Barbecue fixtures help snacks fly in summer
INVITING friends over for a party is rightly against the rules at the moment, but when the time does come again, barbecue season should provide retailers with a great chance to capitalise on the celebrations.
However, thanks to the changeable nature of Scottish weather, barbecues are not something that can be planned too far in advance.
That’s good news for convenience stores, according to Matt Collins, trading director at KP Snacks, who suggested last-minute shopping plays right into their hands – provided retailers get their merchandising right when the mercury rises.
“Independent retailers looking to maximise on the opportunity the summer snacking season presents should take learnings from the grocery channel and consider dual-siting and dedicated displays, space dependent, to make shopping as simple as possible and boost impulse sales,” he said.
According to Mintel figures provided by KP Snacks, 79% of shoppers reckon it would be useful to have commonly purchased products merchandises together, so a dedicated barbecue section on a sunny day might not be the worst idea.
When the weather does get warmer, competition heats up accordingly, and Collins suggested independent retailers make sure to go that extra mile to pull sales back from the big multiples.
“Competition from the grocery sector and other food outlets means independents need to work harder to get their offering right and understanding the importance of summer sales is imperative for driving incremental spend.
“Placing crisps, nuts and snacks on promotion has become a great driver of this, with 24% of shoppers purchasing due to promotions,” he said.
