What’s going on in David’s store this summer?

David Ingham of Spar in Leamington Spa is one retailer meeting demand for gourmet meats

“We’ve got our own butcher’s counter and make things like coconut and lime chicken that sell very well. I think people are becoming more adventurous: a barbecue’s a good time to try something different, because if you don’t like it, you can always have a burger instead.

“The one tip I’d suggest is to make sure you have everything people need. The last thing people want is to go round the store picking up charcoal briquettes, chicken and beer and then find that you haven’t got any bread rolls left. A lot of people will just drop the basket and go somewhere else. We get some of the long-life rolls that last two or three weeks.

“We don’t watch the weather too much, but if we know there’s a sunny weekend coming up, we’ll ask our butcher to make sure he leaves us lots of barbecue stuff. And we’ll put some charcoal briquettes by the butcher’s counter to get people thinking of barbecues.

“The disposable barbecues are becoming more popular. It’s surprising because they’re more expensive in the long run, but I suppose if you have a bad summer and you only use it once it might make more sense. We’ve got parks nearby as well and I think people pick up a disposable barbecue, food and drink on impulse and take it there.”

Visit our month of summer feature for more advice, tips and products to boost your sales this summer!