Visual merchandising is the name of the retail game, and purveyors of food are no exception. With the singular goal of maximizing inventory turnover, convenience store owners and supermarket managers alike are always searching for new ways to visually highlight their products in order to stimulate customer engagement. Since refrigerated stock can account for nearly fifty percent of total inventory, food retailers shouldn’t underestimate the importance of visually merchandising their chilled provisions. Here are three methods for effectively showcasing cold food inventory with a commercial refrigerator.
Emphasize “Want” Items with Strategic Placement
While customers generally walk in the door to pick up items they need, successful retailers appeal to the shopper’s impulse to reach for products they may not require, but suddenly discover they want. They do this by making the “wants” easy to see and reach for, placing the signage at eye level and the highlighted products within arm’s length. The displays are also placed at strategic locations, such as the entrance (attempting to engage customers during their first moments in the store) and at the checkout (catering to those last-minute decisions).
Store managers can capitalize upon these tried and true techniques by installing commercial refrigerators with “want” items in targeted, high-traffic areas. For example, during warmer months, greeting customers with ice cream treats in a freezer near the entrance can tap into childhood nostalgia or entice those with a sweet tooth. A smaller cooling unit filled with ice-cold drinks at the checkout can encourage shoppers to grab some refreshment for the road. And staples such as milk and juice can be kept in larger refrigerator units in the store’s rear aisles, increasing the potential for customer engagement with the full range of retail offerings.
Use a Variety of Sizes to Maximize Floor Space
Retail outlets with limited square footage require smart approaches to visual merchandising in order to make the most of their space and maximize their profit margin. By employing commercial refrigerators in a variety of sizes, smaller food retailers can use their real estate efficiently.
While most stores feature a standard row of double-door or triple-door units, these can be supplemented by countertop units that make use of valuable eye-level territory, as well as narrow units occupying floor space that might otherwise be wasted—turning even the most awkward nook into a sales opportunity. And with today’s innovative technology and design, even the largest commercial refrigerators are more streamlined than ever before, providing powerful and reliable refrigeration in less space.
Employ the Latest Technology to Ensure Maximum Product Visibility
Even a well-curated and strategically-placed inventory is limited by how attractive it is to the consumer’s eye. Retailers can maximize the visibility of their frozen and refrigerated products by displaying them in commercial refrigerators illuminated with light-emitting diodes (LED). LED bulbs saturate retailers’ offerings with an even application of directional light, while reducing distracting glares, rendering colors accurately, and packing a high-contrast punch. Commercial refrigerators featuring high-efficiency, double-paneled glass doors with low-emission film ensure that nothing stands between customers and a clear, crisp view of the products inside.
When used strategically, commercial refrigerators can provide retailers with a reliable method for generating consistent revenue. The innovative design of Imbera’s versatile line of commercial refrigerators makes merchandising chilled and frozen foods easy and cost-effective. To learn more about what our commercial refrigerators can do for your supermarket, convenience store, or retail outlet, contact Imbera Foodservice at 678-504-6842.
