Better Retailing returns to two retailers to see whether their gum sales have grown over the past six weeks, following advice and tips from Wrigley.

Better Retailing visited two retailers in June, with Steve Stafford, Field Sales Representative at Wrigley, and mentor Harj Dhasee, who took part in the project last year, to take a closer look at their gum fixtures. Steve gave the retailers advice, and made changes to their displays. Here, we catch up with both retailers to see how these changes have impacted their sales.

Focus on:

Clifford Hall & Sudesh Patel,
Londis, Coulsdon

Challenges

• Height: Sudesh’s fixture was below the counter and therefore below shoppers’ eye levels, so impulse sales were being missed.
• Visibility: Mints and gums were mixed together, meaning the display was unclear making it harder for shoppers to find what they wanted.
• Secondary siting: Sudesh had a good gum range, but only one siting so he could have been missing sales in other areas of the store.

Changes to drive sales:

• Height: Bring gums to shoppers’ minds and increase impulse purchases by adding a counter-top unit to bring the display to eye level.
• Visibility: Make the fixture clearer for customers and easier to shop by separating mints, gums, bottles and sticks.
• Secondary siting: Generate more sales by adding a secondary unit near the entrance filled with the bestselling lines.

Key lessons for your store

• Make sure your display is at customers’ eye levels to increase impulse purchases.
• Separate mints and gums within your fixture to make it easier for consumers to navigate.
• Add a secondary siting near your store’s entrance to attract shoppers as they enter.

Sudesh says

"The changes Steve made have helped boost my sales, and I’m pleased with the results. The secondary display at the entrance was the biggest boost, and I also really like the added height of the unit. I would encourage other retailers to take part in these projects, as there is a lot they can learn to boost profits."

Focus on:

 
Clifford Hall & Bob Gokani,
Bargain Booze, Basildon

Challenges:

• Location: The main fixture wasn’t immediately obvious to shoppers, it wasn’t very close to the till so impulse sales were being missed.
• Range: Clifford’s range included some bestsellers but was missing some popular flavours and formats so not all customer needs were being met.
• Display: The display was untidy with out of date POS so customers couldn’t easily identify the products they were looking for.

Changes to drive sales:

• Location: Encourage impulse purchases by moving the main fixture closer to the till, and adding a secondary sitting by the second till.
• Range: Meet all customer needs by adding the full range of bestsellers to the main display, include bottles, sticks, PMPs and NPD.
• Display: Help customers find what they’re looking for by updating POS and tidying up the range.

Key lessons for your store:

• Include bestselling lines of bottles, sticks, PMPs and new products in your display to cater for all shopper preferences.
• Move the fixture closer to your till and add a secondary siting to improve visibility and increase impulse buys.
• Keep your display clean and tidy, with up-to-date POS and branding to help customers to find what they’re looking for.

Clifford says

"I’m happy with my sales increase and I think I’ve seen these results because shoppers can find my gum range more easily now. The display is clearer and the new position closer to the till has been great. I’m looking forward to seeing our profits grow further over the rest of the year with these changes in place."

Expert Advice

Steve Stafford 
Wrigley

"We are delighted with the results. By working in collaboration with each retailer we were able to optimise their local knowledge and create a bespoke gum range to suit them. Both retailers were extremely flexible and open to change, allowing Wrigley display equipment to be installed that meets their needs to drive impulse sales."

Mentor advice

Harj Dhasee

Nisa Village Shop, Mickleton

"It’s fantastic to see Wrigley’s advice has increased sales by 15% and 17% in Sudesh and Clifford’s stores – over the rest of the year they are really going to see results. The changes have helped improve the presence of gum and overall standards, creating a better visual impact for shoppers. Any retailers who aren’t working with Wrigley should get involved as it’s such an easy win."

Wrigley’s tips:

• Shoppers are drawn to tidy, full displays, so keep your gum fixture stocked with the top sellers
• 90% of impulse gum sales are triggered by shoppers seeing gum in store, so make sure gum is visible at the till at eye level.
• Boost impulse buys with a secondary siting stocking bestsellers near your entrance.

Get involved: If you would like to take part in a similar project, call 020 7689 0600 (option 3) or tweet @Better Retailing

Grow gum sales: For more advice and tips on growing your gum sales, visit our guide.