inStorebuyer - February 2012 - (Page 46)

cheesecorner INNOVATIONS IN DELI CHEESE Create A Shopping Pattern According to The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, cheese consumption per capita rises every year starting in 1984 and is projected to continuously rise into 2019. Use your cheese case to promote the rest of your store, and use your whole store to promote your cheese case. Cross promoting cheese traditionally consists of offering a wine pairing and maybe some kind of specific cracker or bread. These promotions work well and should not be abandoned. They are the cornerstone of getting artisan and specialty cheeses into the hands of shoppers who are already cheese and wine aficionados. But reaching out to customers who wouldn’t usually purchase a specialty cheese — and moving all cheeses out of the case — is something that will increase not only cheese sales, but also the sale of all products being cross-promoted. Use cheese to create a shopping pattern throughout your store. Push customers in every direction starting at the cheese case, and plot points in other departments to nudge customers into the circuit from wherever they are in the store. Using the wine and cheese promotion as an example, post specials at the cheese case that push shoppers to the wine, and offer cheese specials in the wine section that direct them back to the cheese case. Gently guide shoppers throughout the store with thought and creativity. The cheese plate appetizer needs more than just cheese and crackers. Olives, fruits and berries, nuts, and honey are four different directions to send customers by cross promoting with cheese. They’re also four different points within the store where cross promotion will send customers to the cheese. Four entry points into the pattern now exist without the mention of a complimentary beverage, entree or bread and crackers. Many consumers prefer beer over wine. Today, the microbrew and specialty beer markets continue to grow in popularity. Use this popularity to promote with cheese and appeal to a demographic outside the usual cheese and wine connoisseurs. Reel in the beer drinking consumer by calling a cheese fondue a dip and cross promote with chips and breadsticks. From there, direct them to the summer sausage, and of course, the sausage’s complimentary cheese. Again, have something in each section that refers the shopper to all the respective sections of the promotion and get them into the flow of the pattern. Sparkling juices and waters The varieties of cheese are almost as endless as the different foods it can be prepared and served with. | 46 | inStorebuyer | February 2012 |

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of inStorebuyer - February 2012

inStorebuyer - February 2012
Editor's Note - A Year of Opportunity
Table of Contents
Front Line News - Nielsen Acquires Perishables Group
Front Line News - WRAP Award for Stater Bros.
Front Line News - Fresh Market Promotes Crane
Front Line News - Peerless Unveils New Brand Look
Front Line News - Caravan Scores Superior Ratings
Front Line News - Costco CEO Recognized
Food Service Retail - Meal Add-Ons
Baking & Decorating - Mousse Appeal
Bakery Development - Specialty Desserts Stay in the Spotlight
Deli Development - Growth for Deli Side Dishes
Deals, Meals & Appeals
A Giant Step
Equipment & Technology - Mobile Solutions
Health & Nutrition - Explaining Gluten-Free
Cheese Corner - Create A Shopping Pattern
Product Trends
Product Showcase
Marketplace Network

inStorebuyer - February 2012