Team Up to Cross Merchandise

Posted to BeefRetail.org in conjunction with January 2010 issue of Retail Beef Blast.

Now more than ever, customers are looking for convenience when shopping in your meat case. They are not only looking for delicious beef cuts at a great value, but they are looking for complete meal solutions to solve their dinner dilemmas.

All it takes is a little teamwork. Work with other departments like produce, bakery and dry goods to set up cross merchandising displays, or signage if the space in your department will not allow for large displays. Cross merchandising is a great way to not only increase sales in your own department, but to create a partnership with other departments. Your customers will be satisfied with your efforts when they can pick up all the ingredients for dinner in one sweep.

Related items are also great to cross-merchandise. Your customers may not think of getting ketchup, mustard and other condiments, but when they see them by the case, or a sign directing them to that aisle, they may pick up a couple impulse purchases.

If it is not practical for you to create displays by the meat case, use signage to direct customers to other parts of the store.

Implement these cross merchandising ideas into your meat department, and you’ll be crossing the finish line of successful sales!

• Make a steak sauce display by the meat case.
• Create a display featuring beer and wine and include information about which meals they go well with.
• Work with the frozen foods department to give your customers an easy meal idea. Include a sign by the stew beef in the meat case directing customers to a bag of frozen vegetables. And, vice versa, include a sign at the frozen vegetables door that reads "Perfect for a Hearty Beef Stew" and directs customers to the stew beef in the meat department. If stew beef is on sale that week, make sure it's clearly noted on the sign.
• Place a sign in the produce department near the avocados that says, “Take Tacos to a New Level” with a starburst saying, “Sale: Lean Ground Beef $2.99/lb.” A customer might not even be considering tacos for dinner that week when they enter the store, but seeing that sign by the avocados may be an enticing suggestion.
• When you have a sale item in the meat department and another related item is on sale, work together to quickly move the product. When featured products from different departments are natural pairs, it’s a great opportunity to cross merchandise.

The 2010 Promotional Calendar is a great place to look for cross merchandising ideas. Here are a few examples of upcoming promotions you can tie into with cross merchandising:

• Place a display or signage of the Heinz^® Classico^® and New York Brand^® Texas Toast Beef Bolognaise Recipe Promotion. This promotion includes a full page FSI dropping on March 14 with circulation of 45 million and an $1.50 off beef coupon with the purchase of 2 Classico pasta sauces.
• The Snyder’s of Hanover^® Tortilla Chips Promotion also offers a cross merchandising opportunity. Use in-store displays featuring an IRC for $2 off beef with the purchase of Snyder’s, Grande or Padrino’s tortilla chips.