPG industry is as competitive as ever today, and with the continued rise of online shopping (even in the CPG market), competing is as tough as ever. Utilizing intelligent retail merchandising tactics remains one of the best ways to attract attention and build customer loyalty. And one of the newest trends when it comes to this is sensory technology and increased consumer engagement.

What is sensory technology? We have all seen it – those retail displays that entice consumers through the use of interactive displays and screens. The use of visual images that shift or flow, rather than remaining static, have proven to be far more effective at grabbing attention. Furthermore, the use of touch and sound, rather than just sight, works wonders as far as bringing customers in and driving sales.

Why use this newer form of retail merchandising? Studies have shown that it goes a long way as far as influencing in-store purchasing. Those spur-of-the-moment purchasing decisions made on the store floor are often a result of really effective merchandising, and sensory technology seems to be at the top of the list. Just as last minute purchasing choices are made at the cash register, sensory technology can be very influential down an aisle.

Creating connections through the use of sensory technology is also key here. The relationship you build with your client depends largely on that client, and so knowing your key target demographic is essential. When you have determined this, using specific colours, themes, even specific sounds can not only create a one-time sale, it can build a memory that that customer will continue to return to time and again. The ability to interact, often by providing more information to a customer which they can access on their own, increases the level of awareness and is equivalent to having a brand ambassador standing by your product at all times.

Although not typically considered sensory technology, experiential marketing can also mean big gains when it comes to creating that connection through a taste testing or a free trial. Developing a campaign that fits the season (for example, a BBQ party in the summer) can mean huge gains when it comes to both attracting new customers and maintaining loyalty with existing customers.

For more about sensory technology, creating a higher level engagement with your brand, or for other effective retail merchandising techniques, please contact Storesupport today by calling 1-877-421-5081 or visit us online at www.storesupport.ca. 

RetailWire: The Gen Gap and Consumer Behaviour

Generational differences in the CPG retail market have become a common pain point for many marketers when it comes to targeting. Knowing how to market to the different wants and needs of the different generations is crucial – but how do you determine those differences and what marketing strategies work best when it comes to consumer behaviour?

A recent RetailWire article, “Millennials depend on word-of-mouth more than Boomers,” which looks at a study done by Radius Global Marketing Research, gave some key insight into this consumer behaviour. As evidenced by the article’s title, millennials (those aged 18-32) are more heavily influenced by word-of-mouth than Baby Boomers (those aged 49-67). 

In the study, those surveyed were asked what factors played into their decisions to purchase, and for Millennials, word-of-mouth emerged as the leading purchase influence. In comparison, for Baby Boomers, word-of-mouth ranked as the 3^rd highest influencer behind recommendations from sales reps and advertising. 

So what does this mean for you? Evidently, with such a vast difference between what is prompting individuals to purchase, a one-size-fits-all approach will not even begin to reach all of your target consumers. It might be time to rethink that strategy to get it more in line with consumer behaviour.

For more on how consumer behaviour can influence your retail merchandising strategy, please contact Storesupport today by calling 1-877-421-5081 or visit us online at www.storesupport.ca.