Q U TIP IC S: K
MERCHANDIZE TO SELL.
DO YOUR RESEARCH.
ALLOW FOR TRIALS.
Offer samples to create post trial long-term sales.
a big fan of healthy snacks and offers a wide range of products that he considers to be better for his customers. These include locally sourced meat products, house-made soups like borscht and other items such as GORP, a hand made nutrient laden energy bar that is locally produced and internationally sold from the company’s facility on the family farm in Niverville, MB. Jim reports he cross merchandizes GORP and other NPS at the store’s coffee bar. “These items [NPS] tend to very impulse driven. We find that promotions such as the [NHL] Jet’s tie in with GORP as well as suggestive selling work well to move items that can be more expensive than chocolate bars or plain fruit. At Timberfalls they have a considerable following for the facility’s car wash that can see hundreds of customers per day. Jim tells that to increase sales in store they offer sampling to customers while they wait for their clean car. Today, he is offering his wash clientele a cup of their famous borscht, but given the kind of sales bump these trials deliver to the c-store, he plans to do more with NPS. “We follow other local promotions and compete,” he says, remembering a granola bar promo at Petro-Canada, where he matched the offer and increased sales as a result. “If products are good and you can get them into people’s hands, you stand a very good chance of making additional sales moving forward. With GORP we did initial sampling and have never looked back. We have never had to discount the product and see it consistently selling thanks to its clean recipe and strong package messaging that resonates with folks who are looking for better nutrition.” Stuart also merchandises NPS bars alongside traditional confectionery, but in a separate section. “This helps people find them among the rows of chocolate and candy,” he says. In Regina, George Klein operates Klein’s Food Marts. He reports that sales of things like granola bars and fruit snacks are niche oriented. “You have to know your customer. Here our customers tend to be older and are less interested in products they are not as familiar with. We have found that nutritious bars sell well following an ad campaign or promotion where awareness is driven and then they settle back.”
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MAY | JUNE 2017
Utilize a dedicated secondary sales point to help customers differentiate between NPS and traditional confectionary items like chocolate bars.
Jim Stuart suggests that to keep sales up in this sector, operators have to be prepared to reach out to let customers know about new products and positive attributes. “We have friendly competitions among our counter staff to help drive sales through suggestive selling at the till. Nutritious portable snacks are perfect candidates for staff to ask if customers need a quick snack to go with their beverage purchase or a little something to get them through the afternoon,” he says. Jim concludes that his expectations are that the NPS sector will continue to grow as consumers move away from empty calories. “Consumers are more educated now than ever and are willing to spend more for a product they see as having a good-for-you glow. Millennials and other younger segments of the market are hungry for change in manufactured foods and these healthy options are seen as a move in the right direction.”
SHUTTERSTOCK
Team up with distributors to take advantage of promotions that raise product awareness and drive immediate sales gains.
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