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For banana sales, the summer months are traditionally slow. For new dairy spreads, shelf space is limited. And, for frozen hot-dog hors d'oeuvres, getting noticed can be a dilemma as well.
Armed with industry research revealing that more than 70% of buying decisions are made once the consumer is inside the store, manufacturers like Chiquita Fresh North America, Cincinnati; Unilever Best Foods, Englewood Cliffs, N.J., and Hebrew National Kosher Foods, Jericho, N.Y., turn to in-store marketing to help solve some of their problems.
Chiquita, of course, sells bananas; Unilever makes a yogurt-based spread under the Brummel and Brown name, and Hebrew National, a frozen franks-in-a-blanket product.
Teresa Wellington, marketing manager for Chiquita Fresh, told Brand Marketing that retailers who participate in its annual in-store summer promotion are bound to experience a pop in sales.
"Historically, as we look back at the numbers, retailers who participate can enjoy up to an 18% volume advantage over non-participants," Wellington said. "And, we do this in the summer when banana sales are slow."
The abundance of so many other fresh fruits during the summer compounds the problem, Wellington said.
Meanwhile, Eric Berman, senior associate brand manager, Unilever Best Foods, said tests done on sales impact following a recent shelf-sign campaign for Brummel and Brown spreads showed an 11% boost in sales.
"There is some merit to the theory that [shelf signs] boost sales," Berman said. "It all goes back to the old adage that most consumers don't make their actual buying decisions until they get in the store. So, anything that we can do to draw their attention to our product is an added bonus."
Leigh Platte, vice president, general manager/food service and new product initiations, Hebrew National, said his product did well with shelf signs and floor graphics.
With shelf signs, tied to a trade promotion, Platte said his frozen hot-dog product saw anywhere from a 20% to 40%...