Being in the retail food industry can be tough. Even if you’ve got an amazing product, there are likely hundreds of others out there that are similar in nature to yours. So, what can you do to distinguish yourself from your competition and stand out from the crowd?
One thing you can do is step up your food merchandising game. Believe it or not, consumers care about food packaging. Maybe even more than you would imagine.
That old adage about not judging a book by its cover? When it comes to the food industry, it does not apply. If you’d like to make your grocery store product merchandising more eye-catching, read on for some top food merchandising tips.
Food Merchandising Principles and Practices
The purpose of good food merchandising is to entice customers to buy your product. And to do so over anyone else’s. In order to ensure this is the case, all sorts of different retail food merchandising tricks are employed.
1. Building Trust
A big food industry trend that’s showing no signs of going away any time soon is the consumer need for companies to be transparent about the foods they’re producing. Consumers today want to know what they’re eating, what’s special about it, and how it will benefit them. For this reason, it can be a good idea to include some choice facts, phrases, or statistics on your food merchandising.
For example, if your product is 100% Organic, this is something you should shout from the rooftops. Similarly, if it is grass-fed, locally sourced, or low fat, these are all great things to include as well. Try to think about what your product’s USP is, and then find a way to work that into your merchandising and packaging.
2. Placement Is Key
It makes sense that if there are 20 different products that are similar in nature, packaging, and price, a consumer is likely to choose the one that is easiest to grab. There is such a thing as prime shelf placement, and products that are placed at reach height tend to enjoy a lot of popularity.
Unfortunately, it’s not always possible to influence where your product will be placed in a store. So, what can you do to try and ensure your product will be placed prominently, or that consumers will still notice it if it’s not? Make your merchandising as eye-catching and attractive as possible.
3. The Psychology of Color
Did you know that different colors can evoke different emotions in people? They can also cause people to behave in certain ways. For a simplified example, think about a matador waving a red flag to taunt a bull.
If you want your customers to choose your product, you need to be careful about the color of your merchandising and food packaging. At the most basic level, you should try to choose colors that will pop and make you stand out from the crowd and your competition.
Food Merchandising Matters
Food merchandising does matter! It might seem like something small, but the decisions you make about your food merchandising and packaging can have far-reaching effects and impact your success. If you’d like expert advice on how to take your food merchandising designs to the next level, get in touch with us today.