LESSON 9: USING SIGNAGE EFFECTIVELY

A significant portion of sales in the In-Store Bakery departments comes from self-service cases/items. It is challenging for store employees to be available to all customers while they are also maintaining the department.Point of Sale signage can speak for you when you aren’t able to – that’s why it is so important to provide effective signage throughout the department.

Point of Sale Signage

• Signage for specific items – describes the product with, for example, flavor, texture and attributes
• General brand information signs – tells a brief history of the baker, for example, or characteristics of the brand
• Suggested usage signs – Recipe cards, for example – how to make sandwiches with rolls or flatbreads
• Special Occasion signs – Highlighting special events such as seasonal pies for the Fourth of July
• Attribute signage – Calls out a particular group of products such as gluten-free, Paleo, vegan, etc.
• Allergen Information signs – Calls out common allergens such as fish, peanuts, wheat, tree nuts, eggs, milk, soy
• Promotional signage – Indicates new selections or items on promotion

Example of how promotional signage can increase sales and profit

Currently you have a small unsigned display of Lavash Bread selling an average of 10 units a week at $3.99 per package with a cost of $1.99. You make $40 per week in sales and $20 in profit from that item.

Add a sign, now you sell approximately 21 units per week (110 percent increase), creating $84 in sales and $42 in profit. And by adding reasons to buy to the sign (recipes, ideas for using the Lavash Bread), you increase sales to 28 units a week (another 33 percent increase), generating $112 in sales and $56 in profit. (Dollar amounts and percentages have been rounded for ease of reading.)

Signage Tips

• With any type of sign, be sure to match the size of the sign to the size of the display.
• Use large signs for large displays, smaller signs for smaller displays. Covering the product completely will defeat the purpose. Be sure to position signs for maximum visibility but with minimum confusion.
• Regular check-up maintenance is important -- signs can get torn or damaged, plus sales periods and pricing change. Weekly checks are recommended.