You might think that your drink coolers only serve one purpose: to keep drinks cold for customers. While this is the primary function, you could be leveraging the surface area of your coolers to boost sales through signage opportunities and organization and save money on energy costs to keep more of your profits. Here are a few ways you can make sure you’re getting the most out of the coolers in your c-store.
Prime Space for Advertising
You might have signs outside of your store to advertise the products you sell or the latest sales that you're offering, but are you effectively maximizing the space inside of your store? You want customers to be able to see the drinks inside your coolers, but there is still plenty of room for advertising stickers on cooler doors to catch their attention. The ideal ratio is one to two signs per door. You want to guide them towards products you want to sell either because they bring the most profit for you or because you are trying to clear out your stock for a seasonal refresh.
Also, use the space to advertise complimentary products such as ice or snacks that customers can pick up on their walk to the register. Get creative and think strategically to maximize the surface area of these doors.
Improved Energy Efficiency
What’s one way to keep more of your profits? Lower your operating costs! If you can find a way to lower your electric bill each month, the savings will significantly add up over time, potentially saving you hundreds of dollars over the year. That might seem like small change, but when you consider how long your c-store will be open, you’ll definitely start to notice a difference in your costs.
Look into installing better doors on your coolers that won't let as much cold air leak out. This improves the energy efficiency of your cooler, and you'll save tremendously in the long run.
Layout Matters
As we mentioned above, you want to guide customers towards specific drinks that will net you a higher profit. Your distributors might be particular about where and how their products are displayed so be sure to consult with them. Beyond their preferences, make sure that you’re grouping similar products together such as soft drinks, waters and juice, dairy, and beer. If things are neatly organized, your customers will be happier because they won’t have to search just to find what they want.
Appearances Matter
To improve the customer experience your shoppers have, your cooler doors need to be presentable. It might seem like a small detail, but your cooler doors are the initial handshake your customers have with your store. They shouldn't be dirty, there shouldn't be condensation inside the glass, and they should be easy to open and close. If you can offer a streamlined and smooth experience for your customers, they'll notice and will prefer your store over your competitors.
Are you optimizing your coolers? Follow these tips, and you should be able to get more out of your cold vaults than ever before.