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Thinking about 2021
How many people have you heard say, “2020 has been a year like no other, can’t wait to see it end.” I hate to be the bearer of bad news but just because we flip the calendar from December 31, 2020 to January 1, 2021 not much will change. The world will still be struggling […]
Continue readingRetailers are focused on winning the 4th quarter; you should be too
In food retail, November and December are critical months. When I was at Loblaw, there was a big focus on winning the 4th quarter to deliver the results for the entire year. Consumers shop differently and as with everything else in 2020 we know this year will be unique. Very few, if any holiday parties […]
Continue readingYou need to factor in all of the ‘other’ costs
Often, I get asked the question, “what is the right mark up to ensure we cover all of the ‘other’ costs?” The right answer is there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution. There are a number of costs you need to absorb to get your product on the shelf and keep it there with […]
Continue readingUnderstanding discounting will help you succeed
We have trained consumers to look for deals and discounts in food and beverage. That is a reality. It is an unfortunate reality because it can devalue products. Retailers work to drive traffic into stores and sell product to consumers in their stores. Discounts are a big part of most retailer’s strategy and they expect […]
Continue readingIt might be easier to accept if you understand it
One of the frustrations I see for food producers and processors most often is the gross margin retailers are making on their items. It is understandable to be frustrated when you go in the store and see your product with a 45% gross margin when your profit is less than 5%. That is a big gap […]
Continue readingMake sure you are talking the right language
Happy Thanksgiving to all of the people in our SKUFood community from Canada. I think we can all agree 2020 has been a year like no other but we have to find the positives. Holidays like Thanksgiving are a reminder to take a step back and think about the positives. Although it has been an […]
Continue readingMaximize your online sales with retailers
We all know there is more food being purchased online now in Canada than ever before. Since March the penetration of online sales has increased 5X to 12-15% of total sales. This varies by region and by retailer. In a very short time, online food purchases in Canada have increased to $1 out of every […]
Continue readingGenerating sales with virtual relationships
From everything we understand, the environment we are all living and working in will stay the same for a while. When I think back to March, my expectation was a few weeks or perhaps couple of months of disruption. We would get through it and then life and work would return to what we knew. […]
Continue readingEffective options to in store sampling
When the shopping environment changed very quickly earlier in the year, one of the first casualties was in-store demos. Retailers sent notices to suppliers that due to public health concerns, they would no longer entertain in-store demos. This is still a reality with most retailers. It is a challenge, especially in the food industry where a […]
Continue readingSelling more in a new environment
Shopping for food and beverage has changed more in the last 6 months that it did in the previous 6 years. I was trying to think of a change that is comparable and perhaps it goes all the way back to when the industry shifted to scanning and the use of UPC codes. Believe it […]
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