The Kiwi food market is thriving. If you’ve been paying attention, you know that demand is only going to increase.
The revenue for the food market in NZ amounts to a whopping US$14.34 billion in 2023, with expected growth of 5.01% every year (CAGR 2023-2028).
But does this really indicate how it could benefit you? Wholesale food in itself is a broad category — so unless you’re selling fresh dairy, best-selling pantry products, or ready to eat options, you’re missing out on a lot.
The best bet is to find out which products sell the best and curate them in such a way that they’re noticed and bought, leading to sales.
This curation of products counts as visual merchandising. It’s one of the significant marketing techniques used in retail to invigorate customers and encourage buying.
Read on to learn how you can increase footfall and speed up sales at your store with visual merchandising.
What is Visual Merchandising?
With so much choice in food products stores today, retailers have to be creative in their ways to fight for buyer’s attention. Well guess what, visual merchandising is just for that.
Visual merchandising means arranging, promoting, and displaying products in a way that makes customers want to purchase them.
Although usually linked in-store promotions, merchandising has become a well applied concept in digital retail too. From in-store displays to online campaigns, product merchandising is universal, and often the proven way to excel in food retailing.
In other words, visual merchandising is making the most of your retail space to arrange merchandise in a nearly curiosity-piquing way to attract the attention of shoppers.
While merchandising may seem all about “putting it out there”, it requires some knowledge combined with a little creativity to manage and showcase the inventory of the store in a way that makes your products fly off the shelves.
Why is Visual Merchandising So Important?
Visual merchandising is science backed. Yes, 90% of the information sent to the brain is visual. Think of it this way; what we see impacts our purchasing decisions.
The examples are endless. For instance, getting rewarded with a complementary product your customers were already prepared to buy.
Visual merchandising is also one of the most important reasons to increasing foot traffic. So, if you’ve got great visual elements, you’re headed in the right direction.
Here’s how you can make sure your wholesale food merchandising efforts are working.
1. Change display often
Products may come and go, but it shouldn’t keep you from being consistent. It’s better to revise your arrangements at least once a month. A widely-tried trick is to place fresh arrivals right at the entrance, so they entice your customers as soon as they visit.
If you have new arrivals that you planned on selling along with other products that haven’t arrived, wait. Don’t dilute the first appearance of products, and don’t ruin your chances of add-on sales.
2. Focus on what people want, not what they need
Merchandising revolves around what customers want, not just what they need. Sure, fulfilling their needs is important, but it’s those irresistible desires and impulses that truly drive sales.
Let’s take the upselling technique as an example. You might have a customer who needs a basic bulk candy mixture, but instead of promoting that, why not suggest Pascall lollies? Pascall is a highly acclaimed confectionery brand.
By offering a better, although a pricier product, you’re playing on their desires and increasing the chances of an impulse buy.
3. Mix and Match
Try to experiment with two or three different categories. You could place Twinkies or another sweet along with crispy chips — an irresistible Netflix and chill themed display.
When you aim to attract shoppers in-store, adding something eccentric and intriguing (not too odd, though) right at the window does wonders. Next thing you know, people will be curious and step into your store.
5. Focus on the windows and the front of the store
The first impression counts, especially in retail. Shoppers passing by your store might not want to purchase something, but when they see your window displays, they might enter just to look and maybe buy something.
Also, the front of the store, the entrance, and the first shelves are the most important parts of your store. Try to capture the attention of customers right at the beginning. If they don’t like what they see in the beginning, they might leave the store without purchasing anything.
6. Don’t forget about prices
Make sure that each product has a price. Even if you have a unique fixture and products are not placed in their regular way, don’t forget to put a price on them. People usually refrain from asking for prices.
7. Convenience is a must
While visual merchandising is all about creativity, you don’t have to forget about convenience. It’s amazing to surprise your shoppers with unique fixtures and displays, but you don’t need to go overboard. Place products in a way that is convenient for shoppers.
8. Keep seasonality in mind
We all love holidays and that’s why we try to keep that holiday feeling for as long as possible, even when we go shopping. If it’s Christmas or Easter or Halloween, make you store a storyteller. Decorate windows, displays, and shelves. Stock up on holiday gifts and products to keep customers happy and in a holiday spirit. Plus, people tend to buy more during holidays so a bit of decorating can go a long way.
Attracting customers and engaging them in-store is a difficult task. However, with the right tricks up your sleeves and the best tech solutions, you will manage to surprise customers. Encourage shoppers to purchase the products they want with the help of visual merchandising.
Bulk Food Suppliers NZ
Lastly, it all comes down to the products you’re selling. First impressions matter — but we believe that as long as you’ve got the best stock, your products are going to sell.
Stock4Shops is one of the leading wholesale food suppliers in New Zealand that has helped food businesses meet their customer demand and fulfil expectations.
For a decade, we’ve curated and supplied 20+ categories of products and 100+ brands to retailers in Auckland and beyond.
Shop now and avail amazing discounts on your best selling products!
