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Merchandising

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Add the element of surprise to create engaging closed-case displays

May 6, 2016

By Margie Proctor Hillphoenix Marketing & Design Specialist Here’s a challenge for all of you store merchandisers tasked with building great displays behind closed-case doors. Surprise and delight your shoppers with at least one unexpected design element inside the case. Imagine new possibilities Small creative touches can add interest to your in-case merchandising. Here’s a great idea for showing off sandwiches in a taco holder. The holder creates the perfect angle for displaying sandwiches — upright but not fully vertical. Plus, the taco holder’s zigzag shape adds some playfulness. Another easy idea is to display cartons of egg whites in a

Ask the Right Questions about Food Packaging Design and Materials

August 30, 2016

Dr. Keith Vorst is the Director for the Polymer and Food Protection Consortium at Iowa State University. Join Dr. Keith Vorst for “Make Every Package Count” at Supermarket Sense 2016, September 21-22 in Conyers, Ga. Many retailers are inclined to rely solely on suppliers for food packaging without asking the right questions regarding the specific needs of their stores. In reality, taking control of that process and equipping themselves with the right information is a crucial step for food retailers. Knowing what materials and types of packaging work best for different products can help them in areas ranging from cost

Before and after: Speedy fixes for merchandising mistakes

October 20, 2015

By Margie Proctor Hillphoenix Marketing & Design Specialist With no budget and only the merchandise on hand, I partnered with an independent supermarket customer to overhaul a closed-case display. The store’s merchandiser was focused on SKUs she was responsible for and spread the product too thin — so the set looked picked over. By cross merchandising, we were able to create a full set and increase sales. Giving customers a visual cue that “This goes great with that!” works just as well behind doors as in open cases. You can see the results in these before-and-after photos. Adding baskets and shelf

Best Practices for Dairy Case Merchandising

July 25, 2017

It all begins at the farm. Quality dairy products come from happy, healthy animals and plant-based products whose milk has been safely processed to ensure a flavorful, fresh consumer experience. However, we can’t put all the responsibility on the farm or the processor. To keep shoppers coming back week after week for fresh, flavorful dairy products, follow these display case best practices. Temperature – From the moment a dairy product hits the grocery store dock, it is critical to keep the product cold. As soon as dairy products are removed from the walk-in cooler they should be put into a refrigerated

Casting the Right Talent for Destination Centers

June 17, 2016

By Margie Proctor Hillphoenix Marketing & Design Specialist No one would expect a cashier to assume the role of produce manager or butcher. The same goes for staffing Destination Centers. These roles require a genuine interest in food and robust people skills. Staff should be able to share product knowledge and engage customers – and enjoy doing it. Culinary talent Chefs and other culinary professionals bring authenticity and expertise to menu development, food preparation, and food presentation. To fully benefit from their strengths, don’t hide them away in an enclosed work area. Bring them out where shoppers can see them

Clarity line adapts to supermarket sizes and styles

August 27, 2015

By Kelly Sayko Hillphoenix Case Division Product Manager One-size-fits-all refrigeration equipment won’t work in today’s supermarkets, which come in all shapes and styles. What’s more, the growing popularity of store-within-a-store destination areas means a one-size refrigeration strategy may not even work across a single store. These days, grocers need refrigeration equipment that’s flexible, and Hillphoenix’s Clarity line was designed with adaptability in mind. The Clarity V Series Door Case is a great example. Not only do V Series refrigerated cases offer customizable door, frame and handle designs to suit any décor, they also come in standard and narrow sizes to

Conduction heat transfer: Why does it matter to merchandisers?

April 15, 2015

If your job involves showcasing meat and seafood in ways that are attractive to the customer and maintain the integrity of the product, conductive heat transfer can dramatically expand your window of opportunity. Moist and even cooling – the kind that actually extends the life of meat and seafood – are hallmarks of the conduction approach to refrigerated display case design. Conduction is heat transfer through the direct physical contact of two objects (or surfaces) at different temperatures. When two objects are in contact, heat flows from the warmer surface of one to the cooler surface of the other until

Consumers’ path to healthier eating leads right to your seafood department

November 17, 2015

By Margie Proctor Hillphoenix Marketing & Design Specialist Health-conscious U.S. consumers are eating more seafood, and there’s still plenty of room for demand to grow. The National Marine Fisheries Service reports per-capita seafood consumption in the U.S. is 14.6 pounds, an amount that has increased over the last two years. Consumption of shrimp — the No. 1 seafood seller — increased 11% from 2013 to 2014. Americans eat, on average 4 pounds of shrimp a year. Per-capita consumption of salmon jumped 34% from 2012 to 2013, according to the latest data from the fisheries service. Salmon is the No. 2

Destination Center Success Begins with Food Selection, Presentation

May 31, 2016

By Margie Proctor Hillphoenix Marketing & Design Specialist What do empty nesters, busy, working parents, and Millennials have in common? They’re all engaging with food in new ways. They care about what they eat, where they get it, and how it’s prepared. More than “something to eat,” food has become an experience, one that has to satisfy increasingly sophisticated consumer sensibilities. And consumers have so many options for seeking those experiences. From traditional and fast-casual restaurants to farmers markets, online shopping, specialty shops, and grocery stores, there are more players than ever competing for shoppers’ food dollars. The good news

Destination Centers: Layout and Flow Can Make or Break the Customer Experience

June 14, 2016

By Margie Proctor Hillphoenix Marketing & Design Specialist Consumers are looking to grocers to please their sophisticated palettes and to help solve the problem of how to give their families and themselves high-quality meals despite their busy schedules. Grocers are responding with Destination Centers: from full-scale grocerants and fresh prepared dishes for takeout to wine and beer bars and cheese or chocolate shops. Destination Centers can vary widely in type and number, but whatever route is taken, one thing holds true: The layout and flow has tremendous impact on the customer experience, staff performance, and sales. The design experts at

Discover ways to light up meat sales

August 25, 2015

By Jack Sjogren Hillphoenix Design Center Specialist The right lights produce results. Just ask the owners of this supermarket in Crestline, California, a summer tourist area. Our Hillphoenix team helped them rethink lighting in the store’s meat department, and over three months departmental sales jumped 15% compared to the same three months the year before. (That sales boost came after peak tourist season, I might add.) We made simple changes with big visual impact that captured customers’ attention. The first step was shutting off existing in-case lighting — T8 fluorescents — that drained color from the meat and created an

Does your meat department need a makeover?

April 29, 2015

Want to attract more customers to your high-margin meat and seafood departments? Start by standing where they do — in front of your refrigerated display cases. Then ask yourself a few questions: Is your attention stolen by crowded signs, melting ice, visible cleaning equipment or other distractions? Does lighting give meat an off-putting, brown or grayish hue? Does seafood look slimy, rather than moist? Does product look dry around the edges? Do employees have to turn their backs on you to weigh and wrap product? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you need a meat department

Don’t Overthink Merchandising Behind Refrigerator Doors

January 12, 2016

Does merchandising behind closed doors stress you out? Margie Proctor, Hillphoenix marketing & design specialist, offers some tips for merchandising glass-front cases.

Double the display life of cut meat; save employee labor hours with Coolgenix

April 23, 2015

Meat and seafood departments present huge, high-margin opportunities for supermarkets. In the consumer’s mind, purchasing meat and seafood from a trusted grocer best ensures it is fresh and safe. These offerings enable grocers to differentiate their stores from discount and online retailers and build loyalty with local shoppers. But meat and seafood departments present challenges, too. The product is costly and highly perishable. Grocers must make sure they’re refrigerating and displaying meat and seafood properly to reduce waste and the risk of contamination — and to increase sales. One problem I see in supermarkets again and again is displayed meat

Each Destination Center Is a Theater for Engaging the Whole Shopper

June 10, 2016

By Margie Proctor Hillphoenix Marketing & Design Specialist Grocery stores are in a unique position to satisfy today’s consumer’s appetite for fresh, high-quality foods and engaging food experiences. Along with being a one-stop shop for household goods and pantry staples – something restaurants and farmers markets can’t offer – in-store Destination Centers cater to customers seeking a boutique wine or cheese experience or fresh, prepared dishes to eat in or take out. They’re also a store’s opportunity to captivate shoppers who came in for a few basic items, like milk and paper towels, and have them leaving with a bottle

Equip Destination Centers for Versatility

July 5, 2016

By Margie Proctor Hillphoenix Marketing & Design Specialist Equipment for preparing and displaying foods should be able to accomplish a variety of goals. Along with supporting the menu, the right equipment plays a role in creating product theater. From ordinary to interactive Picture the typical produce department with cases along the perimeter and rows of islands out on the floor. Shoppers often navigate the space on autopilot, engaging momentarily to check items for freshness and integrity. Compare that familiar scene with this: staff chopping and slicing fresh fruits and vegetables at a refrigerated kiosk island in the center of the

Food Safety: Kryptonite or Superpower?

September 10, 2018

No one likes to think about shoppers falling ill after buying something from or visiting your store. But the threat is real and needs to be addressed with education and proper protocols. Food safety should be top-of-mind for any store owner or manager. Start your education by joining ServSafe Certified Trainer, Michael Williams, for his talk about foodborne illness prevention. Knowledge of basic food safety, the importance of employee personal hygiene, and what types of pathogens and toxins your store is exposed to can go a long way in avoiding the spread of illness. Acknowledging the trickiest areas of your

Food Trend — Stop Saying ‘Ethnic’

August 25, 2016

Join Mark DiDomenico for “Trends and Predictions in Foodservice 2016 – Supermarket and Convenience Stores” at Supermarket Sense 2016, Sept. 21-22 in Conyers, Georgia.” In recent years, I’ve talked a lot about the importance of ethnic foods for restaurants and food retailers. In fact, our food industry research firm, Datassential, considers ethnic food trends to be a point of origin for the kinds of innovations that make their way to mainstream food service years later. But what we’re seeing now is that the term “ethnic” no longer works as an adjective to describe foods. Especially in the United States, our

Food trend: Taking the pulse of non-meat proteins

August 23, 2016

Join Mark DiDomenico for “Trends and Predictions in Foodservice 2016 – Supermarket and Convenience Stores” at Supermarket Sense 2016, Sept. 21-22 in Conyers, Georgia. Proteins have been on consumers’ (and food service operators’) minds for the past few years. The trend has shifted to “ubiquity” on the adoption cycle used by our food industry research firm, Datassential (see graphic). But there is a sub-trend gaining traction; increasingly, people are looking to non-meat sources to provide protein. In fact, the United Nations declared 2016 the year of the “pulse,” in an effort to promote the benefits of non-meat proteins. I’ll talk

Fresh-on-the-Perimeter — Inform and Entertain Shoppers with a Produce Destination Center

August 9, 2016

Join Jack Sjogren and Kelly Sayko for “Innovations in the Fresh Perimeter” at Supermarket Sense 2016, September 21-22 in Conyers, Ga. Today’s consumers expect a lot from their supermarket shopping trips. Not only do they want to see a range of fresh fruit and vegetable offerings, they also want to be educated about how to incorporate more of these healthy foods into their families’ meals. Indeed, research by the Produce For Better Health Foundation shows 52% of consumers want new ideas for how to prepare and serve produce. Destination centers in the produce section can help supermarkets meet consumers’ demands

Fresh-on-the-Perimeter — Produce Destination Centers Meet Shopper Demands for Convenience and Healthy Foods

August 5, 2016

Join Jack Sjogren and Kelly Sayko for “Innovations in the Fresh Perimeter” at Supermarket Sense 2016, September 21-22 in Conyers, Ga. Adding a destination center to a supermarket’s produce department satisfies two important shopper demands simultaneously. Offering pre-cut ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat produce provides time-saving convenience to busy shoppers. And it helps them meet their goals of eating healthier. Check out this validating data: About a third of consumers say they aren’t making meals at home because they’re just too tired to cook after a long day, according to a survey conducted for the National Association of Convenience Stores. 58% of consumers

Fresh-on-the-perimeter: Smart steps to creating a produce destination center

August 12, 2016

Join Jack Sjogren and Kelly Sayko for “Innovations in the Fresh Perimeter” at Supermarket Sense 2016, September 21-22 in Conyers, Ga. Destination centers in the produce department are a huge opportunity for grocers aiming to capitalize on consumers’ dual demands for freshness and convenience. But these fresh-on-the-perimeter spaces require some strategic setup and merchandising. Here are a few things to consider before you jump into creating a produce-centric destination center. Think through the equipment you’ll need in your produce destination space. For example, a juicing program requires much more than shoehorning a juicer into the space between displays. Consider how

Grocerants — Take a Page from “Digital Marketing 101 for Restaurants”

October 4, 2016

Is your grocerant showing up when people search for “food near me” or a speciality item such as pizza? When you’re hungry and sitting at a stoplight, does your smartphone search engine, TripAdvisor or Zagat app help you find your next meal? Restaurants have the competitive advantage of showing up in almost all search engines, on maps and review sites simply because they exist. In a study by the National Restaurant Association, 90 percent of millennials and 60 percent of baby boomers own or use a smartphone or tablet. A presence on Facebook, Instagram and online review sites can make

Harness the power of inspiring, informative signs

May 19, 2016

By Margie Proctor Hillphoenix Marketing & Design Specialist Merchandising has two main objectives: to engage shoppers and influence their buying decisions. Beautiful, surprising displays are powerful ways to accomplish both goals. But don’t overlook the persuasiveness of a simple sign. Signs can do everything from attract shoppers to your juice bar from 30 feet away to educate them about the nutritional value of the fruit and vegetable beverages they’ll find there. Here are some great ways to incorporate signs into your store installations and displays, all centered on selling food — and your brand. Train shoppers to open the refrigerated

Health and Wellness Food Products Will Continue Trending This Year

January 25, 2021

The height of the pandemic has pushed people to look for food alternatives either for convenience or health reasons. As a result, several food trends have emerged over the past few months since the outbreak. Trends like easy-to-prepare meals, chef-inspired meals, and seafood have seen a significant rise in demand. But, out of all the food trends we have seen this year, health and wellness top the list. According to ReportLinker, the global market for health and wellness foods is projected to grow to $1 trillion by 2027. Health and wellness foods are expected to dominate the food trend this

Here’s How Grocers Can Gear Up for the Upcoming Holiday Season

November 12, 2021

The next few remaining months of the year signal the start of the busy and exciting days ahead, especially for food retailers. This coming holiday season, consumers are eager and excited to celebrate with their loved ones as restrictions are beginning to ease and more people are getting comfortable adapting and living with the pandemic lifestyle. Since consumers were not able to gather for the fall and winter celebrations last year, it is expected that there will be an increase in consumer spending for the holiday season this year. Twenty-nine percent of US consumers are planning to spend more on

Hillphoenix supports Coolgenix customers with onsite training

May 22, 2015

By Derek Gosselin Hillphoenix Systems Product Manager Using carbon dioxide as a refrigerant seems like a new solution to today’s challenge of lowering the global warming potential of commercial refrigeration systems. But, as industry researcher James M. Calm has documented, the use of CO2 as a refrigerant actually stretches back to 1866. In subsequent decades CO2, ammonia and other early refrigerants took a backseat to organic fluoride-based cooling compounds. The first among them was synthesized dichlorodifluoromethane, or R-12, developed in the late 1920s. In 1930, fluorocarbon refrigerants were introduced to the market and quickly became the standard. It took us

How Food Retailers are Preparing for the Second Coronavirus Wave

December 4, 2020

At the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic, food retailers were taken aback by unprecedented demand from consumers for essential items in store. From disinfectants and toilet paper to canned goods and frozen food items, retail stores experienced supply shortages. Meeting the demands of concerned consumers was almost impossible but somehow retailers found a way to adjust. So now, as we are beginning to experience another surge of COVID-19 across the country, how are food retailers preparing themselves? Here are some of the things retailers are doing: Food retailers are expecting customers to begin stockpiling again to prepare for the second

i2i — Raising the Bar on Fresh in Small Format Stores

July 15, 2016

Small format grocery stores — and convenience stores, in particular — are taking fresh foods to a whole new level. Once a place to gas up the car and grab a soda and bag of chips, convenience stores are becoming part of the “What’s for dinner?” solution by offering fresh and healthy grab-and-go meals. And small format grocers appeal to shoppers with a middle ground alternative to traditional supermarkets and convenience stores. One thing all small format stores have in common is a desire to meet shoppers fresh and fast expectations without sacrificing quality, food integrity and profit — all within

Infographic: Island 2 Innovate (i2i) Makes Destination Centers Easy

June 28, 2016

Hillphoenix’s new Island 2 Innovate (i2i) modular island system makes it easy for retailers to offer creatively merchandised, healthy food selections within any size footprint. The i2i island system is a multifunctional, modular display case that can be configured to include heated, refrigerated, wet and dry products in virtually any combination. With i2i, any retailer can create fresh Destination Centers — regardless of store layout or size.

Infographic: Small-format retailers get a fresh opportunity

April 5, 2016

Inspiration to Integration, Supermarket Sense Has It All

August 16, 2018

Excellence doesn’t materialize in isolation. It’s the result of sharing ideas, participating in discussions, sketching out fresh objectives, and drafting a plan for execution. Supermarket Sense is designed with all of this in mind for you and your food retail organization. Finding inspiration is simple in an opportune environment. Soak up the latest on food trends, sample flavorful juices, and open your mind to new perspectives about how to keep your store relevant in the current market. Discover new menu ideas, explore how meal kits can impact your bottom line, and consider how you can introduce new flavors to your

Lighting helps highlight true colors of products and stores

September 1, 2016

Join Margie Proctor and Jack Sjogren for “The Art of Lighting – Merchandising and Food Presentation” at Supermarket Sense 2016, September 21-22 in Conyers, Ga. From highlighting food products to setting the tone for the shopping experience, lighting – in particular, color choice – is a key merchandising strategy for grocers. Lighting is one of the first things a shopper sees when they enter a store, so it is important to make a good first impression with the right lighting. Think about lighting in different types of stores: A discount store has brighter, more even lighting that is designed to

Location! Location! Location!

August 13, 2018

How often have you heard the saying, “the market value of your home is primarily the result of three things — Location … Location … Location!”. Well, as it turns out, the very same statement can be made when it comes to the role that relative humidity plays in determining the best way to store and display fresh meat, poultry, and seafood in refrigerated service display cases. A recent research work, fully accepted and published in the journal Food Control, has verified that fact. The study compared four different refrigerated service display case technologies, each utilizing either convective, conductive, or

Mapping shopper’s eye leads to 22% sales jump

September 21, 2015

By Jack Sjogren Hillphoenix Design Center Specialist Here’s a great story about the power of lighting and proper merchandising. Driscoll’s, one of the world’s largest distributors of fresh berries, wanted to amp up sales from its “Berry Patch” displays, which it creates for select partner retailers. Each Berry Patch features strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries merchandised in a refrigerated display case designed to maximize berry freshness and longevity. The berries were selling well, but Chuck Sweeney, Driscoll’s Director of Category Development, thought they could be moving out the door even faster. At an industry trade show, he saw a demonstration

Market Trends – HIGH-VOLTAGE CAKE DESIGN – Choosing a Display to Make It Shine

December 13, 2018

The opportunities to share images offered by social media sites and apps like Snapchat, Pinterest, and Facebook create an insatiable demand for new content, and one consistent object of users’ interest is expected to attract even more attention this year — cakes. New decorations and designs will incorporate influences from both modern technology and 80s nostalgia. The holidays are a time of the year where inspiration is most sought after. “If you look at platforms like Instagram and Pinterest, one of the most popular categories of ‘pins’ is cakes,” says Tom Vierhile, innovation insights director at research firm Canadean, which

Meal-centered “Occasions” Drive Prepared Food Sales

October 11, 2016

Getting customers to purchase your freshly prepared food instead of that of the restaurant down the street is the name of the game. Tailoring your food offerings to your customers’ needs is key to making that happen. Why are your customers eating what they do? What time of the day and days of the week are they coming in? Hint: They’re not just buying ready-to-eat lunches and family dinners anymore. A study from Datassential identified a few lesser known “occasions” for customers buying ready-to-eat or semi-prepared meals. Up-and-coming urban areas may be saturated with young couples and singles looking for

Merchandising Tip: Create a visual focal point

June 5, 2015

Want to attract more customers to your high-margin meat and seafood departments? Put the focus on the product. Coolgenix conductive refrigeration technology protects the integrity of meat and seafood, so your product is moist, colorful and visually appealing to your customers.

Merchandising Tip: Ice without the hassle

June 11, 2015

Merchandising seafood without ice saves labor hours and makes clean up quick and easy. Here’s how to get the look of ice without the time and expense. For a free merchandising consultation, visit www.hillphoenix.com/designhelp.

Merchandising Tip: Less can be more

June 18, 2015

Are crowded signs, melting ice, and other distractions stealing the attention away from your fresh meat and seafood? By keeping merchandising simple, you keep the focus on the product.

Merchandising Tips for Refrigerated Display Cases During Covid

Merchandising Tips for Food Retail Amid COVID-19

June 19, 2020

The beginning of 2020 has been an eventful one, to say the least. The world has been turned upside down as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and grocery stores have been designated as essential businesses supplying the necessary resources to feed and provide for their customers. As a result, businesses are also needing to rethink their store layout and merchandising strategy. Supermarkets need to shift the dynamic of the way they have always done business. They are now reimagining their merchandising strategy, and how they can effectively use their existing equipment to accommodate the needs of today and offer

Opportunities to Expand Consumption throughout the Week

August 3, 2016

People love the convenience of grabbing a prepared meal from the store. Whether they’re running late to work in the morning or they’re eating lunch in between meetings, over 60% of people will pick up a fully prepared meal from a local store once a week. That drops slightly to just under 50% for ready-to-heat and semi-prepared meals. Over a third of people pick up ready-to-heat or semi-prepared meals three times a week. And a quarter of people go for fully prepared meals three times a week. For any supermarket looking to expand its prepared and semi-prepared meal business, these numbers

Prepared Food Safety is Critical for Managing Risk, Maximizing Opportunities

August 19, 2016

Join Michael Williams and Joe Sielski for “HACCP Plan – Ideas on Having a Strong Program for Prepared Meals and Deli” at Supermarket Sense 2016, September 21-22 in Conyers, Ga. Offering prepared and semi-prepared foods at retail supermarkets presents a great opportunity for grocers but also presents a potential for great risk if the food safety program is not properly executed. That is why these programs are best viewed as an investment rather than an expense. Ensuring viable food safety is necessary for food retailers to build their prepared foods business and ultimately engage their customers. A good food safety

Produce for the Win!

August 18, 2017

Pricing may get shoppers in the door, but the entire produce experience is what makes the sale. As the perimeter grows fresher and greener, understanding your customers’ wants and needs is paramount to staying the top pick for where they spend their dollars. Because produce consumption often is tied to health and wellness, shoppers are recognizing they need to add more vegetables across meals each day. Targeting the heart-healthy and waistline-friendly produce speaks to the consciousness of your customers. Wellness-focused signage and samples encourage your shoppers to try new varieties, increasing awareness and demand. Time-pinched customers are seeking easy-to-access fruit

Promoting Healthy Meal Options in Fresh Prepared Departments

June 24, 2019

Unique food merchandising displays elevate a supermarket’s fresh prepared, deli and bakery departments. These displays help sell the delicious and savory products retailers pride themselves on creating, but also give shoppers a taste of something new and different that they may not normally eat or buy. The IDDBA 19 Show and What’s in Store Live Booth offered creative merchandising ideas for retailers to bring back to their stores and put into action! So, when they showcased the front of the deli with 16’ of Hilphoenix SMG service cases focused on life-changing eating programs such as Keto, Vegan, Whole 30 and

Relevance Is King for Market Share

July 19, 2018

Evolution is part of any industry, including food retail. In order to stand the test of time and to navigate the latest trends and newcomers, it’s increasingly imperative to remain relevant. It’s not just about surviving — it’s the key to thriving. What does relevance have to do with long-term success? It’s how you build customer loyalty, stay top-of-mind with shoppers, and stand out in the sea of stores, even as changes occur. But wanting relevance isn’t enough to achieve it. You need to start with a strategy, and Harold Lloyd will be helping you build yours at Supermarket Sense.

Revealing food merchandisers’ secrets for closed-case refrigerated displays

October 16, 2015

By Margie Proctor Hillphoenix Marketing & Design Specialist Here’s a merchandising secret that’s kept far too well: Putting doors on refrigerated cases will enhance your displays. Skeptical, are you? Well, keep reading to discover just how compelling closed-case merchandising can be. Create a food gallery. The visual stimuli on store shelves can be overwhelming to consumers. All those shapes and colors can create sensory overload — especially when a shopper is strolling past vast stretches of open refrigerated cases. But add doors to those cases, and you define the field of vision. Shoppers see one area at a time and

Saving the Center Store — 6 Strategies for Shopper Engagement

September 15, 2016

Join Harold Lloyd for “Saving the Center Store” at Supermarket Sense 2016, Sept. 21-22 in Conyers, Georgia. At the upcoming Supermarket Sense, happening just outside Atlanta on Sept. 21-22, I’ll explore ways to save the center store. Here’s a preview — six strategies for rebuffing online (and other) competition by revamping those long, boring aisles: Rethink lighting. Replace glaring, fluorescent bulbs with properly spaced LED lights that make packaging pop and guide shoppers down your “runway” of products. Cross-merchandise center store products throughout the store. For example, next to the apples in produce, add a sign: A tablespoon of peanut

Saving the Center Store — Inertia Is the Enemy

September 13, 2016

Join Harold Lloyd for “Saving the Center Store” at Supermarket Sense 2016, Sept. 21-22 in Conyers, Georgia. The supermarket center store is stuck in a time warp, and that’s especially dangerous in today’s food retail environment. We’re going up against online shopping that’s fast and entertaining, and products in the center store are particularly vulnerable to online competition. Yet, those long, boring, rectangular aisles haven’t changed in decades. At Supermarket Sense, happening just outside Atlanta on Sept. 21-22, I’ll lead a session on “Saving the Center Store” — diving into the issues and opportunities. Here’s high-level view of the problem:

Shine the Right Light on Your Offerings to Stand Out in the Marketplace

August 16, 2017

It should come as no surprise that LED lighting continues to rise in popularity to save cost and improve efficiency. An overlooked detail is that improper use can actually reduce sales, too. By using incorrect color temperatures and not protecting product integrity, customer satisfaction is at risk. Let’s look at color. Opting to use warm or cool tones appropriately around your produce, meats, and even packaged frozen products makes all the difference in the world to how your shoppers view your offerings. Vibrant colors naturally exist in fresh fruits and vegetables. If your LEDs aren’t dialed in to bring out

Small-format stores capitalize on “fresh” opportunities to boost sales

March 8, 2016

By Margie Proctor Hillphoenix Marketing & Design Specialist Whether they’re stopping at Starbucks or a convenience store, Americans increasingly want fresh options. The desire for fresh and healthy foods runs the gamut from snacks to ready-made meals. Just look at the research: 78% of consumers are on a mission to eat more fresh and fewer processed foods, according to the 2014 Gallup Study of Cooking Knowledge & Skills. “Health” to consumers now is more about food purity than traditional dieting, and they are eating more fresh foods, reports global information company The NPD Group. Fresh-format retail sales are growing 12%

Small-Format Strategies: Merchandising tips that make every square foot count

March 2, 2016

By Margie Proctor Hillphoenix Marketing & Design Specialist In small-format stores, every square foot counts. That’s why it’s important for convenience, discount and drug stores to save space, while also maximizing merchandising opportunities. So, what can small-format stores do to make the most of their space and ensure that small feels special to shoppers? Here are a few strategies: Elevate endcaps Don’t stuff end caps with past-their-prime discounts or the staples shoppers already know you sell. Instead, use that prime real estate to showcase goods that will surprise and delight your customers. For example, encourage shoppers to bring home a

Snack-Sized Ideas for Growing Prepared Food Sales

August 17, 2016

Nearly all Americans snack at least once a day: 94 percent, according to market research firm Mintel. Half of adults snack multiple times a day, and many prefer healthier options. When you’re packaging prepared foods, are you offering portable and craveable packaged snacks? Customers aren’t just buying the food; they’re also buying the container. Or they’re eating with their eyes first. Are you making them hungry? Are they going to want to try your delectable, craveable creation? Seventy percent of adults agree that nearly anything can be considered a snack. For added cravability, try packaging simple snack foods with fresh

Supermarket Food Service Operations Require a Customer-Focused Business Plan

October 20, 2016

Orlando Espinosa is the Founder, Orlando Espinosa + Associates LLC. Orlando Espinosa recently presented “Enhancing the Customer Experience Through Engaging Kitchen Design” at Supermarket Sense 2016 in Conyers, Ga. Supermarket food service operations offer tremendous potential for business owners, which is why a carefully considered plan is essential to success. This is not a case of “if you build it, they will come.” Developing a successful grocerant requires homework on specific customer trends and habits and a business plan for meeting those needs. Some successful supermarket owners have treated food service operations as an add-on or even a loss leader.

Supermarket Fresh Prepared Is Going to the Dogs (and Cats)!

July 3, 2019

The supermarket fresh prepared area is finally going to the dogs, but in a good way! Earlier this month, the What’s in Store booth at IDDBA s showcased a unique variation on meal kits, and yes, it’s going to the dogs and cats! While meal kits for humans are on the rise, the pet meal kits are a viable option for those retailers looking for ways to maintain a sustainability platform within their operation. By 2024, the global dog food market is projected to reach $100 billion, so this may be a great opportunity for retailers to gain additional sales

Don’t let the name fool you! Supermarket Sense is not just about supermarkets, it’s focused on Food Retail and the evolving marketplace.

Supermarket Sense – Learn How to Elevate Your Brand and Your Revenue

July 11, 2018

Take your business to the next level by participating in top-notch food retail training. Supermarket Sense is your inside scoop to the latest trends, upcoming strategies, and the evolving industry. Join food retail experts as they take you through two days of new insights, meaningful discussions, and eye-opening ideas. From directors and managers to merchandisers, and from architects to store planners, Supermarket Sense has something for everyone. Anticipating trends and then preparing for them can be a defining moment for any business. Let’s make sure you are ready for what’s ahead. Grocerants, the convergence of health and food industries, juicing,

Supermarkets Give Meal Kits Staying Power

August 29, 2018

With $2B in annual sales, meal kits have made a splash in the food retail industry. Subscription services are already challenged with retention because customers are selective. They want convenience without sacrificing nutrition, cost, flavor, or variety, and those are tall orders for the subscription business model. Supermarkets, on the other hand, can give meal kits true staying power simply because of easy access to resources. Furthermore, you can leverage meal kits to open the gateway to more cooking by your shoppers. Supermarket Sense is the place to set your sights on how kits fit into your profit plan. One

That’s So Cool…Literally!

June 26, 2018

In the world of refrigerated service display cases, “cool” is the name of the game. And there is no place where this is more important than the sale of fresh meat, poultry and seafood products. Keeping these products at the proper temperature can affect everything from shelf life and product integrity to the very safety of the food itself. Obviously, for a food retailer, the impact of this on store profit can be costly. Although there are a number of variables that affect the shelf life and product integrity of these perishable foods, the tissue temperature of the product itself

Tips for Landscaping and Merchandising a Fresh Food Island

July 19, 2016

“Fresh” is at the forefront of the food industry, and food retailers are constantly seeking new ways to meet the fresh expectations of shoppers. Hillphoenix’s new Island 2 Innovate (i2i) modular island system gives retailers a unique opportunity to create a fresh Destination Center that combines hot, cold, wet and dry offerings into a one-stop fresh destination. Any department can be transformed into a Destination Center with i2i’s modular, multi-case design. i2i’s wide selection of end cap displays and center inline cases allow grocery retailers to create compelling merchandising experiences featuring an endless combination of refrigerated, heated, wet and/or dry

Use digital technology thoughtfully

September 20, 2016

Carre’ Bistline is the Director, Business Development Digital Solutions for Anthony International. Join Carre’ Bistline for “Engaging Digital Signage Opportunities for Food Retailers” at Supermarket Sense 2016, September 21-22, in Conyers, Ga. For consumers, digital technology can be a disruptive or engaging presence. To ensure such technology has the desired effect on grocery shoppers, it is imperative that grocers thoughtfully plan their messaging in terms of both content and placement. That means delivering messages that resonate quickly and function well with mobile devices. Understanding that mobile devices also have the ability to both connect and distract customers while shopping, retailers

Use food demonstrations to connect with customers

October 5, 2015

By Justin Webster Hillphoenix Design Center Specialist On September 22-23, Hillphoenix hosted Supermarket Sense, a gathering of industry experts designed to educate food retailers about current and future trends — and how to make the most of them. One of the sessions I led was called “How to Engage Customers and Increase Shopper Dependency.” We covered everything from shopper loyalty to connecting with customers from different generations. One thing we talked about was the power of product sampling. Here are some tips you can use to improve your in-store demos.

Video: Is your display case stealing moisture from your meat and seafood?

April 20, 2015

To understand how conduction heat transfer preserves the natural moisture content of meat and seafood, it helps to understand the alternative: traditional convection-cooled cases. Most convection-cooled meat and seafood display cases work in one of two ways. The most common way uses fans to drive the circulated air; this method is called forced convection. A second approach relies on the natural tendency of cold air to sink and warm air to rise. A particular type of evaporator called a gravity coil is mounted at the top of the case instead of at the bottom as is typically used in forced-air

Woo Early Morning Shoppers with Front-of-Store Breakfast Stations

July 13, 2016

No doubt about it, breakfast presents a big opportunity for retailers. Research shows that Americans increasingly consider breakfast to be an essential meal. However, 53% of consumers often skip breakfast, according to digital pollster, Instantly. The main reason is familiar: Consumers just don’t have time to prepare a meal, especially as they’re running out the door for work or school. That’s where the opportunity lies for supermarkets. Serving up convenient, nutritious, portable breakfast foods can meet shoppers’ demand and drive sales at a typically slow part of the day. The key is merchandising for shopper convenience. Here are a few

You Mean There IS a Difference?

July 25, 2018

Some folks will have you believe that there’s little or no difference in which refrigerated service display case you choose for best offering your fresh meat, poultry, and seafood to your customers. Don’t buy it! At least, not if you care about optimizing your profit and selling the freshest cuts possible. As one of the main areas to drive customer loyalty and competitive advantages, meat is crucial to total store success. According to the FMI study, “The Power of Meat-2018”, total meat is the largest of the fresh categories with a household penetration of 97.9 percent. At $49.5 billion in

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