Why You Shouldn’t Dismiss Traditional Financing for Energy Improvements
The AMS Group The initial cost of energy-efficiency retrofits is the single biggest hurdle to initiating projects. That’s because the cost of a project is more salient than the amount of money to be saved by energy efficiency. But what if you compare the cost of a project with the cost of energy wasted instead? The two propositions are the same, but the second one shifts focus to costs on both sides of the equation. A retrofit project costs money but so does not doing a project, especially for grocery stores, where energy consumption is among the highest of all [...]
Destination Center Success Begins with Food Selection, Presentation
By Margie Proctor Hillphoenix Marketing & Design Specialist What do empty nesters, busy, working parents, and Millennials have in common? They’re all engaging with food in new ways. They care about what they eat, where they get it, and how it’s prepared. More than “something to eat,” food has become an experience, one that has to satisfy increasingly sophisticated consumer sensibilities. And consumers have so many options for seeking those experiences. From traditional and fast-casual restaurants to farmers markets, online shopping, specialty shops, and grocery stores, there are more players than ever competing for shoppers’ food dollars. The good news [...]
Financing options bolster the business case for energy-efficient food stores
The AMS Group No matter where you stand on climate change or environmental stewardship, one thing is clear: It pays to be green. That message was driven home when Goldman Sachs upped its investment in energy-efficiency and clean-energy projects over the next 10 years from $40 billion to $150 billion. In fact, investing in energy efficiency is one of the best bets around, with a low risk comparable to U.S. T-bills (~ 5% risk index) but an average annual return upward of 20 percent – more than four times that of T-bills. The business case for energy efficiency is especially [...]
Harness the power of inspiring, informative signs
By Margie Proctor Hillphoenix Marketing & Design Specialist Merchandising has two main objectives: to engage shoppers and influence their buying decisions. Beautiful, surprising displays are powerful ways to accomplish both goals. But don’t overlook the persuasiveness of a simple sign. Signs can do everything from attract shoppers to your juice bar from 30 feet away to educate them about the nutritional value of the fruit and vegetable beverages they’ll find there. Here are some great ways to incorporate signs into your store installations and displays, all centered on selling food — and your brand. Train shoppers to open the refrigerated [...]
Supermarket Food Service Operations Require a Customer-Focused Business Plan
Orlando Espinosa is the Founder, Orlando Espinosa + Associates LLC. Orlando Espinosa recently presented “Enhancing the Customer Experience Through Engaging Kitchen Design” at Supermarket Sense 2016 in Conyers, Ga. Supermarket food service operations offer tremendous potential for business owners, which is why a carefully considered plan is essential to success. This is not a case of “if you build it, they will come.” Developing a successful grocerant requires homework on specific customer trends and habits and a business plan for meeting those needs. Some successful supermarket owners have treated food service operations as an add-on or even a loss leader. [...]
Meal-centered “Occasions” Drive Prepared Food Sales
Getting customers to purchase your freshly prepared food instead of that of the restaurant down the street is the name of the game. Tailoring your food offerings to your customers’ needs is key to making that happen. Why are your customers eating what they do? What time of the day and days of the week are they coming in? Hint: They’re not just buying ready-to-eat lunches and family dinners anymore. A study from Datassential identified a few lesser known “occasions” for customers buying ready-to-eat or semi-prepared meals. Up-and-coming urban areas may be saturated with young couples and singles looking for [...]
Off-Grid Energy Soothes the Sting of Peak Demand Charges
Electricity consumption during certain times of day comes at a high price. To prevent brownouts during demand spikes, utility companies maintain a lot of very expensive equipment on standby and they pass that expense on to commercial (industrial) ratepayers in the form of demand charges — a portion of the electric bill, in addition to actual consumption, that customers pay to ensure utilities can supply “extra” energy, if and when needed. For commercial customers, demand charges account for about 30 percent of the electric bill. The demand charge is typically based on time of use – the time of day [...]
Use digital technology thoughtfully
Carre’ Bistline is the Director, Business Development Digital Solutions for Anthony International. Join Carre’ Bistline for “Engaging Digital Signage Opportunities for Food Retailers” at Supermarket Sense 2016, September 21-22, in Conyers, Ga. For consumers, digital technology can be a disruptive or engaging presence. To ensure such technology has the desired effect on grocery shoppers, it is imperative that grocers thoughtfully plan their messaging in terms of both content and placement. That means delivering messages that resonate quickly and function well with mobile devices. Understanding that mobile devices also have the ability to both connect and distract customers while shopping, retailers [...]
Saving the Center Store — 6 Strategies for Shopper Engagement
Join Harold Lloyd for “Saving the Center Store” at Supermarket Sense 2016, Sept. 21-22 in Conyers, Georgia. At the upcoming Supermarket Sense, happening just outside Atlanta on Sept. 21-22, I’ll explore ways to save the center store. Here’s a preview — six strategies for rebuffing online (and other) competition by revamping those long, boring aisles: Rethink lighting. Replace glaring, fluorescent bulbs with properly spaced LED lights that make packaging pop and guide shoppers down your “runway” of products. Cross-merchandise center store products throughout the store. For example, next to the apples in produce, add a sign: A tablespoon of peanut [...]
Saving the Center Store — Inertia Is the Enemy
Join Harold Lloyd for “Saving the Center Store” at Supermarket Sense 2016, Sept. 21-22 in Conyers, Georgia. The supermarket center store is stuck in a time warp, and that’s especially dangerous in today’s food retail environment. We’re going up against online shopping that’s fast and entertaining, and products in the center store are particularly vulnerable to online competition. Yet, those long, boring, rectangular aisles haven’t changed in decades. At Supermarket Sense, happening just outside Atlanta on Sept. 21-22, I’ll lead a session on “Saving the Center Store” — diving into the issues and opportunities. Here’s high-level view of the problem: [...]