How to Build Meal Suggestion Displays to Increase Sales
It’s a common tactic for food retailers to use promotional displays to highlight individual products to increase visibility and sales of those products. Some retailers haven’t yet fully embraced the next level of building promotional displays, however – one that introduces an entire meal idea to customers.
This approach includes building a promotional display that bundles several products, all of which enable the customer to create a restaurant-quality meal at home, with items that are on sale.
[RELATED: Putting Certain Products Front and Center With the Right Displays]
For example, if pork tenderloin, dry-seasoning rub, ready-to-heat mashed potatoes, fresh green beans and rolls from the bakery are all on promotion at the same time, why not create a display featuring all of these items together to suggest a meal idea to customers?
Not only does this type of meal suggestion display make it easier for customers to shop and save money, but it also can increase sales for retailers. When presented effectively, these displays give customers meal ideas they may never have had otherwise.
Here are a few tips for how retail stores can leverage promotional displays that suggest complete meals to shoppers.
Start With the Protein
Having spent nearly 24 years working in-store and at the corporate level of a major Southeast retailer before taking on my current role, I’ve seen first-hand that store managers and/or assistant store managers can be the driving force behind creating meal suggestion displays. These store managers usually begin by approaching the fresh managers.
Protein is the center of the plate; therefore, it’s good practice for store managers to first determine what protein the upcoming meal suggestion display will include. Fresh managers should know what promotions they have coming up. So, identify the protein first, and then consider what sides and seasonings pair well with it to include in the display.
Also remember that protein can be plant-based. That being the case, why not think outside of the box with a creative display promoting something like tofu and vegetable fried rice for dinner?
Accommodate Case and Space Needs While Maximizing Foot Traffic
Because the display will include ingredients for an entire meal, it’s important to think through the logistics of refrigerating the perishable items while also displaying the shelf-stable products in an adjacent area.
Consider whether there are areas in the store that allow for dual-temperature cases and dry merchandising space in close proximity. Ideally and if possible, build the display in the front of the store, or other areas with high foot traffic.
Maximize Signage Opportunities
If most of the products that you’re bundling in the meal suggestion display are on promotion, leverage signage to clearly convey the customer’s potential savings. Rather than only highlighting the savings of each individual product, also showcase on signage how much the customer would save on buying all products for the meal.
For example: “Save $15 on this meal for four.”
In addition, consider comparing the total cost of this meal made at home with what it may cost to buy it at a restaurant. For example: “Make-at-home meal cost for four: $20. Bill for similar meal at a restaurant for 4: $100-plus.”
Plan Ahead According to Promotional Timelines
As mentioned previously, a good place to start with a meal suggestion display is to ask what fresh protein items are coming up on sale. If the deli or meat manager doesn’t already have good visibility into upcoming promotions, a food broker’s retail team should be able to communicate what’s going to be on sale for the next four to six weeks for the products they represent.
Store and department managers can tap their broker partners for information on upcoming promotions and ideas for products to build a meal suggestion display around. Like many things, the more notice and time you have to plan and build these displays, the better.
Effective meal suggestion displays not only increase sales, but also enhance the shopping experience for customers. By focusing on complete meal ideas, leveraging protein as the centerpiece, accommodating logistical needs, maximizing signage and planning ahead, retailers can drive customer engagement and boost profitability.
