As the grocery industry continues to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic, consumer trends are emerging as shoppers return to stores. One undeniable trend—a resurgence of excitement and sales surrounding prepared foods and deli offerings. In fact, the deli category was ranked as the category expected to have the most success in 2022 in a recent survey, just behind fresh produce.
How can you capitalize on the buzz around the deli and prepared foods section? These tips will help take your deli merchandising up a few notches while serving up exactly what shoppers are searching for.
Specialty cheeses, a high-margin item, are a great use for clear labels. Stores that buy cheese in bulk, portion them and repackage them will find that a clear label gives the package a premium look comparable to other specialty cheeses in the section. Clear labels show more product, and giving your shoppers a view of what they’re buying will go a long way in tempting them to move more product from shelf to cart.
When too much product is covered with an opaque label, shoppers can’t see what they’re buying. To that end, fresh-made sushi is another great application for clear labels, as shoppers can see exactly what’s inside each package.
Portioning by the Pound Items
Research shows that shoppers want to spend less time standing in lines waiting for sliced meats and cheeses, and consumer interest in Grab N Go deli packaging has been very strong. On-demand labeling makes it easy to support this new trend, as it makes it quick and efficient to portion and label products like shredded chicken, fried chicken and precut deli items in packages of varying sizes and weights.
A professional, high-quality on-demand label makes a good visual presentation and adds a feeling of freshness and quality to a product’s appearance.
Educating Consumers through Signage and Labels
As shoppers are more and more concerned about food additives, allergens and nutritional information, signage goes a long way towards satisfying their curiosity. Display signage that includes calories per ounce, calories per serving or that highlights allergens. Your customers will thank you for helping them become more informed consumers.
Labeling is another way of educating consumers. As more and more consumers follow a variety of diet trends, informative labeling makes it easy for them to easily identify the products that suit their needs. With an on-demand printing solution like The Merchandiser, nutrition badges, whether identifying Keto options, Gluten-Free options or allergy-friendly options are available at the touch of a button and become a great way to increase impulse buys and capture consumer interest.
While The Merchandiser will print custom labels, it doesn’t hurt to be up-to-date on the latest in nutrition trends. Labels can be set up a wide variety of ways, so understanding the trends that are driving shopping is helpful knowledge to have. Today, featuring macros like proteins, fats and carbohydrates will appeal to a variety of shoppers, while highlighting Keto-friendly ingredients and items will appeal to a different subset of shoppers.
Utilize Two-part Labels
No one wants their fresh sushi or rotisserie chicken flipped upside down at the checkout line. Two-part labels are very helpful in the deli department for just that reason. While one label can be placed on the top of packaging, another can be placed on the bottom or side of packaging. That means products don’t have to be flipped to be scanned. It also means that packages can be stacked without blocking key product information.
With The Merchandiser, two-part labels print out at the same time, on the same sheet of labels, making application a breeze. The options are plentiful, and we guarantee there is a solution that works for your store’s unique challenges.
Request More Information
For more information on how custom labels can be used in the deli section, or to request a demo of The Merchandiser, contact us at info@shelf2cartsolutions.com or 1.800.637.6628.
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