The Ultimate Guide to Grocery Store Merchandising

Merchandising is critical to the overall success of a retail store, whether the business is brick-and-mortar or online. Retailers need proper merchandising to attract buyers. Merchandising is especially necessary for grocery stores because they house fast-moving, mostly perishable products. With strategic displays, you can push your grocery merchandising to the next level and make more sales.

Considering the role merchandising plays in appealing to customers and increasing profitability, it is wise to work with award-winning industry leaders to transform the shopping experience at the store. Great Northern Instore boasts the expertise, resources and passion to help you achieve your merchandising goals.

What Is Grocery Merchandising?

Merchandising is how products are displayed in a store, whether that is a supermarket or clothing boutique. Grocery merchandising refers specifically to the art of staging a grocery store or supermarket to attract customers and influence their purchase decisions. The staging process involves planning, promotions and creative use of product displays to get customers to buy.

On average, a household with children spends $221 on groceries each week. That means brands and retailers can make huge returns if they use effective merchandising strategies to move customers closer to a purchase decision. With the right partner like Great Northern Instore, the benefits go beyond product displays to engage shoppers and elevate your brand.

Different Merchandising Techniques

Merchandising in supermarkets demands planning, time and strategies to create displays that send the right message, getting customers to stop and add products to their carts. With the right grocery store display ideas, customers will be more engaged and willing to purchase your products.

When designing your displays, follow these merchandising techniques for the best outcome:

Shelf Placement

Shelf arrangement is a big part of effective merchandising because it adds to the overall aesthetics. Proper shelf placement grabs attention and makes customers stop and examine the offer. While you can rely on a good, high-quality product, there is no guarantee that a potential customer will even look. A perfect shelf placement bridges that divide, connecting the buyer to the product.

Here are tips for shelf placement:

  • Utilize the pyramid: Adopt the pyramid profile in your grocery store displays if you want shoppers to view most merchandise. Make the bottom shelf the widest and reduce the width of each shelf going up.
  • Arrange based on products: Adjust your shelves according to the products on display to maximize space. Place light, high-end merchandise on the top shelf, and limit the bottom shelves to bulky products and staple items.
  • Focus on eye level: The zone between eye and arm level is a prime display area that impacts how stock moves. Maximize this bestselling height by reserving it for the most profitable and fast-moving items.

Promotional Products

Promotional products should not get lost on regular aisle shelves. These are seasonal or event-specific offers meant to attract attention and move fast. For promotional products, you need special displays with unique designs and aesthetics that highlight the urgency of the merchandise. There are various promotional displays, ranging from freestanding units and endcaps to side caps and dump bins.

Fresh Produce

Fresh produce is one of the toughest products to merchandise. The department is dominated by green shades, requiring a thoughtful approach to reduce the sameness and make things more colorful. Select retail food displays that make the products pop, use props and stagger levels to break monotony and increase interest.

More Merchandising Tips

Merchandising goes beyond effective displays. Attractive displays go hand in hand with creative strategies that boost shopper appeal. Consider these tips:

1. Plan Store Layout

An effective grocery store layout strategy helps people find what they are looking for and exposes them to new products. You want to keep customers interested so that they browse longer — that way, they do not become bored or unable to locate items.

In the digital world, everyone knows that an easy-to-navigate website keeps users around longer. The same strategy applies to the store’s layout to improve shopping experiences. Some layout strategies you can implement include:

  • Produce at the front: Fresh produce can last a few days to several weeks, so it needs to move quickly. It should be at the front of the store where customers can easily see it.
  • Deli aisle near the back: The deli aisle is similar to the premium merchandise section. It features popular products and items of convenience that customers will be patient enough to seek out.
  • Staples at the back: Similar to the deli aisle, the staples section houses everyday products people need, such as sugar, milk and eggs. These in-demand products are not impulse buys because people purchase them frequently. You want these items at the back of the store.
  • Grouped goods: Group related items that people often buy together. Complementary goods can help boost sales because they promote impulse buying.
  • Streamlined checkout: The checkout area can make or break a store. By optimizing checkout to limit wait time, the store becomes more appealing.

2. Optimize the Front 10 Feet

The idea that the first 10 feet of a store are crucial remains popular, and many have successfully adopted it. What began as Walmart founder Sam Walton’s approach to customer service is now an effective strategy for making an impression. Many businesses use the front 10 feet to invite and interact with customers. A grocery store can leverage this area to present bestsellers and great offers.

3. Improve Lighting

Lighting is an important factor for any storefront. You want to give people the best view of your merchandise, but you must also consider the strength and quality of the lighting. It should not be dim or glaring but sufficient enough to make products stand out. Instead of increasing overhead lights, you could use displays with built-in lighting to improve product visibility.

4. Use Supplemental Signage

Boost your displays and make them even more captivating by adding signage. This serves as an extra nudge to help shoppers reach a buying decision. Static but creative signage would do — however, you could take things a step further with in-store digital signage, which combines innovation, information and advertising to enhance customer experience.

5. Optimize for Social Media

High-quality and creative merchandising displays are captivating and can easily go viral on social media, further elevating your brand. In an age where shoppers are both online and offline, you want to tap into both areas by sharing your picture-worthy displays on your store’s social pages to encourage engagement and visits.

Improve Store Merchandising With Great Northern Instore

Grocery or supermarket merchandising can boost shopper appeal and increase sales. You will need excellent displays that capture attention with a unique approach from your competitors’. That means working with a reputable retail display company that can bring your vision to life. Great Northern Instore offers comprehensive solutions for diverse industries and channels.

Our team of creative designers, manufacturers and retail experts can meet your need for custom merchandising equipment. With more than 60 years in the industry, we bring winning, innovative solutions that elevate your brand and drive sales. Contact our team to have award-winning experts design your merchandising displays!

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