Impulse sales are important to the confectionery sector in convenience. Here, Ferrero shows how it has worked with two retailers to boost the grab-and-go opportunity to help them drive spend.
With time-strapped shoppers looking for quick, convenient options, the food-to-go market continues to grow in importance for retailers. Convenience retailers who optimise their food-to-go offerings with easy, grab-and-go solutions are better positioned to drive footfall, increase impulse sales, and build customer loyalty.
Recognising the potential of the food-to-go opportunity, Ferrero partnered with a selection of retailers across the convenience channel to showcase how effective merchandising of key brands like Tic Tac can capture shopper interest through creative in-store experiences, with displays and promotions to boost basket spend and help drive sales.
Driving product visibility
Atul Sodha of Londis Harefield has witnessed first-hand the power of innovative displays in attracting customers. Sodha explains, “I always think having big, bold displays that drive visibility of the products is key. Coming up with creative ideas builds awareness and leads to a boost in sales.”
Sodha took part in a four-week trial with the Tic Tac brand, to test the impact of placing strategic displays at multiple touchpoints. For Sodha, the approach underlined the crucial role that visibility and creativity play in driving purchases in the convenience channel, especially for well-known brands. He says: “The uptake in interest I have seen from my shoppers about Tic Tac during this trial has simply been due to the fact we have changed our displays.”
To hear directly from Atul Sodha, click on the video below:
Capturing shopper interest
To further capitalise on the food-to-go opportunity, taking proactive steps helps to make sugar confectionery offerings stand out and capture shopper interest. Stocking well-known and trusted brands is an effective way to achieve this. Trudy Davies, owner of Woosnam & Davies News, who also took part in Ferrero’s store trial echoes this: “Customers can sometimes be creatures of habit, so I did a deal where those who bought an original Mint Tic Tac got a pack of Berry Bliss or Cherry Cola for free. Regular buyers of Tic Tac got to try new flavours and ended up buying three packs at a time, which resulted in repeat sales.”
Davies continues: “Point-of-sale displays that were provided as part of this activation gave me a point of difference to other retailers in our area, and this not only impressed customers but uplifted our sales. It proves the point that if you have the right range stocked, you sell more.”
Tips to boost confectionery sales
1. Use key products to create bundle deals, such as incorporating strong brands into an ‘essentials’ range whereby customers can pick up the product along with a magazine, newspaper or coffee to cater for morning commuters.
2. Feature must-have brands like in meal deals, prompting shoppers to boost basket spend while offering value.
3. Place eye-catching displays near checkout counters, such as countertop units or clip strips to draw attention.
4. Place branded products at eye level on shelves, at end of aisles and on standalone displays where they are most likely to be seen by customers. These prime locations ensure maximum visibility.
Why Tic Tac?
Tic Tac ranks among the top five brands in the pocket sugar category within the impulse channel, [Nielsen] and is worth £8m. [Nielsen] Incorporating the brand in food-to-go sections allows retailers to leverage its popularity.
As consumers typically look for mint and fruit flavours, Ferrero recommends stocking a variety of options from its Tic Tac range, such as Fresh Mint, Lime & Orange, and Cherry Cola, to cater to different shopper tastes.
To more information, please visit www.ferrero.com/uk/en
