Fresh fruits and vegetables are staples for many shoppers, and produce accounts for an average of 11 percent of total sales at grocery store checkout lines. Because fresh produce is perishable, moving produce off the shelves before it spoils is essential to every grocery retailer’s bottom line.
So how can you effectively merchandise fresh produce in a visually appealing and enticing way? These tips for displaying and merchandising produce are sure to move fruits and vegetables into carts before they need to be moved into the dumpster.
Cross Promotion Signage Is Key In Produce Department
Stocking up on fresh produce isn’t quite as appealing when you find a stash of past-its-prime fruit or vegetables in the back of your fridge. That’s where a little cross promotion can be very helpful to consumers, and to your bottom line. Help consumers visualize how they will use fresh produce once they get home and unload their purchases. Show them that it’s quick and easy to make use of the tempting array of colorful fruits and vegetables.
Strategically placing banana bread mix next to the fresh bananas, some tortilla chips or salsa spice mix next to the tomatoes and peppers or margarita mix next to the limes gives shoppers an idea of how to use the produce they’re considering. Placing the salad dressing near the bagged salad mix, or adding some fresh mozzarella and balsamic glaze near the basil, just makes life easier for hurried and weary shoppers. Don’t forget the descriptive signage, like this Ultra Glo Starburst. Grocery store produce signage helps shoppers connect the dots and envision the produce on their dinner table. It’s also a win for you, as it will undoubtedly increase their total receipt.
Recipe cards are another great way to inspire purchases in the produce section. With an on-demand print solution like The Merchandiser®, printing recipe cards to be displayed among produce is a low-effort, low-cost addition that makes a big impact on shoppers.
In addition to cross promotion, it’s also helpful to make use of descriptive signage in the produce department. “Hearty enough to hold up on a grill,” “pairs well with steak” or “roast with olive oil and garlic for an easy side,” takes away the guesswork and gives shoppers a clear picture of how to prepare and serve a piece of produce. In a time when more and more consumers are seeking convenience, these simple grocery store merchandising strategies will be both well-received and effective.
Entice Shoppers With Produce Signage and Labels
The vibrant colors of the produce section are eye-catching, but keeping the produce section visually appealing and organized is a big job. There are multiple theories on symmetry and various ways to group produce into displays, but there is one rule of thumb that grocery retailers should always keep in mind: Always use the right tool for the job. The proper signage and labels, displayed and affixed properly, will go a long way towards maintaining the produce section’s allure.
Produce that doesn’t require refrigeration could be a great fit for a wire basket. Heartier produce like onions and potatoes look great in a wire basket enhanced with a descriptive label, attached with a label holder that won’t slip or detach.
For produce that requires misting or refrigeration, make sure that your labels have a durable, water-resistant coating that allows them to stay intact in a damp or cold environment.
Wet, sticky labels that slide off produce or curling, peeling display signs or labels aren’t useful and are anything but enticing. A plastic chip is one simple way to protect labels in shelf channels. Clear sign protectors are an alternative option that will help signage withstand both damp and cold environments.
With 35 years of retail merchandising experience, our customer service team can find just the right product to solve your merchandising challenges.
Request More Information on Our Signage and Labels for Grocery
At Shelf2Cart, we have grocery store label and signage solutions you need to enhance your produce section and help you move more product from shelf to cart. For more tips and tricks for merchandising your produce, contact us at info@shelf2cartsolutions.com or 1.800.637.6628.
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