How do you maximise trade counter sales ?
Have you ever pondered why chocolate is located at the till in a petrol station?
Have you ever wondered why the chocolate is laid out like it is?
What was allegedly the highest selling product in Texas Homecare (if you don’t remember Texas then think Wickes, Focus, Do It All but in the 1980s and 1990s. ?
What simple two words will help you maximise trade counter sales ?
Read on….
Customers
Firstly let’s look at your customer base……
What time do they come into branch? Early morning maybe….
What do they do when they are in the branch?
If you are busy, wait in a queue maybe ? Do they have a coffee / tea ? What do they see?
Take a critical look at your selling space in your trade counter…..
Is the space maximised for selling ?
Is it tidy – is it dusty ? Cobweb free ?
Would your partner / children / parents want to shop there ?
In Stock ALL THE TIME
Our research shows an empty peg / empty space results in a huge drop off in sales. “Always in stock” gives you an opportunity to maximise your trade counter sales.
Do you have gaps in your display ?
Do you have out of stocks?
Does your stock reordering system ensure you are NEVER out of stock ?
How often do you go to a supermarket and find out of stocks ?
Do you get disappointed if you go a pub / restaurant and find you favourite food / tipple is off the menu ?
The “correct” range of products
Merchants differ in size, availability of space, customer base, trade counter layout, toolbars or slat wall, ceiling height; amongst other things!
With a broad product range always in stock rather than narrow deep range of promotions driven / volume items you can capture more impulse sales.
Think petrol station and chocolate !
Number of brands
Choose brands which offer best value, low stock holding, regular calls from the brand, trusted in the industry. Too many brands can be distracting to the eye.
Does the brand you are working with support the industry and drive sales into your trade counter ?
Do your customers #AskForMonument ?
Does the brands you are stocking promote their brand through social channels and have dedicated National Account Manager, trusted distribution partners and merchandisers helping you all through the process ?
Are you looking at least cost vs lowest cost?
Are you looking at % and £ ?
Does your brand of choice offer next day carriage paid orders ?
Merchandised layouts
Back to the chocolate question above…… Over many many years chocolate brands (let’s call them Venus and Bradbury so we don’t get a lawsuit and I’m sure other chocolate brands are available !) develop the best layout to maximise sales at the petrol station (trade counter) – they don’t just throw them there and “hope” for the best.
Monument layouts are designed similarly. Trust our layouts. A great layout could increase sales by more than 2x !
A poor layout with out of stocks / empty pegs / empty spaces is lowering your chances of success on impulse purchases at the trade counter.
Do you have a trade counter and are asking how to maximise trade counter sales ?
If so, chat with one of National Account managers.
Training – trade counter and product knowledge
Are you staff trained in products and selling skills – cross selling / upselling.
If not why not ? We can help.
We work with the BMF to run Plumbing and Heating trade counter sales training and also are developing our own trade counter training modules.
Chat with our National Account Managers.
Compliant product
Are you selling compliant product eg propane (blue) and propylene (yellow) gas cylinders
Are they to ISO11118 standard ?
How were they delivered ? On a national carrier / customer transport / ASR transport ?
Why are some cheaper than others ?
How do you store them ?
Do you have up to date Safety Data Sheets available to your customers?
Are you charging the correct VAT rate on these products ?
Some part of maximising sales is also about ensuring you are minimising risk.
Are you minimising the risk on these products
Bernzomatic fuel and torch
The Bernzomatic range is the highest level of compliance in the world; fully insured with USA insurance policy; best in class, trusted brand; fully compliant EN11118 cylinders made in the USA (no other brands has this); high grade fuel; stored under DSEAR regulations at Monument and delivered under ADR.
Does your brand of fuel do all of this ?
Do you know Bernzomatic manufacture the SuperFire(r)2 ? The industry standard for more than 20years. Made in the USA. Trusted. The OG. Perhaps the GOAT.
Bernzomatic doesn’t make its torches for any other brand except as above.
There are five more ways including the best two words which will give you the best opportunity of maximising – chat with one of our National Account Managers to find out the missing 5 so you can find out how to maximise your trade counter sales.
Oh – the highest volume selling product in Texas – chocolate bars at checkout (allegedly!)