On a global level, some retailers are ensuring displays are maintained in terms of "right product at the right time."
A key challenge for brands in the Petrol & Convenience (P&C) channel is that, unlike other, more organised channels, these stores are often largely unplanned, with managers/owners having significant autonomy.
This makes achieving consistency of display difficult for brands, says CROSSMARK CEO Andy Kirk.
He adds that stores can also have limited staffing, with perhaps just one or two employees working at a time and usually at the counter serving customers.
"This means these outlets may not get much time and resources to allocate to maintaining or replenishing shelves."
Mr Kirk said, "Stock weight on shelf is vital and especially important if running a promotion or positioning products in an off-location display.
"Designing promotional displays to hold good stock levels can help avoid the need to continually refill - ensuring visibility and branding compliance are maintained."
Another challenge for brands operating in the P&C sector is often the stores' small footprint, says Mr Kirk.
"So, bear this in mind when you're creating point of sale material or freestanding display units," he said.
"If they take up too much room, they won't last long or won't even make it onto the shop floor in the first place."
He recommends small-footprint units that fit easily around the store, or something that can be simply adjusted to suit the store's layout and can be adapted to different areas.
"You'll often see great examples of confectionery brands with point of display units that can be extended or reduced in size to fit different locations right by the impulse area," Mr Kirk said.
"Not only does this allow the retailer to tailor the display size to their store, it also allows them to easily maintain stock without a huge amount of attention on a regular basis.
"For a lot of products, the convenience sector is all about impulse. You want your point of sale display or product to interrupt the shopper's journey. So, make it easy for the retailer to display and maintain stock, and easy for the consumer to shop and purchase your product."
Channelling convenience
Delivering convenience in terms of both retail formats and products continues to be a key driver in the convenience sector, says Mr Kirk.
On a global level, some retailers are ensuring displays are maintained in terms of "right product at the right time", he adds, citing the example of a 7-Eleven store in Japan utilising displays that can quickly change to product a different offer, depending on the time of day.
"They have a breakfast offering followed by a lunch offering and then a semi-prepared offering for later in the day," Mr Kirk said. "The whole trend is moving towards convenience and giving people time back."
This excerpt feature is from Convenience World's November 2019 issue.
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Andy has a deep understanding of the Australian retail environment and its shifting dynamics. Prior to CROSSMARK he has held a number of senior leadership roles in Australia and the UK, delivering retail strategy and field marketing initiatives for the blue chip brands. Andy is a firm believer in the power of data analytics to boost sales performance for brands and retailers. |