inStore - May/June 2013 - (Page 22)

gear up for christmas christmas & winter holidays by Tim Trabon artwork by Øivind Hovland C hristmas time and the winter holiday season is a tremendous period for creative marketing and innovative products in the deli and bakery. As instore foot-traffic and consumer spending increases around Halloween and dramatically climbs towards the winter holidays such as Christmas, it is critical to engage this expansive consumer demographic. In 2012, more consumers returned home for the holidays than had in several years. As there is an increase in individuals returning home and family get-togethers, the demand for products that accommodate large gatherings and parties continues to rise. With that in mind, supermarkets will benefit from offering options like party-sized prepared foods in the deli and party trays of cookies and other desserts in the bakery. Strategically placing these products throughout the instore as well as cross-merchandising deli and bakery items for the holiday will improve the value of the product for shoppers as well as draw attention to the offering. “We consider the holiday season from Halloween through Super Bowl. Each of these special occasions requires different products that appeal to customers for their gatherings.” Tony Byington, Hy-Vee’s assistant vice president of bakery operations 22 • MAY + JUN 2013 • instore In addition to attentively marketing to shoppers who are hosting events and housing visiting relatives, exploring different instore gift options will also appeal to shoppers looking for quick and convenient presents for visiting friends and family. While offering these options instore is a great start, online sales are becoming the backbone of holiday gift purchases. As consumers rush to online resources to determine their growing gift list, displaying your Christmas and holiday-themed products on your website will be a powerful tool for increasing online sales as well as directing traffic to your brick and mortar location. Also, offering innovative and eye-catching gift packaging of instore products will attract the attention of last minute Christmas shoppers. While Christmas is clearly the major winter holiday generating unparalleled profits in many industries, there are a several niche categories as well as non-Christian holidays that show a great deal of opportunity for increased sales. While they are not as commercial as Christmas,

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of inStore - May/June 2013

inStore - May/June 2013
editor’s note - GEAR UP FOR CHRISTMAS - Ring in the Holidays
Contents
news - ON OUR RADAR
consumer insights - Trending - Pies
consumer insights - Trendspotting: Portion-size pies
consumer insights - Trending - Deli Meat
consumer insights - Trendspotting: Specialty deli meats
consumer trends - CONSIDER - Vegetarians
gear up for christmas - Christmas & Winter Holidays
gear up for snacking - Snacking through the holidays
gear up for dieting - Dieting after New Year's
merchandising ideas - BIZARRE HOLIDAY
product trends - FIRST TO MARKET
Ad Index
Next Up - Gear up for Valentine's Day

inStore - May/June 2013