Location, location, location! One of the fundamentals of in-store retail merchandising is product placement. In any given supermarket, ever wonder why the produce is near the entrance or why the dairy is hidden all the way in the back corner? The organization of supermarkets is more than just some...
The natural products industry is filled with stories of people who have tried to leave it, but who never quite succeed. When, in the 1980s, John Mackey and then-president Peter Roy decided that Whole Foods Markets would be a national chain, the duo approached the largest natural products retailers—at...
Local publicity sells, and now more than ever, it is extremely important to effectively market yourself and your products to local media. Building relationships with media in your region can help turn you into a local “media darling,” someone journalists can count on and consumers love. Local publicity sells, and...
Retailer survey reveals opportunities for success. In this month’s Annual Retailer Survey, natural products retailers give new insight into success. One of the key findings from this year’s survey is that stores that stay small—less than 1,000 square feet—and focus on vitamins, supplements, and health and beauty aids, are...
Surely at some point during a shopping experience, you have walked into a store, only to be ignored by the sales staff. In these situations, you can’t help but wonder, “Does this person want my business?” Not putting the needs of your customers first is off-putting, since they count...
How a small complaint led to big sales. There are three areas in which businesses compete; people, product and place. Investing in one area takes pressure off the other two. If you pay your nutrition staff well, for example, you can spend less on your physical space. Here’s a story...
Tips for Generating Opportunities in Today’s Economy As I began researching the social media world looking for retailer opportunities, I quickly discovered many new ways to communicate directly with customers and save marketing dollars at the same time. In today’s economy, it’s important that retailers wisely manage their marketing and...
Make Room for Betty Crocker and Your Local Supermarket! Many independent natural products retailers are breathing a sigh of relief because gluten-free foods are boosting sales as the economy cuts customer counts. Life is good again, at least for a while. General Mills, which makes Betty Crocker-brand baking products, says...
I can remember 12 years ago, there was a buzz about the coming of an “information highway” that would change how we do business. Then, all of a sudden, a line listing was added to my budget for Internet and web services. According to Internet World Stats, there are...
“Avast, me hearties! Beware the health pirates!” As some independent natural products retailers react to recession-driven declines in customer traffic counts by offering discounts, a new nationwide consumer survey from Bellevue, WA-based Hartman Group and National Research Network offers two cautions: One, shoppers tend to think the new, economic-downturn...
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