Make Your Micro Market Glass Door Refrigerators Irresistible
We declare March to be “Micro Markets Month!”
March 5 was National Vending Day, but here at Minus Forty, where we build glass door refrigerators, we think that vending micro markets should be celebrated all month. And with good reason too, since the micro market industry is projected to bring in at least $7 billion in revenue this year, which is nearly 100% growth in the last 8 years!
Did you know that the first vending machine in the US was built by the Thomas Adams Gum Company in 1888? It was used to sell gum on New York City’s train platforms. In the US alone, it’s predicted that there will be 35,000 micro market locations by 2022, generating $1.6 billion in sales over the next ten years.
As a refrigeration supplier of choice for hundreds of micro markets throughout the US and Canada, we’re proud to be a part of this growing industry that brings convenience and choice to customers of all ages, everywhere.
Here’s how to make your micro market irresistible to customers
In honour of “Micro Markets Month,” we thought we’d put together some tips to help maximize your micro market’s selling power. If you’re thinking of starting a micro market, or just want to learn more about them, we suggest checking out this micro market blog about glass door refrigerators.
Let there be light in your glass door refrigerators
Your products are the star, and if you think of retail as theater, your merchandisers are the stages to showcase them – so bright, well-lit interiors are a must. As we explain in this commercial glass door refrigerator LED lighting blog, high-efficiency LED lighting improves color and contrast, helps to grab customers’ attention and saves energy. Studies have proven that installing better lighting improves sales by 35% and conversion rates (# of customers who made a purchase after viewing the display) by 100%.
Signage: the silent salesperson
According to a research study by Brigham Young University, displays with signs outperformed displays without signs by a whopping 20%. Even more incredible was the fact that regular priced merchandise outperformed sale merchandise by 18% when regular priced items had signs and the sale items didn’t. Bottom line: signs draw attention to items, and the cost doesn’t seem to matter. And when the customer takes notice, they tend to buy.
Your refrigerated and freezer merchandisers are your “blank canvas,” and an effective way to feature your product offering through colorful door stickers, banners, and decals, and bright, high visibility backlit signage. They should provide quick information, be easily understood, and ensure they do not confuse customers. Plan to change up the decals as often as possible to promote interest and keep customers engaged.
The color connection
Color is a key component of visual marketing that can influence consumer choices. Certain Colors carry strong connections to specific ideas and evoke different feelings in people. Bright colors like orange, yellow and red radiate energy and are known to stimulate appetite, which is why you often see these colors in restaurant and fast-food logos. Cooler greens and blues are known to be relaxing and slow down the pace. Colors shown to decrease appetite are black, brown, grey and pink, so you may want to use these colors sparingly in your glass door refrigerator displays.
Easy access is everything
There’s a saying in retail: “eye level is buy level.” So be sure to position your best-selling products at eye level – which is at or around the 60” mark– to make it easy for shoppers to find the products they buy most often. Capitalize on this by placing new products close to these best sellers, to increasing the likelihood of them being seen. This is also a great opportunity to tie in a graphic highlighting the new product in the well-trafficked glass door refrigerator merchandiser.
Customers also want easy access, and better sales happen when obstacles are kept to a minimum, so they can quickly scan the store. Due to their size and power requirements, most standard, reach-in commercial refrigerators and freezers are placed along the peripheral walls. This might be convenient, but they may not be as visible to customers as an end cap or in-line placement might be.
ACT
Even the most attractive display won’t help sales if it’s not functioning properly. As we explain in our recent food safety refrigeration article for VendingConnection.com, a good way to remember maintenance tasks is with the acronym “ACT:” as proper Air Flow, regular Cleaning and Temperature monitoring are all crucial for ensuring that your equipment is running properly and safely. For example, broken doors that fail to close (sliders are notorious for this), burned out lightbulbs or dated (and often noisy) equipment are like “bad PR” for the products inside.
Remember, customers “shop with their eyes” first, and a good commercial refrigeration display can distract shoppers long enough to tempt them into trying a new product or making an impulse purchase they weren’t planning on making. Be sure to check out our accessories like custom graphics for your glass door merchandisers, and contact us to learn all the ways we can help you to maximize your micro market.