Merchandising in a butcher's shop. Is it really possible? Is it worthwhile?

The answer to both the questions is yes.

While a butcher's shop primarily runs because of the quality of meat sold and the butcher's skills, there are plenty of other factors that can cause an impact on its sales. After all, the best meat is of no use unless you can effectively sell it!

Merchandising can also be referred to as the art to boost your sales without any direct marketing to the customers. Merchandising is a broad term and encompasses several aspects such as the presentation, imagery, packaging and branding to name a few. 

Let's have a look at some ways to effectively merchandise your shop.

1.  Boost the appearance.

What doesn’t appear well, rarely sells well. It is a known fact that the better your products look, the faster they sell. With meat, you must ensure that the cuts of meat are neat and organized. It is essential that you use proper processing tools for the same.

Presentation of the meat plays a key role in impacting the customer's mind. The basics of presentation like a neat arrangement with proper labels and order is generally followed by most butchers. So, what can you do to go the extra mile?

Nothing much. You can garnish your cuts with colourful fruits and vegetables like carrots, apples and capsicums. This adds the much-needed colour and vibrancy to the meat cabinets.

Using plastic veggies and fruits is a strict no-no as it can really turn off the potential customer. They can easily tell the difference and might skip buying from you altogether.

2.  Fill up empty spaces

It’s a good sign that your meat cabinets are emptying up quickly, but should you really leave the cabinet empty?

Rather than appearing as a sign of high demand and fast selling items, it might seem more like a shortcoming or a lack of proper planning. Hence always keep your cabinets full till the end of the day. Always restock and refill.

3.  Positioning

What can be a big deal about positioning meat? Well, there is. Most people read from left to right. And that is why it is common for people to scan markets and cabinets from left to right, too.

Your display cabinet should be arranged accordingly. Any promotional items or the stock which you want to clear out first should be displayed towards the right end, near the exit door or checkout point. This way, it gets the maximum attention from the customers and results in quick sales.

There are several exceptions to this though. If you have a very large unit, the centre of the unit gets the maximum attention, whereas a small unit might catch attention towards its left. So, choose your display units accordingly and then arrange your cabinets wisely.

4.  Understand the Customer Psychology

If you can understand only a bit of consumer psychology, you will be able to make better sales. No consumer is immune to 'impulse buying' decisions. You can think of items that can be brought on an impulse and arrange them accordingly in an attractive way.

Often, pairing two items that can be purchased together can result in the customer buying both in spite of having an intention of buying just one.

This post was about some tips to help you present, organize and display your meat effectively. While presenting well is of great importance, processing meat should not be undermined. Use high quality knives, mincers and machinery from Brennan Group, to give your meat an edge.