Company News

Good Food Market is now open!

by webmaster — October 15, 2010

Good Food Market is an independent, family-owned grocery store offering customers a whole new way to shop for and think about food. Owners Darin and Valerie Hill are truly passionate about giving shoppers a unique grocery shopping experience, and it’s evident in everything from the exciting product assortment to the innovative store decor. Check it out! Good Food Market is open 7 days a week in the Fulton Ranch Promenade at Chandler Heights and Alma School Road....

by webmaster — October 14, 2010

Brand consistency must be maintained throughout all areas of an organization; it builds credibility and consumer trust, allows for clear ownership of a brand’s differentiated positioning, and inspires a culture of development and innovation.Yet in a landscape where consumer preferences are ever evolving, market conditions are exceedingly dynamic, and the competition is always changing, it’s equally important to be responsive, creative, open to new ideas, and fully committed to your brand’s continuous development. It’s crucial that your brand management team identifies the elements of your brand that can and can’t be changed without compromising trust or eroding brand equity.This is where a completed brand strategy or brand foundation can prove to be an invaluable tool. Decisions affecting your brand must be made purposefully, with the intention of providing improved support to the brand as a whole. If and when a decision is made to modify one or more brand elements, it’s essential that you then take the time to appropriately and honestly communicate to all stakeholders what’s behind it.A little over a week ago,

by webmaster — October 7, 2010

Target and Wal-Mart are getting ready for the 4th quarter “no holds barred cage match” which kicks off Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. It’s no fun being caught in the crossfire of two behemoths, especially when both giants are vying for the all important 4th quarter sales.Both retailers made announcements recently of the rollouts of their new formats, Wal-Mart with their new 20,000 square foot hybrid of Marketside/Neighborhood Market in New York City and San Francisco. Target announced their plans for a 60,000 to 90,000 square foot new format in Seattle.You also may have seen the recent announcement that Target is offering a 5% discount on all items in their stores that are purchased with the Target credit card. In the past, we’ve worked with retailers on similar, short-term promotions; it appears that Target is making their 5% discount an ongoing, permanent program.The Target credit card 5% discount will likely be a game-changer.To begin, the Target credit card has always played a role in Target’s continuity efforts. The Target grocery initiative is so large and sweeping that they need a strong lure for grocery shoppers. We already know Target will be price competitive; coupling Target’s strong pricing model with a 5% discount makes for a great launch campaign.Long term, any shopper with interest on their credit card loses, and this could be Target’s Achilles heel. The industry shakeup is not complete, but from where Target pulls shopp...

by DW Green — September 30, 2010

The Friday following Thanksgiving is generally the worst food-shopping day of the year for supermarkets across the country. If not the lowest sales day of the year, it’s certainly in the top five! Accordingly, many retailers “give up” on sales for the long weekend following Thanksgiving. Many even cancel their weekly ad Thanksgiving week. Is this a good strategy or a self-fulfilling prophecy?Black Friday, the unofficial beginning of the Christmas season, has become a sales boom for most every retail format. For many Americans, a Black Friday shopping trip has become a family tradition. Waking up in the wee hours of Friday morning and standing in long lines to take advantage of some of the best deals of the holiday season appears to be a fun and entertaining activity for many families. I can recall partaking in this annual sale-a-bration with my own family on many occasions!I wonder what type of sales events food stores can run to take advantage of Black Friday’s shopping frenzy? What about stock up sales for holiday products, meat items, frozen foods, beverages, supplements, cosmetics or wine and liquor? The sale could last two, three or four hours in length. Schedule it after the traditional early morning retail events, in the late morning, at noon or in the late afternoon. Tie in deli and bakery deals around the sale. Use radio, your website, email blasts, facebook, twitter and in-store handouts and signage to announce and promote the event. Even a ...

by webmaster — September 16, 2010

Special events, eye-catching displays and seasonally themed promotions that create a fun and unique shopping experience for customers of all ages. Here are three fall-inspired ideas to help you make the most of the upcoming fall season:1. How does your curb appeal compare to other businesses’ nearby? Pay extra attention to your outdoor signage and merchandising, and look for new opportunities to make your store’s exterior more inviting: fall is one of the best times of year to set your store, and your brand, apart from the competition. Fall floral displays, bountiful pumpkin patches, and branded parking lot banners done in an autumnal color palette can go a long way in helping to attract new customers, while warmly welcoming returning shoppers to your store.2. Autumn is apple season, which means it’s the perfect time of year to showcase the quality and freshness of this spectacular seasonal treat, while finding new ways to inform and inspire your customers. Use signage, one-sheets or fliers to describe the flavor profiles of each apple variety you offer, and highlight the best varieties for baking pies, making applesauce, or eating out of hand. Recommend the perfect cheese and apple pairings, (include a coupon for the cheeses you’re recommending in the printed piece ...

by webmaster — September 9, 2010

I’d like you to take just 10 minutes to take note of something you probably don’t pay much attention to, but that your customers notice every time they shop your store.Look at what is hanging from the ceiling and the walls of your store, and ask yourself, “What does this say to our customers about our brand?”Look at your signage and consider the questions:

Why were these things put here in the first place?
Are these items helpful and/or important to our customers?
Are these items cluttering up or hiding the products we sell, or are we using these items to enhance the quality of the products we sell?
Who paid for the production of these items—vendor/suppliers or us?
Do these items connect with our brand?

As store owners and operators, it’s easy to sometimes get too close to your store, to arrive at a point where you don’t see what your customers see. You may have informational signage suspended from the ceiling that you don’t notice because you’ve seen it too many times and now simply ignore it. Maybe your customers ignore it as well.Most retailers plan minor remodels every five to seven years to replace needed equipment and to “refresh” their brand. This may include taking down some of the interior décor and signage to replace it with something more contemporary. If your signage is supposed to be communicating to customers the attributes and competitive advantages that differentiate your bra...

by webmaster — August 19, 2010

1. Make it easy for customers to sign-up.
Give customers a special short code, and the number that they should text that short code to. Once a customer texts that unique short code from their cell phone, their cell number will be added to your database of text message recipients. You can also create a sign-up form on your website that lets customers submit their cell phone numbers online.2. Use a combination of marketing materials to tell customers about your program.
In-store signage and bag-stuffers explaining the benefits of the program and promoting the online signup option won’t just draw attention to your text messaging program—they’ll increase traffic to your website and draw attention to your email offerings.3. Make it worth their while.
The text messages you send should be offerings and opportunities that are only available via text; coupons, special offers, or valuable information like advanced notice about an upcoming event or major sale. Send no more than one text message a week, and remember that messages containing more than 160 characters require more than one text to be transmitted....

by webmaster — August 12, 2010

Now that we’re eight weeks away from the all-important 4th quarter, how are your sales distribution rates…margins…ad markdowns…sales…customer counts?Have you dusted off your 2010 4th quarter plan lately?You may be in the middle of your eighth period budget and needing to aggressively gain momentum going into the 4th quarter. Why not take a couple of days out of your routine to make a trip to Phoenix and allow us to help you with a revised 4th quarter business plan?You may be asking, “Is a 2010 4th quarter review session really that important?” Or, “Why should I take a day or two off to double check the plan?”And maybe it’s not necessary; start with a full day review of your 4th quarter marketing plan. How does it differ from your 2009 plan? Are your sales and margins going into the 4th quarter lower than plan already? If so, why would you think that your current plan will work without any adjustments? If your sales and margin performance going in to the 4th quarter is exceeding your plan, what are you planning on doing better this holiday season to offset promotions that are being planned to regain lost market shares?How can you sharpen your business plan for the 4th quarter and energize your staff for a great 4th quarter in 2010?If you decide it’s worth a trip to Phoenix for a planning and review session, here is a short list of topics we’d like to revie...

by DW Green — July 29, 2010

“Back-to-school” is just around the corner, and the back-to-school season, like all seasonal events or activities, offers an excellent opportunity for retailers to improve or reinforce their price perception. Typically, manufacturers offer discounts on seasonal items. It is a good idea for retailers to go one step further and augment manufacturer allowances with their own temporary price reductions, on items which consumers generally do not purchase often or purchase more of when the school season begins.Shelf talkers announcing reduced prices at point of purchase—on items that are being purchased for the first time or in larger-than-normal quantities—convey a positive value perception with consumers. A customer may think, ‘I haven’t bought sandwich bags for months, and they’re on sale today… Wow! This store is great!’Reduce prices on items like box raisins, plastic food containers, bagels, caramel dip, string cheese, water bottles, mini carrots, aseptic juices and beverages, Fruit Roll-Ups, cereals, snacks, sandwich bags, lunch bags, plastic wraps, popcorn and on and on.Consider a special back-to-school themed T.P.R. tag design.Aside from pricing opportunities, consider brainstorming back-to-school activities and events that honor kids and parents. Back-to-school is a big deal for families with school-aged children....

by webmaster — July 23, 2010

According to a recent Gallup poll, “Having enough money to ‘buy the things you need’ is a strong correlate of Americans’ broad perception of their own well being.”The Gallup data suggest that “the contentment that comes from being able to pay one’s bills, buy groceries, put gas in the car, and possibly have a few dollars leftover may help make a majority of Americans in households earning more than $24,000 feel positively about their overall wellbeing.”Now more than ever, retailers are looking for new ways to meet the needs of price-conscious customers, and a family meal deal, or value meal program, is a great way of doing so. This type of program provides shoppers with a menu of foods or a list of ingredients that can be made into a family meal for four, all for less than about $4 per person.We worked with one of our clients, Jensen’s Finest Foods, to promote “Jensen’s Dinner Deals” at their Blue Jay store location. Each week, Jensen’s would feature a new meal that customers could make for less than $10. To promote the program, we created an 11×17″ menu template on which store employees could print out the list of ingredients for that w...

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