Grab n Go Fridges: A Tool To Increase Impulse Purchases In Retail Stores

For convenience stores and micro markets, the ability to offer quick and easy solutions for customers in a hurry or on the move is essential. Smaller retail spaces must stock a wide range of products in a dense layout to cater to the needs of busier customers who don’t have time or patience to walk around an entire grocery store. Despite this, smaller retail spaces like convenience stores and micro markets can still struggle to encourage impulse purchases. Typically, customers know exactly what they want to buy before they enter a convenience store or micro market, and purchase that and nothing more. For a customer to make an impulse purchase, a product needs to catch their eye or pique their interest in some way. For those in the convenience store and micro market space, the implementation of grab n go fridges can have a large impact on the amount of impulse purchases your customers make. 

Grab n go fridges are a type of commercial refrigerator that is designed and positioned in such a way as to encourage impulse purchases. Within retail spaces, they are often located near the entrance or checkout area and are stocked with snacks and drinks that are easily consumed by mobile customers. Strategically positioning grab n go fridges in high-traffic areas allows convenience store and micro market owners to increase the likelihood of impulse purchases. 

In this blog, we’ll go over some tips for implementing grab n go fridges within your small retail space to boost impulse purchases. 

1. Choose the right products 

You could follow the next 5 tips to a tee, but if you disregard this first piece of advice your grab n go fridges will be wasted. No matter how well-presented, well-positioned, and well-promoted your grab n go fridges are, if they don’t contain the products your customer base wants, they won’t perform at the highest level. That’s why the first step in implementing a successful grab n go fridge is to stock it with the right products. Our last blog covered aspects of effective merchandising, including product selection, but, in short, variety is the name of the game. Appeal to as many customers as possible and ensure your grab n go fridge only contains products that can easily be grabbed and taken to the checkout. These could be light snacks like chips, nuts, and candy, or even small, prepared meals like sandwiches and salads. Impulse purchases are based on the customer seeing something they can’t resist in the moment, so unique or limited-edition products can also be good choices for stocking grab n go fridges. 

2. Use eye-catching displays 

Now that you’ve decided on your product selection, it’s time to make that selection as attractive as possible in the eyes of customers. Convenience stores and micro markets are dense retail spaces, with a large number of products competing for attention. Your grab n go fridges should be adorned with brightly lit and coloured signage or banners, and include crisp, even LED lighting inside the fridge to maximize product visibility. Placing products at eye level makes customers more likely to notice them, and this concept applies to grab n go fridges as well. You could even experiment with placing graphics inside your grab n go fridge that promote discounts or specific products. 

3. Keep the fridge well-stocked 

All the effort to get customers to notice your grab n go fridge is wasted if the product they’re looking for isn’t available. A half-empty or poorly stocked grab n go fridge is also much less visually appealing, and customers are less likely to make a purchase if they see only a few products available. Ensure your grab n go fridge is restocked regularly and consider rotating products to ensure your selection of offerings is always fresh for your customers. 

4. Offer promotions and discounts 

Sometimes customers just need a little push to make that impulse purchase from your grab n go fridge. This push could be as simple as a seasonal discount, or a “buy one, get one free” promotion that encourages customers to consider an extra purchase during their visit. Promotions could be related to ongoing holidays or events, such as “back to school” offers, or summer discounts on specific products. 

5. Provide convenient packaging 

Grab n go fridges should contain products that are easily consumed by customers on the go. Your target demographic is people who are on the move, who decide to grab a little extra something as they peruse your store. These customers will be more likely to make an impulse purchase if the products in your grab n go fridge are conveniently packaged. Products that are resealable, or designed for on-the-go consumption are best. This also offers customers a better experience overall, encouraging them to visit your store again. 

6. Use data to track sales 

Don’t make decisions blindly, track customer trends and sales data to understand how well your grab n go fridge is performing. Monitor which products are selling well, and which products are not. Utilize this data to make adjustments to the products you offer, or the promotions you’re running, or the positioning of the grab n go fridge itself. You could come across seasonal trends that you could take advantage of in the future or identify peak sales times during the day or week that may require additional staff to keep your grab n go fridge fully stocked. 

Beyond numerical data, it’s important to get direct feedback from customers. You could survey customers to get a better understanding of what products they’re most interested in, and what promotions they want to see most. This feedback can allow you to make informed decisions about which products should be stocked in your grab n go fridge, and how you can most effectively market those products. 

Conclusion 

Grab n go fridges are an effective way to encourage impulse purchases in a convenience store or micro market setting. Choosing the right products, presenting them well, keeping the fridge stocked, running promotions, choosing convenient products, and analysing sales data will all contribute to a successful retail strategy that drives sales and offers customers a more satisfying shopping experience. If you want more tips and tricks about how to get the most out of your commercial refrigerators, subscribe to the Minus Forty newsletter below and be sure to check back with our blog next month!