4 Tips to Help Make Grocery Items POP!

Consumer research has shown that certain patterns of grocery placement result in better sales, not only for those items, but also for items that are commonly associated with those items. For example, have you ever visited a grocery or convenience store and knew right where to find something? This isn’t ESP, most stores follow placement patterns when displaying products.

By understanding and implementing optimal grocery placement strategies, your establishment can very likely improve the revenue of your store.

Grocery Space Optimization Tips

Before you get started rearranging the grocery items in your store, it is helpful if you understand the basic tenets of grocery space optimization. Simply implementing recommended changes without understanding the reasons and methods behind those changes aren't likely to provide long term or valuable benefits to your store. The following tips are basic concepts that can help drive space optimization and make grocery items pop:

  1. groceryDisplay Colors Should Stand Out


    You want your grocery displays to draw the eye of consumers. The best way to add some pop to your grocery displays is through the use of color. Start each shelf with a color that attracts the eye and then stock similar products so that they have a comfortable flow of color towards the middle of the aisle. This will draw customers down the aisle to where other products are located.
  2. Pay Attention to Size Disparity


    In general, you want the products on your shelves to look naturally placed. Color is one part of this, but size is almost equally as important. It is off-putting to the eye if two side-by-side products have significantly disparate sizes. Try to place products so they gradually increase or decrease in size, or so that similar sized items share shelves.
  3. Location, Location, Location


    Even if there aren't any physical signs identifying them, your store should be broken up into zones. Near your cash registers you have an ‘impulse’ zone, while the exterior of your store can be referred to as the ‘inspiration’ zone. You’ll also want a clear ‘value’ zone that customers walk through when they first enter the store and a ‘fulfillment’ zone where the majority of every day products are located.

    If placed well, these zones will make your customers feel like your store offers great deals and in doing so, they will be compelled to buy more products throughout the store, all the way to the checkout lane.
  4. Pair Associated Products

    If you've ever walked through the chip aisle of a grocery store, you’ve likely seen the salsa near the tortilla chips, and there is a good chance the soda is nearby too. While these are clearly different types of food and products, they are generally purchased together. By pairing products that tend to be consumed together, you are likely to generate more sales.

Team Up with a Knowledgeable Partner

As previously mentioned, years of consumer research has gone into making these rules and guidelines for grocery space optimization. In fact, so much research has gone into it, that it may be difficult to understand it all, at least not in a reasonable time. By teaming up with a great partner like Bernick’s, you can take advantage of optimal grocery placement strategies without having to do the research yourself.

Bernick’s is fully versed in the best procedures and strategies for grocery placement and has years of experience applying those strategies to individual businesses. By partnering with a friendly, knowledgeable partner like ours, you will receive personalized consultation from on-staff experts for rearranging the grocery items in your store.

Talk with a Bernick’s Rep  We know we’re only as good as our people and the products we carry – and we  strive for the best. If you have questions, we’ll get you answers. Let’s Chat!

Published on: Mar 25, 2015

Topics: Products, News

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