The Power of Promotions

I love nothing more than seeing a customer enjoy success within their store. With many customers saying they look for value above anything else when shopping in the convenience channel, clearly offering shoppers value for money is key in winning their trade. Through my experience, speaking with customers and talking with my colleagues I have developed a way of introducing promotions into my customers’ stores which has proved very successful, and I would like to share my best practice with you.

Why Promote?

Promotions can be incredibly beneficial to a store when utilised correctly. They can bring people into the category that would otherwise not shop it; they can increase the frequency that the category is shopped and they can increase the quantity of products a shopper buys, all of these will drive sales value and volume. At Country Choice we have a yearly calendar containing great deals on all core categories and seasonal lines- some products are up to 33% off list price! Every 3 weeks the promotions change to ensure there is always a fresh deal to offer shoppers. The real test of a successful promotion, however, is whether these increases are maintained after the promotion ends.

It’s all in the Preparation

Before the start of every three week period I look through the promotional list with each customer in mind and decide which offers will be most relevant. With over 15 products on promotion at one time, it is important to consider which lines will lead to genuine category growth. I select bestselling core lines to encourage more frequent purchasing from existing customers, and to engage new customers with great deals on known customer favourites. I also select a few range extension lines which have been successful in other similar stores. These products can be introduced to a range at an “introductory price” to capture attention and hopefully fuel demand after the promotion has ended.

One Plan, One Goal

With a handful of suitable suggestions in hand, I then organise a face-to-face meeting with my customers to discuss the upcoming promotional calendar and the strategy that we will be putting in place. We aim to have one product from each category on promotion at any one time because insight tells us that too many promotions aren’t very successful. I always make sure to organise this meeting with enough time to allow for marketing materials to be sent to store in time for the start of the promotion. Once agreed, I put the wheels in motion to activate the promotion.

Shout all about it!

What’s the point in having a fantastic offer if customers aren’t aware? At Country Choice we provide free shelf edge labels and point of sale to communicate offers within the store. Once the promotions are agreed, I ensure tickets and posters are ordered and delivered to the store in plenty of time. Team members at the store then merchandise the units with eye-catching ticketing that promotes the great deals.

So, was it worth it?

The final part of the puzzle is to establish whether the promotion was successful! What went well? What didn’t go so well? What we should do next time? Using EPOS data and internal sales records, we analyse if sales volumes went up. If so, we look at by how much and for how long after the promotion ended. I tend to compare three weeks before promotion, three weeks on promotion and the three weeks after promotion to give a good indication of uplift. In this way, we can determine which promotions were successful and look to repeat these in the future.

We’d be happy to advise how promotions can help you achieve sales success. Get in touch with your County Choice Sales Representative today or register to become a customer.