Photo by Franki Chamaki on Unsplash
While grocery stores are certainly some of those essential businesses that will survive any kind of economic circumstances, that does not mean that you can just sit back and expect to make a profit with little effort. With so much competition around you, you need to keep your prices adequately competitive as well, therefore, you will only be able to make ends meet by large volumes of sales. However, how does one boost one’s grocery store sales? It all comes down to two factors: more customers, and more sales per customer.
You need to understand customer psychology in order to devise the most efficient sales strategies. From leveraging impulse buys to creating unmissable deals, there are many ways to reach your goal. To give you some inspiration, here are some of those strategies.
Reward customers
While the power of brands may be soaring at incredible heights today, on the grocery store scene, loyalty is dwindling. Customers will not hesitate to go to your competitor if they can save a couple of bucks that way. So, how can you encourage loyalty during such times? The answer is loyalty programs with rewards that are worth it. Exclusivity is key here. A membership, loyalty, or stamp card will make them feel like it actually pays off to go to your store as opposed to others. In addition to rewarding loyalty, you can also give out surprise rewards from time to time. It will give customers a pleasant impression of your store.
Deal with queues once and for all
It’s hard to believe that we still need to deal with annoying queues in 2022. Make sure that your grocery store’s queues don’t become another stressor in your customers’ lives. Modern POS systems, self-checkouts, and price checkers can all help not only take some weight off your staff’s shoulders but create a more streamlined shopping experience for every customer as well. With less frustration comes a higher chance that they will choose your store the next time as well.
Leverage coupons and promotions
There are few things customers love more than saving money. You can thus make them happy and get them to buy more from you if you keep offering coupons and promotions that are hard to say no to. Coupons customers can pick up at your very store will make them more likely to put something in their basket, and it’s smooth sailing from then on. You can also keep your customers updated about your best deals through a dedicated mobile app. Offer exclusive in-app coupons to get more downloads.
Get creative
Customers are always looking for convenience. If you can offer them exactly that by doing the thinking instead of them, you can score a few more sales. Get creative and suggest ideas to your customers. They are probably thinking about what to make for dinner: so, arrange a shelf that will give them inspiration. Group products so they create a meal and you will be more likely to sell each of the “ingredients.”
Shake things up
The same thing over and over again eventually loses its appeal. This is why shaking things up from time to time will boost your grocery store’s sales figures. Besides your good ol’ repertoire, rotate a few products for added interest. You can dedicate one shelf to limited goods and keep customers checking back each week. You can also expand your offer in order to appeal to a new target audience and get more foot traffic. For instance, you can add a shelf of organic goods for health-conscious customers or introduce a variety of plant based protein products that will appeal to sports enthusiasts.
Offer samples
Even though people are famished for novelty, many are actually reluctant to spend on things they don’t know whether they will like. This is why offering free samples is one of the best ways to promote food products. Everyone loves free things, so customers will be elated, in addition, more inclined to give the product a try and actually purchase it. Making a show of introducing a new product this way will also make things more exciting.
Placement matters
Finally, don’t forget about the power of good product placement. Just like last-minute impulse buys placed by the registers will boost the volume of your sales a bit, there are other placement tricks that will reap you great results. For instance, be sure to put popular products just by the entrance so customers will put something in their basket right away. Think about children, too, and place items that they will be interested in on the lower shelves. Keep items that are often purchased together near each other.
With more options out there than ever and more and more people trying their hands at growing their own food at home, grocery stores may need to get more creative to maintain their sales. If you are investing in a business like grocery store, keep customers on their toes and give them what they want. Change things up from time to time but be the reliable point they can fall back on. Hopefully, these strategies will help.