Believe it or not, the holidays are here, and American consumers are turning their thoughts to holiday entertaining and meal planning. As a retailer, that means there’s no time like the present to reach out to shoppers, to meet them in the planning stages of their upcoming events and meals, to draw their attention to the necessities and to deliver the conveniences that they want.
Shoppers want it all this holiday season, and with these tips, you can direct their shopping experience to give them exactly what they’re seeking.
Capitalize on Grocery Grab-and-Go / Pre-made Options
According to Grocery Dive, many food retailers will allocate additional space to grab-and-go, fresh prepared and made-to-order stations. This comes after sales in that category are up 10 percent since 2019.
That makes sense, since research also shows that this year, 90 percent of shoppers anticipate purchasing pre-made options, like ready-to-eat appetizers and snacks, frozen appetizers and desserts or store-made baked goods.
The same research reveals more than half of shoppers, 55 percent, will seek meal recommendations from family and friends.
So how can you capitalize on the trend towards pre-made meals and meal components? Signage and labels! With so many shoppers seeking meal suggestions, imagine the impact that strategically-placed grocery signage and labels can have on sales. Messages like “Makes a great appetizer,” “Easy side dish,” “Just Heat & Serve,” or “Crowd Pleaser,” are sure to draw attention and ease the minds of harried shoppers already worrying about what to serve during the holidays. Infuse some convenience into their shopper experience and shoppers are sure to move more product from shelf to cart.
Give Grocery Shoppers Options
Shoppers plan to do plenty of at-home entertaining this holiday season, but at the same time, 75 percent of consumers will also be more price-conscious as they shop for their get-togethers. Through creative merchandising, you can show shoppers how to tap into the best of both worlds.
Use signage to communicate to shoppers that they can save both time and money, a message that will resonate in these high inflation times with this year’s consumer, according to Progressive Grocer. Offer recipe cards at the deli counter, where shoppers picking up a pre-cooked turkey can grab a recipe for a fresh and simple side dish, appetizer or dessert that can easily be prepared at home.
Take your grocery and retail merchandising up a notch by creating a display nearby, with all the required ingredients, complete with additional recipe cards and signage. In short, make it easy for budget-conscious and time-strapped shoppers to put a delicious meal on the table through a mix of pre-made and homemade dishes.
Highlight Grocery Savings and Specials
With over 70 percent of shoppers planning to use more than one retailer to complete their holiday shopping in the most cost-effective way possible, it is to your benefit as a retailer to highlight special buys. Consider stepping up your efforts of using signage to compare costs of store brands and national brands, because the same 70 percent of shoppers noted price as a top consideration as they make holiday purchases.
At the same time, informational signage is a great way to make cost comparisons between a just-right portion of a pre-made dish and a home-cooked dish with potentially lots of waste.
In case you need another reason to get behind the trends towards convenience options and cost-awareness, connecting with shoppers by showing them that you understand what they value builds a stronger, more loyal relationship.
Request More Information
For more tips on how grocery labels and signage can help merchandise convenience options and highlight holiday cost-savings, contact us at info@shelf2cartsolutions.com or 1.800.637.6628.
More Ways to Get in Touch With Us:
