The Holidays are Here!

Grabbing consumers early with merchandising displays just for the holidays

By Carly Peters

Even while the new backpack smell is still lingering in the air, grocers are gearing up for the busy holiday season. And retailers should be prepared to grab attention early. A survey from Google revealed that on average 21 per cent of global consumers had their holidays shopping complete as of mid-October. As shoppers get into the merry mindset, merchandising displays need to focus on giving customers what they want, when they want it, and how they want it.

According to Salesforce, keeping customers satisfied has been a tall order over the last few years. In 2020, safety and fast delivery kept them coming back. In 2021, they favoured retailers who had the products they needed in stock. Last year, they switched brands for lower prices, and this year consumer preferences continue to evolve. 

With food prices and inflation top of mind, consumers are buying less; retailers must give them a reason to shop their store. Pricing and value are still important — in Salesforce’s 2023 holiday forecast, 82 per cent of shoppers stated they search for coupons before making a purchase — but personalized experiences are critical as well. In fact, 66 per cent of people expect companies to understand and meet their unique needs and expectations.

“For us, the perfect seasonal display is one that provides the customer with exactly what they were hoping to find when they choose to shop at Save-On-Foods,” says Dan Hansen, vice-president, centre of store for Pattison Food Group, stating a successful display engages customers with the right product mix, the right pack sizes, and the right value. He adds more and more private brands, like Western Family and Only Goodness, play an important role in providing customers with affordable options on the products they need without sacrificing quality.

In the weeks leading up to Christmas, this means focusing on centre of store items like confections for baking, crackers, pickles, and olives for entertaining, while closer to the holidays there’s lifts in fresh categories — a well-stocked meat department is a must, as is seasonal-favourite produce like mandarin oranges, cranberries and Brussels sprouts — as folks begin preparing for their big holiday meals.

Focusing on ensuring customers can get what they want, when they want it and how they want it, Hanson says they also see a lift in the brand’s e-Commerce delivery and pick-up services through the holidays. “We execute our merchandising plans on our online shopping platforms as well to ensure our customers receive the same value and experience online as they would in-store.”

At Calgary Co-op, across the city, stores are also trying to put a little fun into the holiday shopping experience. “We like to weave themes into our displays,” laughs Adam Tully, senior ddirector, food merchandising for Calgary Co-op, pointing out that while the train tooting around the display might be cause for some “awws” it’s adding in some unique or supplementary items that will make customers pause.

“Consumers can always expect to find big displays of seasonal confectionary, advent calendars, gingerbread houses, mandarin oranges, poinsettias, turkeys and ham, stuffing — all the holiday meal items,” he says. “To accompany these displays we will also build some other displays that relate to the season, such as coffee, low-alcohol beverages, sparkling water, nuts. We can leverage these items in our displays with multiple points of interruption, while ensuring we have the correct assortment and price in play for the season.”

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More on Merchandising

Here are some tips from top brands on building out better holiday displays:

Christmas and Core Cookies

“The boost in cookie sales comes not only from special festive lines retailers bring in specifically for the holiday but from the core everyday items as well,” explains Lisa Zdunich from Walker’s Shortbread, which will be revealing a new logo and festive package for the holiday season to mark their 125^th anniversary.

Retailers can capitalize by making sure they carry both on-shelf and in shippers, an excellent way to draw consumer attention and create urgency to grab product before it’s all gone.

She adds, without shippers, creating displays can be as simple as encompassing all occasions that come with the season — teacher/coach gifts, hostess gifts, stocking stuffers, sharing packs, home entertaining, gifting tins — with various price points and packaging formats to meet the needs of consumers.

Package your Pasta

Pasta sales can indeed see a boost during the holiday season, says Laura DalBo of Italpasta. Dishes like lasagna, spaghetti, and macaroni and cheese might be featured in holiday feasts, along with being a cost-effective and filling option for feeding a crowd. Pasta can also accommodate those with different dietary preferences — from gluten free, vegetarian/vegan, and kosher.

Pasta also makes a great gift. DalBo suggests retailers create display pasta gift sets that come with complementary sauces, spices, or other ingredients. She adds it’s also a great way to showcase different pasta shapes to help customers find the perfect pasta dish for their holiday menu, complete with a recipe card.

Keep your Cards Clean

Holiday is the number one selling season for greeting cards and Christmas counter cards on average account for approximately 20 per cent of total yearly card sales says Paul Werynski, general manager of Carlton Cards.

But stores can help drive higher sales by assigning a store associate to straighten and tidy the greeting card department for just 15 minutes each day during the holiday rush. “Shoppers are often time-starved during the holidays so your customers will appreciate the ease of shopping for the perfect holiday cards in a neat and well-kept department.”

Online before Real Life

Most shoppers conduct thorough research prior to their grocery store visits, explains Richard Behrman, Lead, Trade Marketing & Omni Execution for Kraft Heinz Canada. To seamlessly integrate with consumer behaviour, retailers should prioritize their presence during the pre-shop phase, especially when consumers are actively researching on platforms like Google, Instagram, and TikTok.

In-store, also ensure their dishes are Insta worthy. Kraft Heinz’s new Heart Your Holiday program is designed with a clear objective: to empower millennials, who have now embraced the role of “holiday hosts” to craft unforgettable celebrations that earn the approval and validation of their loved ones and peers. With an array of carefully curated recipes and ingenious hacks, Heart Your Holiday will empower hosts to earn more cherished “You Made That?’ moments.

Give Choice (and Colour)

“Assortment,” says Bruno Benedet Jr. of Bosa Foods. “Build an impactful and abundant display, be confident, and include products that cover a wide range of interest.”

From the important brand this looks like colourful, unique boxed or hand-wrapped options of Italian Panettone and Pandoro alongside unique items like torrone or seasonal confectionary items from their 100-year-old chocolate company Oliva in Piedmont Italy. This season, he says don’t forget about offering up these unique items with some alternatives, such as the company’s latest offerings of vegan Italian Panettone Christmas Cakes, and vegan “cream” filled Brioche with eye-catching, colourful packaging.

What an Old Nut

Nothing says old-time, holiday tradition like cracking a walnut. They, along with other shelled varieties, see a boost in sales during the holiday season, states Chuck Corrigan of CB Powell, Canadian distributor for Diamond of California nuts. It’s also a great time to introduce and promote a new dimension to an old time favourite. Diamond of California walnuts come pre-shelled, and in new flavours — salted dark chocolate, pink Himalayan salt, and sweet maple — and are perfect for snacking or party trays. He says adding descriptors like ‘healthy’, alongside ‘holiday family fun’ and ‘new’, adds extra appeal to nut floor display.

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