Confectionery is a prime category for retailers, so having the right products for your customers is key. In August, Better Retailing and Mars Wrigley representatives Joy Hewson and Aileen Penman visited two retailers near Birmingham to share category advice to help improve their core ranges and displays to make them easier for customers to shop.
THE EXPERTS
JOY HEWSON
Team Manager representing Mars Wrigley
AILEEN PENMAN
Team Manager representing Mars Wrigley
FOCUS ON
SHAILESH PAREKH
Nisa Local New Invention, Wolverhampton, West Midlands
CHALLENGES
Disciplined display: Duo bars were placed next to their standard-sized equivalents across the fixture making it difficult for customers to differentiate at a glance
Sharing opportunities: Shailesh stocked sharing bags, but was missing linked purchases as they weren’t next to complimentary products
Grouping blocks: Sharing blocks were faced down on the shelf, making them difficult for customers to locate within the fixture
CHANGES TO DRIVE SALES
Disciplined display: As bestsellers, we remerchandised duo bars and placed them at eye level so they’re easier to find
Sharing opportunities: We added a selection of sharing bags next to the magazines to encourage impulse purchases and increase basket spend
Grouping blocks: Sharing blocks were difficult for customers to see and often missed, so we placed them facing forward on the top shelf
SHAILESH SAYS
“Having an outside expert visit was really beneficial. It’s always useful to get advice and new suggestions from someone that isn’t in the shop on a daily basis. I’ve noticed people buying more of the duo and block bars since the visit and it shows in the sales as Galaxy block and Mars Duo are now in my top five bestsellers. ”
Joy says
“I’m pleased to see that Shailesh’s sales have increased. He’s got a great store with good footfall so it shows that by following our advice of forward facing the block bars, and making sure key lines such as duo bars are grouped together can help increase sales.”
KEY LESSONS FOR YOUR STORE
Make it easy to find bestsellers like duo bars at eye level in a prime location
Add a selection of sharing bags near impulse-led products, like a hot drinks machine or magazines
Forward-face sharing blocks on the top shelf of your fixture to ensure high visibility
FOCUS ON
VICKY ONIONS
Vicky’s Convenience Store, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire
CHALLENGES
Visibility: The confectionery fixture was towards the back of the shop so was difficult to spot and meant key impulse purchases were being missed
Presentation: Popular Duo bars were stocked on a low shelf, or next to standard-sized bars, which meant they were difficult to spot
Range: Vicky has a limited amount of space and was missing top-selling lines, meaning she wasn’t accommodating all of her shopper’s needs
CHANGES TO DRIVE SALES
Visibility: To maximise key sales opportunities, we added a secondary display of block chocolates and sharing bags in a high traffic area
Presentation: To help customers shop the fixture at a glance, we grouped bestselling duo bars together in a prime position
Range: We introduced top-selling lines like Maltesers Buttons that were missing from Vicky’s display to help her cater for different shopper needs
VICKY SAYS
“I’m delighted with the changes, they have been really effective. The block bars and sharing bags have been a big success, customers started buying them straight away. Changing the gondola end has made confectionery more noticeable and I’m finding customers shop the range more. I’ll definitely keep the changes.”
Aileen says
“I’m really happy to see that the changes we made in Vicky’s store worked. It shows that secondary sitings can help highlight the category and boost sales. By putting the bestselling lines in the centre of Vicky’s display we’ve made it easier to shop and her customers seem to have taken advantage of that.”
KEY LESSONS FOR YOUR STORE
Introduce a secondary siting for sharing bags and block chocolates to encourage impulse purchases
Group duo bars at eye level to help customers find what they are looking for at a glance
Stock a core range of bestselling lines, like Galaxy Minstrels, to cater for different shopper needs
MARS WRIGLEY TIPS FOR YOUR STORE
1
Make sure bestselling lines are located in the centre of the fixture
2
Confectionery is a sociable treat so stock a range of sharing bags and block chocolates
3
To meet the demands of busy customers, block standard bars together
4
A tidy and well-stocked display makes it more appealing for customers and quicker to shop
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