You can thank social media, specifically TikTok, for the increasing popularity of luxurious and Instagram-worthy snacking. This evolving food culture seeks to elevate experiences from home, blurring the lines between at-home cooking and small-plate dining.
As young people shift away from traditional chips and pre-packaged cookies to more upscale snacking options, grocers should take note and capitalize on this trend. Cheese and meat trays have been replaced by charcuterie boards, and there’s no looking back.
Current trends indicate a desire for specialty dips, pre-packaged snacking cheese and frozen foods that facilitate a tapas-style dining experience… but often shoppers lack the time or will to prepare these foods for themselves. How you package and display these food items will have an impact on your overall sales.
Make shopping fun and efficient
Shoppers are busy and want to find what they need quickly. They don’t necessarily have the time or desire to peruse the aisles and can become frustrated while searching for the right crackers to serve with the brie.
Having all the products needed to create a picture-perfect charcuterie in one place will delight your customers, and perhaps put them in the mood to buy a bottle of wine to go with it — strategically placed near the charcuterie display, of course!
Providing this type of convenience and inspiration enhances the shopping experience and helps create loyal customers. The flexibility of our food preparation cases, with prep stations behind and a self-service area in front, gives the right balance of service and self-service.
Use eye-catching displays
People are more distracted than ever, so it’s important to interrupt their auto-pilot and attract their attention with visually appealing displays.
Well-organized displays showcasing relevant products, ingredients and accessories for luxurious snacking are sure to stop them in their tracks. It’s even better to offer a sample of specialty cheese or intriguing dips to try. Grab-and-go displays, like our Fresh-Go bins put these products front and center for the customer to experience and has proven over and over to be a sales (and profit!) hit.
By showcasing products through creative arrangements, colorful signage and specific themes, such as Taco Tuesday, you help create an immersive shopping experience that compels people to buy.
Show them how it’s made
Whether it’s sushi, salads, pizza or fresh-made sandwiches, people are looking for fresh fare made with quality ingredients. Food prep and sushi cases let customers see their food being prepared in-house, giving them confidence and making it possible to connect personally with staff members.
Adding options like fresh-cut fruit, as shown in this display from Tops, is also a winner… customers get the convenience while grocers can use up “ugly” fruit or fruit that needs to be used to avoid spoiling.
Create a seamless shopping journey
It’s important to have clear signage and products arranged in a logical manner to help shoppers find what they’re looking for quickly. It’s a common tactic to switch things up so shoppers have to search for the products they’re looking for, and while this strategy may work, it can also be a bit annoying to shoppers who are in a hurry.
Having knowledgeable staff in key positions can also help shoppers find what they’re looking for. It’s also a great way to upsell by providing recommendations for creating an amazing snack experience.
If you have the capability, you could also explore the potential to use technology to your advantage. Interactive displays or virtual product guides can enhance the shopping journey so long as they’re not obtrusive. For example, a lot of people have expressed frustration at fast food chains that whisk away the menu options to display an ad before they’ve made their selection.
We’re here to help you help your shoppers Using the right kind of displays can help your shoppers find what they need so they can create luxurious snacking experiences or throw together dinner quickly and easily.
Our flexible displays are created with the end-user — your customer — in mind. We don’t just manufacture display cases. We’re shoppers, too and have spent time thinking how our displays can be used to enhance customer satisfaction, increase loyalty and provide positive social engagement.
Whether you’re thinking of upgrading a single department, transforming your entire store or just have a question or two, give us a call or book a consultation. We’d love to hear from you!
