for buyers : Merchandising Best Practices

Merchandising Best Practices

For Retailers

If you're a retailer of California Bing Cherries, this section is just for you! Because California Bings have such a short season (just May and June, with promotable volumes in June) it's important to use this brief window to powerfully promote this immensely popular variety. Meeting the insatiable demand for California Bings requires proper planning, superior handling, powerful promotion, strategic merchandising and more, and this section offers the resources you need to succeed. Here, you'll find best practices guidelines, product handling information, a buyer's guide, industry news - even links for downloading logos and photos. If it helps you maximize California Bing Cherry sales and profits, you'll find it here!

Merchandising Best Practices:

No doubt about it: California Bings mean business! With these "best practices," you'll discover proven tools, tips and strategies for increasing California Bing Cherry sales to meet consumer demand. Put them into practice in your stores, and enjoy record profits this season.

Capitalize on the fact that California Bing Cherries are the first fruit of summer - many consumers will be drawn to your store for that reason alone! So take these demand-building measures:

• Build anticipation by promoting the fact that California Bing Cherries will be coming to your store in June.
• Increase demand by focusing on "short season availability" rather than price.
• Promotion frequency is key when promoting a season product, like cherries. Promote at least once during May to alert stores to this highly-profitable, season product. Stores need to be encouraged to open up displays in May ahead of when good volume and the high-quality Bing cherries are available.

Tell the entire California Bing story to appeal to the interests of your wide range of consumers. Cover these other important benefits:

• Promote the versatility of Bing Cherries beyond snacking, with simple recipes and fresh usage ideas.
• Communicate the health & nutritional benefits of cherries.
• Remind consumers that California Bings are sweet, juicy, fun and nutritious.
• Educate your customers that fresh cherries can be frozen for up to 3 months on your in-store signage, giving your customers reason to buy more.

The display makes all the difference. Make sure your California Bing Cherries displays perform as powerfully as possible by following these guidelines:

• Help California Bing Cherries stand out - give them an eye-catching display area and signs.
• Avoid displaying California Cherries next to grapes. When bagged, the two fruits are sometimes indistinguishable to the consumer.

• Give consumers a choice - consider a dual display or secondary display of California Bings, offering 1lb bags or clamshells alongside your 2lb bags to meet the needs of more customers.

• Reduce display space for less profitable fruits during cherry season to maximize sales on the seasonal items that give you the best ROI.

• Use nutrition or recipe POS from the California Cherry Advisory Board to draw extra attention to your California Bing display, while reminding consumers they are only in season for a short time.

• Maintain at least 9 square feet of display space for California Bing Cherries throughout the season - research shows this can increase sales by 45% over smaller displays - see the BING BANG THEORY below for more details on space allocation and profits.