Maximize Trade Show Floor Time after the Show
Last week’s article Trend Setting at Expo West shared insights from the show floor at this annual conference. This week, one of the authors -- Deanna Scheid, RD, Regional Health & Wellness Specialist at SpartanNash – shares insight on how retail dietitians can apply knowledge gained at a trade show once back in the office.
Deanna’s tips are:
- Use the show floor insights to identify gaps in your stores or owned brand product lines, from packaging design to product innovation to line extensions. Do you have a plant-based product offering for every category? Are you offering functional beverages and supplements with the hottest ingredients and research? Can you find healthier alternatives to lifestyle product offerings such as lower in added sugars, higher in protein, immune supporting nutrients, lower in sodium, or lower in artificial ingredients?
- After a show, set up a meeting with your merchandising team to review products and make recommendations. This will help get products on their radar they may not otherwise have noticed. Being at the show can help you learn the trends and how they are being marketed to consumers. Are these marketing initiatives ethical? Is this something your store wants to represent? It can help you build a campaign around key movements such as “Get with Your Gut” and identify what is the next big thing is going to be.
- Consider how to communicate these trends to customers. Is there a sustainable packaging or sustainably sourced nutrition attribute you can create to label products?
- Look for connections with brands with which you want to partner. As merchandising gets them in the store, you can help sell them to your internal colleagues. Identify with merchandising which brands and products are going to be the most successful in your stores. This will help you know which vendors to partner with on shopper marketing campaigns to increase sales and perception of your overall retailer.
- Partner with merchandising and marketing to increase awareness that your stores are getting these innovative products. How can you make it easy for the customer to find and identify these products? “New and Now” item displays, end caps, dump bins, signage, or bib tag labeling programs are just a few ways.
These tips can be helpful in preparation for the RDBA Virtual Experience expo floor next week, where registered retail RDs have the opportunity to meet with nearly twenty companies.
