My local Giant Eagle is at it again. This time, they’ve created a massive wall (and I mean wall) of Pepsi just in time for March Madness. But the sheer size of their in-store promotion is only part of what makes it a source of creative inspiration for entrepreneurs and small business owners.
What else can we take away that could help drive sales and engage customers? Let’s take a look at following four key elements:
Location. Giant Eagle’s display is located just inside of their front entryway—space most other retailers waste by using it as storage for hundreds of empty shopping carts. By using their entryway, every customer will see their display on the way in and on the way out.
Theme. The Pepsi display incorporated both their hometown Pittsburgh Panther’s men’s basketball team and the NCAA basketball tournament which establishes a local connection to a major sporting event–something that might sound obvious but that many business owners fail to do with marketing campaigns focusing on a local audience.
Potential “add on” sales. What goes better with Pepsi than chips? At the edges of their display, Giant Eagle did a great job of incorporating complementary items–a key element of any effective sales strategy.
Value or potential savings. It’s one thing to say an item is on sale, but it’s another to really drive that message home by highlighting value or how much money your customers could save.
You don’t have to be a big grocery store to use in-store displays and visual merchandising to drive sales and engage with your customers. Don’t be afraid to incorporate any or all of the elements mentioned above to see what resonates best with your target audience.
