Supermarket Perimeter - May 2024 - 84

Seafood: Merchandising
salmon, Scottish salmon, and king salmon, as well as seasonal wild
caught salmon. This summer, Gelson's will promote its " Salmon
LollyPops, " salmon kabobs as well as fresh wild salmon offerings - " if
the season materializes as we hope, " Moreno said.
If wild salmon is in short supply this summer, Gelson's will sell more
of " what we are best known for throughout the year, " Moreno said,
including its farm raised Atlantic and Scottish salmon and Big Glory
Bay® farm raised king salmon.
" Additionally, we can also bring in our off-season previously frozen
wild caught king salmon fillets to cater to our customers looking for a
wild caught offering, " Moreno said.
" Salmon is a year-around powerhouse and certainly does well during
grilling season as well, " said Anne-Marie Roerink, principal at 210 Analytics.
Summer staples
On average, Americans grill around 13 times between Memorial
and Labor Day, and those occasions tend to be dominated by meat,
Roerink said. However, grocery stores have done a great job educating
consumers about the ease of preparing salmon on the grill right
alongside burgers, hot dogs and chicken, she said.
" In some cases, salmon is cross merchandised with cedar planks,
or already presented on a cedar plank, ready for grilling, " Roerink said.
TIPS FOR SUMMER MERCHANDISING SUCCESS
1. Effectively publicize summer promotions. Gelson's
executives plan to utilize its social media platforms,
newsletter ads, and customer reward offers to spread the
word about specials. Last summer, Gelson's created a flyer
touting 20% off for wild blue Mexican shrimp, highlighting
photos of the shrimp at the ocean as well as cooked on a
plate, and spread the word across social media, email and
other avenues.
2. Start spreading the word early about summer seafood
promotions. Let customers know in May and June that
you are the headquarters for summer seafood favorites,
Anderson said. " Memorial Day and Fourth of July are prime
time, as are all the weeks of May and June, " he noted. " By
mid or end of July and August, it gets harder to generate
strong sales for seafood promotions due to back-to-school
spending that curbs discretionary spending. "
Much of summer seafood sales are impulse purchases of
grilling items, cold salads, dips, and grab-and-go picnic type
items, Anderson added.
3. Given consumers' concerns about inflation and the
economy, retailers should offer a range of product price
points that appeal to both upscale and budget-minded
consumers, Anderson suggested. " Keep in mind many
seafood products are not cheap and will be out of reach for
some customers, " he said.
Supermarkets should also be targeting foodservice sales with
ready to eat and ready to cook items that compete directly
with restaurants. " Why pay restaurant prices, when you can
save 50% or more and still have a great eating experience
with a salmon burger, salmon, pinwheel or grab and go
shrimp cocktail? " Anderson said.
84 - MAY 2024
Roerink is seeing more retailers and restaurants create meal
offers in which other items with a lower price per pound/unit
- such as fresh produce or baked goods - are included with
seafood. Even though seafood is the more expensive part of
the meal, the other items keep the total cost per serving in
check, she said.
4. Heavily promote seafood options for Father's Day, Fourth of
July, Memorial Day, Labor Day and other holidays/events.
Despite some shoppers' price concerns, people are willing
to splurge a little more on holidays and special occasions,
Roerink noted.
5. Cross merchandise fresh seafood with other departments.
The summer grilling theme brings forth an opportunity
for many parts of the store to work together, Driskill said.
" Seafood and produce work well on the grill, particularly as
skewers/kabobs, but grilled vegetables in general make a nice
side dish to any seafood plate. "
6. Emphasize the health benefits of seafood. More consumers
are willing to splurge on health, nutrition, and self-care,
Roerink said. " By educating about the healthful properties
or sustainable production, consumers may be willing to
spend a little more, " she said.
Over the past few summers, ASMI has seen very successful
promotions for Alaska seafood that highlight health and
sustainability benefits, along with its ease of use, Dukes said.
7. Provide cooking tips and recipes. Among seafood
consumers, the majority (66%) say cooking guidance would
help them cook it more often, Dukes said. Pairing seasonal
promotions with usage inspiration, recipe cards or cooking
tips are all great strategies.
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