Milk
Milk - Best Practice
As part of their Convenience Tracker Programme (CTP), him! Research have provided ACS with an up-to-date best practice checklist for the milk category. The following is based on their most recent research in which they surveyed 30,000 shoppers across the UK.
Are you making the most of this category?
1. Give milk the attention it deserves. Milk is one of the top three products given as the shoppers main reason for visiting a c-store ‘here today’. The milk shopper visits more frequently (four times a week compared to 2.7) and spends more per trip than the average c-store shopper (£7.07 compared to £5.25.)
2. Make sure milk can be easily seen from the store entrance with VERY clear signage - it is one of the highest traffic generators AND a top profit generator within c-retailing. Alldays grew their sales by 14% simply by displaying one colour arrow shaped signs that said 'MILK HERE'.
3. Merchandise in blocks with size vertically aligned and fat horizontally. As a rule of thumb your sales should be 60% Semi-skimmed, 30% Whole and 10% Skimmed. Ensure your space reflects this. As your 2 litre size generates the most cash try merchandising this at eye level (buy level) if possible as some studies have shown this can increase the size of purchase of your shoppers.
4. Don’t make signs too wordy eg ’Fresh milk daily’, a simple one metre ‘MILK’ is best.
5. Do not over complicate your milk chiller. Shoppers are looking for a clean, well stocked, simple fixture for milk. Your fixture should never drop below half full as studies have shown shoppers view this as poor availability.
6. Make sure milk is ALWAYS available and fully stocked. Milk out-of-stocks are usually operational issues (the last 10 yards in the store), not supply to store issues. Often, the last time milk gets faced up is around the mid afternoon shift change – after that, nothing…but 5pm to 7pm is the most important time for milk sales, at many chains.
7. Communicate the importance of milk to staff – many store staff think the busiest time of day for milk is in the morning, when it is actually usually late afternoon/early evening. Ensure the shelves are restocked in preparation for this.
8. Merchandise milk so that it is clearly visible above gondolas. Often milk is merchandised below lower penetration categories in the chiller and the view is obscured by gondolas. 75% of milk purchases are run out/distress – therefore don’t distress the shopper further by hiding the product in the shop.
9. Don’t miss out on milk as a snack/drink on the move opportunity - 95% of milk purchases will currently be drunk at home.
10. Maximise cross purchasing with bread. Milk and bread are the top categories purchased by shoppers on top-up trips to supermarkets and superstores. Make sure cross-advertising is in place and merchandise bread near the milk chiller.
• Milk availability is fundamental to success of a c-store
• Ensure your pricing encourages trade up. Always make sure it rewards shoppers for purchasing the bigger sizes
• Have a dedicated chiller for fresh milk – milk will always drive footfall. Will also raise your profile/reputation as milk is promoted as new healthy lifestyle.
For more help and information on this category contact Arla Foods.