It pays to know the brands that are top sellers in your store. If you give them the best placement, which is usually at or near eye level, they’ll sell even better.
Of course, not every product can be placed at eye level. Companies will offer better product discounts for the best placement. Sometimes such placement is part of a contract. A lot of thought goes into these contracts. Ask yourself: How big of a seller is the product, and how will its placement work with other products in my store?
Placement of products is an art, and not everyone agrees on the best way to go about it. Experts put a lot of thought into where to put gondolas of products, how to keep space open for customers, what kind of products to carry and where to place them.
For instance, they put products where customers will see them when they walk to the coolers or the register. Some products may be duplicated on gondola shelves and under the checkout to make sure customers see them. Strategic placement is everything.
Some of the biggest beverage brands, according to Southeast Petro’s experts, are:
Soft drinks: Pepsi and Coca-Cola
Iced tea: Arizona, partly due to its consistently low price
Energy drinks: Red Bull followed by Monster
Water: Zephyr Hills, as well as the brands bottled by Pepsi and Coke, Aquafina and SmartWater, respectively
Thirst quencher: Gatorade
Customers also seek out iced coffee and milk, but it’s not a huge category compared with other sellers. They also look for secondary drinks from Pepsi and Coke, like Mountain Dew and Diet Coke.
Profit margins on beverages generally exceed 30 percent.
Snacks are big sellers at convenience stores. Top brands include:
Candy: Snickers, Milky Way, M&Ms, Three Musketeers
Chips: Frito-Lay brands
Beef jerky: Jack Link’s
Also popular are peanuts and mixed nuts.
Remember that you’re giving customers what they want, whether it’s a beverage to quench their thirst or a candy bar that lets them cheat on their diet in a place where no one is judging them.
Great customer service goes along with great brands. If there are specials and sales — for instance, two sodas for a discounted price — let your customers know about it. Make sure they go home with their sodas and a smile.
