Visit a store with your customer
We always want them to come to us
As we continue our series on building relationships with customers, we want you to consider something different. Suppliers always want retailers to visit their production facility or farm. We understand why and this can be a great opportunity to build your relationships with retailers. It can also be a challenge to get them to agree and invest the time.
How about suggesting you meet them on their turf? Visit a store together. Most category managers believe they do not get into stores often enough. This gives them a chance to get out there but also some in-person time with you. The conversation is very different in a store. More focused on their business which can be a great learning experience.
Focus on the big picture before you dive in
Visiting a store with your customer is a great opportunity to talk about overall positioning of the format. Take a moment at the front door to consider the messages they are sending to consumers walking in the store. Good suppliers figure out how to support these initiatives and reinforce the value proposition the store is trying to communicate.
Ask your category manager about what you see and do they perceive your business as being a good part of this positioning. If you have ideas about how you could bring something to the table this is a great chance. Perhaps you walk in and the message is clear about Canadian products and your product is 100% produced in Canada. How are you communicating to your online community they can find your products at store ABC. Perhaps the retailer has an online campaign you can tie into.
Learn about their business
When you are in the store the conversation just seems different. More operational. Ask them about different formats. If you are in the west and talking to Save On, they seem to be moving to some smaller footprint stores. What does this mean? Will they limit assortment in categories? You need to know.
This can also be a good time to talk about new stores or renovations. It appears Canadian retailers will be focused more on discount. What does this mean for your business? If you have a different size in discount, will you need more packaging? Category managers do not make these decisions, but they can be aware of the overall direction.
Ask questions
This is a great opportunity to learn about your customer. When you are in the store you will see signage and other material to promote all of the programs they have. Ask how these initiatives are going and perhaps you need some clarity on participating in one or more. Some examples of programs you can ask about would be:
- Local growers
- Canadian made
- In store specials
- Flyer items
- Off shelf merchandising
- Merchandising themes
- Seasonal programs
- Private label
- Loyalty programs
Spend some time in front of your category
Don’t run to your category. You can learn a lot before you get there. Once you have covered some of the broader topics you can make your way to your section.
This is a great time to listen. Try to get some perspectives from the category manager. What works. What items are surprising them and which ones are disappointing them?
You should be prepared to talk about some ideas when you get to the category. Perhaps you have some ideas to drive incremental sales. Now is the time to make your case.
If you are in a fresh department, you can also discuss merchandising units. These can change and it makes a difference if they are going to be using doors or coffin cases in frozen. There might also be some opportunity for merchandising in multiple spots. If you can convince them this will lead to incremental sales they might get on board.
Talk to store people too
There can be a strange dynamic between office people and store people in retailers. Usually, the store people will be there to see what is going on. Make sure you introduce yourself and get a sense of the relationship these people have. Once you meet some people in the store it can be a good idea to go back and visit the same store a week later. Start to develop a bit of a relationship with these people. They see your product out there 52 weeks of the year. If they are a good store manager or department manager, they could get promoted. You never know, they might be your next category manager.
It doesn’t happen often but when it does it is valuable
Offering to meet your category manager in a store can be a great opportunity. They do not always agree but you never know it might be a better chance than getting them to drive 3 hours or even fly to your facility. Take the time to plan this meeting as you would any other but do not show up with 25 pages of presentation to review. You might have a few pages but this is more an opportunity to walk and talk as opposed to the more formal office setting.
We hope you do get to spend some time with your customers in their stores. It is valuable and can really help you build a better relationship.
Peter
SKUFood Recipes for Success Podcast
The response to our SKUFood Recipe for Success podcast has been great. We want to thank everyone who has been with us as a guest. So many interesting conversations about our industry.
In this episode of Recipes for Success, we’re joined by Rochelle Edwards from Calgary Economic Development, Manager of the Trade Accelerator Program (TAP). Rochelle brings a unique perspective as both a passionate supporter of small and medium-sized food businesses and an entrepreneur herself, having founded Tribal Vanilla, a company specializing in premium vanilla products. Drawing from her own experience growing a specialty food brand, Rochelle now helps food producers and other SMEs develop export strategies and expand into international markets.
Together, we explore how TAP equips entrepreneurs with the tools, resources, and networks needed to navigate the complexities of global trade, overcome export challenges, and scale their businesses beyond local borders. Whether you’re just launching your food product or ready to take your brand worldwide, this conversation offers valuable insights and practical advice to help you succeed on the global stage.
Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
If you would like to be a guest send us a note. We are always working on the upcoming episodes.
Retailers need to do a better job
In the last 6 months we have seen a significant shift in consumer behaviour. Canadians want Canadian products. Retailers have responded to this with signage, new features for online shoppers and theme ads. All good, but they need to execute better.
No doubt produce is a challenge. Retailers have had to respond very quickly to find alternative sources of supply. Country of origin changes frequently, even within a week or can be different from store to store.
Retailers should have implemented protocols at store level to ensure signage matches country of origin. They all have a process to ensure a sign has the correct price and they need to do the same due diligence for product origin. If they do not get better consumers will lose trust in the signage and the entire Canadian food industry will miss one of the biggest opportunities, we have seen in decades.
The large retailers control the signage centrally. If that does not get updated or the store buys from somewhere other than the retailer’s warehouse (it happens) then the signage could be wrong.
Suppliers should also be checking their products. This is probably a bigger opportunity for them. Get out to stores. Make sure labels are correct and check the rest of your category. Let your customer know if there are issues
Excited to be participating in the FCC Food and Beverage Summit in Saskatoon in September. The FCC team have put together a great agenda. If you are food producer or processor on the prairies this is a great day to get some great insights and keep moving your business forward.
It's back!
Back by popular demand, the FCC Food and Beverage summit is your chance to see what's new, get inspired and gain valuable insights to take your food and beverage business to the next level. Learn from industry experts, network with other entrepreneurs and make connections to expand your market and grow your business.
We're thrilled to present and exciting lineup of speakers, along with complementary booths for food and beverage processors to showcase and demo their exceptional products. Curious who is showcasing this year?
Meet our vendors
It's all happening in our backyard. Bigger skies. Bigger ideas. Bigger opportunities. Everything is bigger on the prairies!
Last year sold out quick- register early.
Tuesday, September 23
Prairieland Park, Saskatoon
Where is Peter speaking?
I do have travel coming up to Saskatoon and Fredericton, so if you want to connect or have an event in any of these locations give me a call or send me an email.
