Summer is a lucrative period for convenience stores, with shoppers often making last-minute purchases for BBQs, picnics and, of course, ice cream. In fact, 31%1 of shoppers make more spontaneous purchases during summer than any other time of year.
Shoppers are also more likely to buy “for now” rather than plan ahead, opening the door for high-margin, grab-and-go items. To maximise summer sales, it’s not simply about a strong product range, pricing and availability. A smart store layout or reacting quickly to changing weather can also increase basket spend.
Here are some of our top tips to standing out to sell more:
Store layout
During summer, review your gondola ends, till points and general store layout to make seasonal products easy to find.
We recommend:
- Positioning chilled drinks and ice cream in high-traffic areas or near the entrance
- Creating secondary displays for BBQ and picnic items
- Grouping complementary items together (e.g. drinks with snacks, BBQ meats with sauces)
- Using clear signage to highlight seasonal ranges
Weather awareness
The UK’s unpredictable weather can have a huge impact on convenience sales. Sunshine sparks demand for drinks, ice cream and picnic items, but rain can soon dampen sales.
Keeping a close eye on weather allows retailers to adjust upcoming orders to avoid missed sales or excess stock.
It’s also worth reviewing store layout as the weather changes. For example, should sunshine turn to rain, swap sunscreen and sparkling water for items that are less warm weather dependent, such as sweet treats and crisps.
Power of merchandising and promotions
Strong merchandising is key to driving both sales and awareness of promotions.
Retailers should:
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Create a dedicated “summer zone” or themed display using seasonal POS to make products more visible and encourage basket-building
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Use clear signage to highlight promotions and product locations
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Use decorated dump bins to attract shoppers’ attention
Sampling in stores
Research shows that sampling is one of the best ways to drive conversion of new products. Create a schedule of sampling experiences, from soft drinks to crisps and snacks, to encourage shoppers to add something new to their basket.
As we enter a key period for convenience, now is the time to ensure your stock and store are ready to maximise sales and encourage shoppers to add more to their basket.
Visit OCS to explore our full summer range and offers.