Spring is already upon us, so we’ve started our preparations for the warmer seasons. First things first, we’ve got our fridges serviced. You should be getting them serviced every year. It might seem like a needless expense, but it works out cheaper to get them serviced now when things are quiet. It will cost you a bomb to get an emergency callout in the middle of summer if they break down when the store is full of people wanting cold drinks. We also make sure to de-ice them and deep clean them so they’re ready to go for the summer. It’s about reducing costs and reducing risks.

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It’s also important to get your planograms sorted for the summer as well. In the winter, we’re stocking lots of stews and root vegetables, dumplings and gravy. Summer is picnic and barbecue time, so you want to be stocking up on lighter eating lines, alcohol and barbecue food. We get lots of cider drinkers in the summer because it’s so cool and fruity.

Summer ranging

Beyond your core summer ranging, you also want to drive those additional sales. You can put out clip strips with skewers for the barbecue, for example. And it’s even better if you can cross-merchandise as well. We’ll be putting out straws with our soft drinks, and marinades and seasonings with our barbecue meats. These will grab those extra sales.

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The big event this summer is the Euros, so you want to think about what pre-deals you can buy beforehand and stock up. We’re going to put up bunting with the flags of all the different countries taking part in the competition. It’s important to think about what displays you can put up in store to create a bit of atmosphere and that will drive footfall.

Footfall is so important, and in a cost-of-living crisis it’s often driven by price, so if you see a really good deal, buy it and, if you can, store it. It’s about being savvy with your buying and keeping an eye on trends as they come out.

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