From our conversations with leading retailers and industry experts, we’ve put together 10 steps to make your store the go-to place for quality evening meals.
Evening meals are worth £5.2bn in convenience stores and offer a huge opportunity to independent stores to stand out from the competition.
Getting started
- Check out the local competition and ask your shoppers what they are looking for that you’re not currently selling.
- Create meal deals around pizzas and garlic bread, as well as ready meals, to get shoppers interested in your store.
- Start slow to minimise waste. Frozen meal deals are a great way to start as these products have a longer shelf life.
Driving sales
- Offer ready-made food as well as a wide range of ingredients to appeal to customers in a rush as well as those into cooking from scratch.
- Promote your evening meal options on social media from 3pm onwards so that your store is in the minds of your shoppers as they travel home from work.
- Provide all ingredients to make the most popular dishes: sausages and mash, roast dinner, spaghetti bolognese and stir fry.
- Put pastas and sauces in front of the chillers. Stocking different ingredients together, even without making them a deal, can increase sales.
Be the talk of the town
- Partner with local suppliers and tell them what your shoppers are looking for. This will build your relationship as well as drive sales.
- Offer premium ready-made food that shoppers are willing to pay more for.
- Take risks by stocking unusual quality products that customers can’t buy elsewhere.
Comments
This article doesn't have any comments yet, be the first!