QI want to make the best use of the display space at the checkouts. I already have confectionery on a couple of them, but don't want to put it on every checkout - what other impulse items could I put there and what kind of sales uplift might I expect?
ASpace at the checkouts is ideal for impulse items, which is why confectionery immediately comes to mind, but there are other categories with similar potential.
In finding out which ones present the best opportunities, it is important to remember why the space at checkouts can generate additional sales. It comes down to the fact that people have time to look and browse while waiting to pay. They tend to be bored and need a way to relieve that boredom.
Impulse sales at the checkout drop by up to 70% when self checkouts are introduced - shoppers become too focused on the mechanics of scanning and paying, with little time to browse. So, as long as you have 'traditional' checkout lanes in your store, any items that shoppers can overlook as they walk through the store are good candidates.
Top of the list for secondary sites are indulgent products such as confectionery, gums and mints, crisps or salty snacks. Shoppers often try to avoid them when walking the aisles, but seeing them at the checkout is often enough to tempt them into buying. Single, rather than multipacks, help them to believe the 'damage' is limited.
Second are items shoppers tend to truly forget or buy somewhere else - batteries, magazines or tabloid newspapers, books and flowers. Seeing them at the checkout will remind your customers that they need that article - prompting them to buy it in your store rather than go to a specialist.
Thirdly, there is scope for seasonal displays; books with major releases, such as Harry Potter, cookbooks with seasonal recipes for Christmas or Easter, gift cards for Valentine's Day etc.
Fourthly, try tapping into one of the major consumer trends such as healthy snacking to create a checkout display with a point of difference.
Which ones are right for your store? It all depends on the shopper profile in your catchment area. Find out which items they tend to forget from their list.
The sales you can expect from a well-managed checkout display vary by category: up to 30% of battery sales can come from secondary checkout displays; 35% of soft drinks; 80% to 90% of flowers and 70% of confectionery.
Steve Hildebrand is head of consumer and shopper marketing at management consultant Glendinning
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