Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
less than three benefits suggests you do now know much about the produce.
This is one area where a farm shop can really sell the benefits of buying local
over other produce retailers.
Some easy guidelines for writing effective produce signs include:
•
Be specific rather than general. Consumers do not like surprises, so make
sure a ticket gives the size, weight or savings.
•
Sell the 'sizzle' or the 'romance'.
•
Write facts not fiction; this does not conflict with the above bullet point,
sell the sizzle could be 'ideal', 'now is the season', or a sign we saw in
Australia for local cherries, which started 'Australian cherries, only
available for 100 days a year'.
•
Explain what is not obvious; this may include a recipe using that produce.
•
Help the customer make a decision.
•
Do not state the obvious such as assorted sizes if this is clearly visible.
Shop layout
The layout of the store is also critically important; get it wrong and it can reduce
the average sale per customer considerably. Our own observational research
in the USA suggests it can lower the average sale by as much as 20% per sale.
Supermarkets tend to be laid out on what is called the 'grid' system,
that is aisle upon aisle of produce. The grid system enables supermarkets to
maximize the amount of space for produce. The problem is that consumers
find it boring and often rate supermarket shopping as a chore rather than a
fun experience.
A farm shop should be a fun experience and have a 'boutique' store
layout. The best example of boutique retailing is to look at high-end ladies
fashion stores. In high-end fashion stores consumers are encouraged to
browse shop, the theory is that once a consumer starts browsing she will
spend more money.
Farm shops need to embrace the 'boutique' layout as it enhances the cus-
tomer experience and increases the average sale per customer. As a guide,
60-
70% of the floor space should be allocated to the consumer and
30-
40%
to produce. The variation is that space for shopping varies with culture.
For example a French shopper needs less space for shopping than does an
Australian shopper, as the French tend to stand closer together normally and
find the close person less threatening than an Australian.
Consumer movement in the store is also important. In countries where
they drive on the right-hand side of the road consumers prefer to walk coun-
ter-clockwise around the store. In countries where they drive on the left-hand
side of the road, consumers tend to want to walk clockwise around the
store. Therefore the location of the checkpoint is vital to successful retailing.
Research by Paco Underhill
5
indicates that the wrong customer flow can cost
a business as much as US$2 on the average sale per customer. Plus, if the cus-
tomer flow and space ratio is correct, pilferage in the store will also reduce.
To maximize the customer flow around the store, the retailer allocates
the purpose products in key locations, which are usually in quieter parts of
