Differentiate and diversify to drive sales Heidi Easton of Shop and Display Equipment Association investigates new trends in grocery retailing

As the UK’s leading retail display organisation representing over 120 specialist suppliers, the Shop and Display Equipment Association (sdea) is often the first port of call for many new and established retailers sourcing new fixtures and fittings, or visual merchandising for their retail interiors.

Even though the retail landscape is changing beyond all recognition, our top ten tips for retail success are essential. Use them to create a grocery emporium rather than just a shop. Create a strong brand identity, a store with ambience to tempt the customer inside, increase their dwell time and spend.

Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s now have drive-through stores, as well as click and collect alongside their online offer. Waitrose is trialing another innovation – temperature-controlled click and collect lockers with separate compartments for fridge and freezer goods. The upmarket grocer even publishes the UK’s best selling independent Good Food Guide. Tesco has launched Clubcard TV using the blinkbox platform and is busy converting its ‘out of town sheds’ into more customer friendly stores complete with branded gyms, restaurants and bakeries. Sainsbury’s is testing the mobile phone market with Vodafone. And now Easyjet’s founder is launching into the budget grocery market with easyfoodstore.com opening its first high street store in 2014. While Spar has teamed up with energy provider Harvest and is launching its own branded petrol forecourts complete with shops.

It’s a changing world and it’s changing fast. While physical stores will always play an important role in the retail market, no retailer can afford to ignore our nation’s ever growing dependence on digital applications. Who’d have thought you would be able to order your grocery shopping from your mobile phone while sitting on a mountain top (provided you have a signal)! The good news is, this has caused a resurgence of convenience shopping that continues to grow. People are prepared and happy to pay a premium in their local stores. Furthermore the industry body, IGD, confirms that the market will grow 29% between 2012 and 2017 from £33.9bn to £43.6bn. So now is the time to dust down your stores and drive your sales. In this digital age you must differentiate and diversify.

However you want to optimise your merchandising and display, the Shop and Display Equipment Association (sdea) can give advice on how and where to source the right supplier for your retail display requirements.

sdea’s top ten tips

1. Strip out the clutter

2. Identify your target market

3. Create an identity

4. Convey a cohesive message

5. Create a relevant theme, or feature

6. First impressions count – dress the windows

7. Incorporate good lighting and clear signage

8. Increase ambience with smells and tastes

9. Add interest and loyalty with instore events and offers

10. Offer good customer service

Retail Display Directory

sdea has a unique guide to retail display, full of creative and innovative ideas and inspiration for creating retail environments that work. The sdea Directory lists all the Association’s members with detailed descriptions of their products and services. The showcase gallery offers a visual interpretation of their many retail display items and the quick reference guides help you locate a supplier by the products or the retail trade in which they specialise.

This Directory is usually priced at £10, but the first 50 readers of this magazine to contact sdea will receive a free copy by quoting this feature. Call 01883 348911 or send an email to directory@sdea.co.uk. Alternatively, visit the organisation’s website, www.shopdisplay.org where you can use the search facility to find the products you need.