With summer vacation winding down and families returning to their normal routines, parents are now going to start planning for school lunches. For supermarket delis, that means an increase in meals needed for school lunches and sandwiches for lunchboxes, which starts with deli meat and cheese.
Parents and caregivers are seeking convenient and budget-friendly options for school lunches and after-school snacks.
Finding Success with Deli Items
The deli is a prime destination for meats, cheeses, and prepared items to pack for lunches and snacks. What can the deli department do to promote these options?
Strategically placed signage can help drive traffic to the deli. Also, signs in the check-out lanes can inform shoppers about promotions and new products. QR codes are another platform to offer information about weekly specials or lunch box ideas. They can be placed around the store, and with a simple scan with a phone, can provide shoppers with back-to-school offers to drive impulse buys. Other platforms to drive back-to-school deli sales include social media, email marketing, monthly newsletters, and SMS marketing.
According to Supermarket News, promotional items and value are becoming increasingly important, and retailers need to provide options. Stores are seeing a balance between value — loaves like bologna, salami, and ham — and innovation in the unique bold flavors like Ichiban chicken and pit-smoked hams. Customers are partaking on both ends of the spectrum.
After School Snacking
As parents gear up for the back-to-school season, lunches aren’t the only things that parents have to worry about. Snacks are another item on the grocery list that parents will consider.
However, grab-and-go food items can also be used to help lessen this stress on time-pressed parents. Deli items can be turned into after-school snack trays or kid-friendly charcuterie boards. These trays could include deli meats and cheeses with crackers, vegetables, sliced fruits, or sweet treats. This versatile snack idea provides countless options since items can be exchanged to avoid allergens and match their child’s preferences, offering a stress-free solution for after-school munchies.
Product Placement and Organization
Highlighting back-to-school related and complementary items on end caps can drive add-on purchases. Placing snacks and condiments near the deli can encourage customers to complete their shopping in one convenient location. Shelf2Cart also offers custom on-site labeling options and shelf edge accessories to improve visibility and allow for easy price adjustments.
Creating custom labels with The Merchandiser® is fast and easy, helping retailers promote prepared foods, and snack items effectively. Grab ‘N Go options such as salads or wraps can be efficiently labeled with various formats at the touch of a button.
Eye-catching custom labels and promotional signage can increase sales and move more products from shelf to cart in time for the new school year. These practices can expand a loyal customer base and attract new shoppers.