Merchandising of confectionery products and ways to increase sales. Magazine "Master of Sales": How to make a confectionery business successful. How to find your face

Find a colleague yourself

Surprisingly, the Michelle company does not work with recruitment agencies.
At least this is what the director of the confectionery chain says. Searching for people is carried out as follows: internal employees additional motivation is provided in the form of monetary reward, and they themselves look for personnel for the company.
“Our employees already know the specifics of the product and understand what qualities their potential colleague should have,” Ekaterina Kryukova is sure.
In 2008, when the crisis began in the country, people began to spend less and many companies cut production, restaurants closed, then the management of the Michel company came up with the idea of ​​​​creating cozy confectionery shops with beautiful interiors and affordable prices “La Rochelle”.
After all, everyone wants to dine at expensive restaurants, but not everyone can afford it. Very little time passed from the idea to the implementation of the project. Within a year and a half, eight confectionery shops were opened.
The establishments are interesting because they are a successful symbiosis of traditional cafes, pastry shops, coffee shops, restaurants and represent a new fashionable Lunch&Sweets format.
The network's target audience is very broad due to the wide range of prices and assortment, which is updated almost every week: buffet, chef's menu, ready-to-go meals, special menus for banquets and buffets.

Fresh interior every year

The key to success when opening a confectionery shop is to guess the location, Ekaterina Kryukova shares her experience. “Therefore, when an interesting offer for vacant space comes in, it is important not to miss it. It is no coincidence that two establishments that are approximately the same in price category and level of service, located 30 meters from each other, can have completely different success among customers. However, often those premises that at first glance seem ideal are completely unsuitable. Features of technical and sanitary requirements– this is the main difficulty when finding a place for a cafe, pastry shop or restaurant.
To open one confectionery shop in Nizhny Novgorod, you need an average of about two million rubles. At the same time, update the enterprise catering In order not to lose the interest of the guest, it is necessary every year. The easiest way is to change the interior. It is advisable to carry out restyling once a year in order to outlet remained operational, continued to please customers, did not get bored or become boring, which, of course, also “will cost a pretty penny.” - A project is considered good if it pays off in 4–5 years. Although I don’t see the optimal technology for calculating payback, economically justified and the only correct one,” says the director of the network.
However, the most important condition for development restaurant business, according to Natalya Sautkina, is not only a constant update of the interior, but also the range of products offered, the emergence of new offers for customers. And the best source of information in this case will be the consumers themselves, those people who have already come to you.
Communication with visitors, conducting short questionnaires on the topics of product quality and service, taste preferences, and the interior of the establishment allow you to get closer to the consumer. This way, company management receives invaluable first-hand information.
Sometimes in this way unusual and fresh ideas regarding the expansion of the range, when one of the visitors shares interesting recipes.
Some innovations are borrowed from other countries. But European confectionery products do not always take root in Russia. And therefore almost every the European idea needs to be Russified. For example, in European pastry shops it is customary to serve domesticated, slightly sloppy cakes. The Russian guest wants everything to be smooth, smooth, beautiful and identical.

Assortment calendar

To determine the optimal range of products for a certain day, we carefully study the shipments and production that were made on that day last year,” says Anna Mikhailova.
Shipments are studied by the company's commercial service, and output is analyzed by the executive director. According to the data received, increase coefficients are set every year: taking into account new customers and growing consumer demand for products. This coefficient must be entered on every holiday. The information received directly determines how many employees will work per shift and what volumes of products will be produced.
“The main task is to provide the optimal assortment for a certain calendar day, so that it maximally satisfies the needs of all categories of customers,” explains Irina Bailova. – For example, hot weather must be taken into account when determining production volumes, because the buyer, as a rule, will not have much desire to purchase sweet products or salads during this period. It is important to analyze the assortment in advance. Already in July we can talk about the First of September. And you should prepare for each holiday one and a half to two months in advance.

Employees to grow

Confectionery products are stored for only three days, the fourth day is reserved. Such short product shelf life makes the industry very specific in terms of speed of work and decision making, and few people are able to work at such a pace.
“The optimal period that gives the company the opportunity to understand whether an employee, even a sales representative, can cope with such a pace and whether his further training makes sense, in our experience, is three months,” says Ekaterina Kryukova.
- This is the period of time that lasts probation in the company - for him the new recruit needs to know the assortment perfectly.
The company relies on “cultivating” its employees, placing people who know the products in key positions. Management believes that an employee who grows “from the inside” is most often able to evaluate not only his area of ​​work, but also the activities of the enterprise as a whole. And when moving horizontally, a person can bring interesting ideas to the work of another department.
- To achieve success in a career, one of the first qualities is entrepreneurship, the spirit of entrepreneurship. A top manager must be able to count money, know its value, and invest his soul, knowledge and experience into the business. Business without a soul is just technology. The qualities that accompany a sense of entrepreneurship are accumulated experience, the ability to work with customers and teams, and a good knowledge of human psychology, says Irina Bailova.

Working with numbers

The company's personnel policy should be aimed at developing people working not only in management, trade areas, but also in production. As practice shows, it is much more difficult to find a qualified pastry chef than a white-collar worker. The interest of manufacturers is maintained when the company produces many new products that have no analogues on the market. In this case, a person is given the opportunity to “create.”
As a result, he sees a new product and receives positive feedback from management and customers. And visible end result– one of the strongest incentives and motives for a person.
The second equally important incentive is training and development. Therefore, the company needs to constantly conduct training for employees.
- There is also a system of motivation and demotivation in production. The main motivation in production concerns professional growth. For the position of production managers, we hired more competent, professional people who were already ready for this from among our confectioners and cooks,” says Irina Bailova. – The HR department constantly studies trends in changes in wages for each profession, be it a cook, pastry chef, pastry chef or baker, in order to understand the salary level. In addition to the basic salary, there is a bonus fund.
A similar motivation system exists in the sales department.
- Trade department only works on numbers. Motivation and demotivation for his employees depends on the indicator of the month, says Anna Mikhailova. – Every month the department has its own sales figures. They are associated with features weather conditions, with the specifics of the product, with the number of promotions carried out, with the number of players and many other factors. Motivation programs in the sales department are carried out monthly. Demotivational promotions can also be held monthly, but they always relate to a specific employee. The reasons for demotivation are listed in a special document and are known to all employees. Most often this is a failure to comply with certain economic indicators. Our sales team has not changed for two years. They grow within the team: they move from assistants to sales representatives and supervisors.

Watch every spoonful of rice

In five years we will publish a book on those memos, in which people explain the reason for their theft. Past our executive director You can’t carry even a handful of flour. It was possible to establish such strict control in the last two years. Before this there were a lot of problems,” says Ekaterina Kryukova. – Previously, they stole wherever possible; it happened that they exported products.
Theft is a very common problem for the vast majority manufacturing companies. At the production site of the Michel company, the situation is saved by a clearly structured control system and a well-chosen team - people in the control group of the production manager. If a manager steals, he immediately resigns. If a subordinate, penalties apply.
- As soon as a case of theft becomes known, an emergency meeting is convened. By all structural divisions an email message is sent out: “There is an emergency, there is theft at the enterprise,” Irina Bailova reveals the response mechanism. – At the general meeting the name of the “thief” is not announced. He stands among his colleagues and understands that this is about him.
Some entrepreneurs believe that they can turn a blind eye to such, in their opinion, little things: a stolen loaf of sausage, a can of canned food. But it all starts small, and then grows to incredible proportions. Therefore, you should not turn a blind eye to even a spoonful of peas or rice. If everyone tries a spoonful of rice, it will add up to a decent amount. At meetings, I warn our employees that they should try the biscuit, but do it on commission and put it in the rejection register. The production manager or technologist must be present during the tasting procedure. In addition, production managers also see how employees work in their jobs.
“The brewing log is checked once every two weeks, namely: what is tasted, how it is tasted, how long ago this or that position has not been tried,” Irina Bailova tells in more detail. – Confectioners should try cream made from cream, a semi-finished product. But why try marmalade or walnuts? This is of no use. CCTV cameras are installed in the workshops. And the operator of the control service writes official letters on a daily basis: which employee went where, what he took out, what he took, where he put what, whether he washed his hands or not.
If a pastry chef smokes and then does not wash his hands, he will be immediately fined. And after a fine, people become disciplined because they understand that they are constantly being watched. There is a saying: “What is controlled gets done.” And I always repeat this phrase to my production managers at every meeting. And we control almost every process. We don't have any major thefts right now. I say this with confidence. A fairly serious control group has been selected that checks literally everything.
- IN small restaurant the owner or director may forgive minor mistakes. He understands that if employees charge a little more, it will immediately become very noticeable,” adds Ekaterina Kryukova. - And we have a different scale - a factory for the production of confectionery and culinary products. If you allow small theft, it will grow on such a scale that you will need to put a lock on the entire production. And therefore, the control system is built in such a way that people understand: all products and things are the property of the company.
With such thoroughness of control, the company’s experience of working with security agencies did not justify itself. Your own control service is more efficient and reliable. It is important not to make a mistake with the head of the service; he must not only be honest and decent, but also have good intuition. The head of this service must have such rare qualities as intuition, decency and accuracy in everything.

Saving in Japanese

During the optimization process, Anna Mikhailova recommends using Japanese system“Kaizen” (from the Japanese words KAI - “change” and ZEN - “good”, “for the better”). Kaizen is a constant desire to improve everything we do, embodied in specific forms, methods and technologies. This method is used by outstanding companies: Toyota, Nissan, Canon, Honda, Komatsu, Matsushita, etc. According to statistics, companies that use this system increase the profitability and competitiveness of their business without making large capital investments. The system allows you to increase labor productivity by 50–100% or more.
- As part of this system, we are improving the workplace so that the employee has to make as few unnecessary movements as possible during the work process. Creating workplace, we improve and install it in such a way that the worker’s efficiency increases, so that all necessary equipment and the tools lay next to him,” says the commercial director. The Kaizen system is one of the effective ways to optimize and combat costs.
But there should be many such methods in the company, and it is necessary to constantly fight costs. Thus, by reducing costs, one can find means to increase wages employees during a crisis.
“During the crisis period, each member of the team got involved in the work to combat costs: it came to the point that they monitored how much cleaning product needed to be poured into a beaker and how many towels or rags should be cut off to wash the floor,” says Anna Mikhailova.
Another optimization path is outsourcing. The Michelle company outsources its entire staff of merchandisers. This allows you to change special tasks monthly and have a larger staff. Convenient: the company’s thoughts and ideas are embodied by someone else’s hands. A good outsourcing organization is very easy to work with. The company also uses outsourcing in the sales department. And according to experience, the company manages to gain about 30 percent from such cooperation - this means savings on taxes, wages, vacations, and so on.

New products on the conveyor

In any industry there is a “chase for the leader”, for the company that brings something new to the market and is always the first to do something. Other players often try to repeat its success, for example, by copying the company's products. Therefore, when releasing one new product to the market, on the same day you need to start thinking about another, since the lifespan of an innovation is only two to three months. Competitors will quickly make an analogue.
“The Michelle company plans to expand its geography: opening regions and entering new networks,” says Anna Mikhailova.
Any potential region is studied for three months. A search is underway for data on population density, the number of players present, competitive environment, by price, by assortment. Information is collected and consolidated into some kind of huge table, allowing one to draw a conclusion: is it worth going to this region. And to do this, you need to understand whether there is a need for the product. If it exists, then an already working system can be copied to this or that region, because the solvency of the population of Yaroslavl is no different from Nizhny Novgorod. After the decision to open a branch is made, the selection of personnel who live and work there permanently begins. After all, it is impossible to manage a region from a distance. There must be either regional office, or branch systems. The decision to explore “new horizons” is very serious for any company, since it is more profitable not to enter the market at all than to enter incorrectly.

On the way to ideal

Production needs constant development: launching additional areas, automation technological processes, improvement of the technological line. Continuous improvement is an integral part of an organization's success. It is necessary to strive to unify products.
According to Natalia Sautkina, today Russian confectionery enterprises mainly use manual labor. However, automation of production is necessary so that the products are standard, each cake is similar to the previous one, because with manual labor errors often occur. Improvement and automation of technological processes will reduce the costs of manual labor, mobilize and thereby increase production. This is the only way to achieve design and quality control, Natalia believes.
It is also important to constantly seek and develop new opportunities for the company. And if the company is engaged in production and it works successfully, it’s time to think about own stores, cafes, restaurants. New formats open up new horizons for the company.

Reference

"Michelle" - largest in terms of sales volume confectionery company Nizhny Novgorod region, founded in 2000. The company is the patent holder of three brands: "Michelle" - confectionery production cakes and pastries, “Own Kitchen” - everything related to cooking, and “La Rochelle” - a brand of a chain of confectionery shops. The company employs more than 550 employees, of which 380 are employed in production.

Material prepared by: Marina Sipatova

Proper placement of goods on display is one of the tools to increase sales. For any business - a large store or a small outlet, it is important to use the opportunity to increase profits by effective use shelves and display cases.

How to place candy correctly

Candies - popular product, purchased for everyday use, for holidays, as a gift. But these are small products, so for displaying them you should choose shelves at chest and eye level. In this way, it is possible to ensure that the visitor can examine the wrapper, name, and manufacturer without bending over.

Most often, sweets are sold by weight. Many buyers prefer products that are already hung and packaged in transparent bags. Therefore, it is important to offer an alternative! For example, you can buy caramel wholesale in St. Petersburg in corrugated trays - convenient packaging for sale by weight. At the same time, on other shelves, for example, above the main display, you can place already hung candies of 300-500 grams. indicating the cost.

For gifts, buyers often choose candies in boxes and beautiful packaging. Some manufacturers supply sweets in colorful flow packs - such products will also be in demand and should be available on display.

How to combine different products correctly

Usually I only have candies next to candies, and cookies with cookies. To increase sales, you can use combinations of different products, which is often an effective technique for increasing sales. For example, biscuit products can coexist with sweets, lollipops and waffles. You can duplicate the assortment in a combination of different products on one shelf. However, this will require additional space.

The most effective is to highlight the goods of one manufacturer in the overall composition. For example, an entire rack or several shelves are allocated for one brand. Let’s say you bought candies, mini-rolls and chocolate, waffles in Ufa of the famous brand “Laycy Queen”. Having spread out different types products on one shelf can teach the buyer to choose this particular manufacturer.

Having tried and appreciated the Laycy Queen candies, the buyer will most likely also decide to buy other products of this brand. Thanks to the close proximity to the candy shelf, he learns that the manufacturer also produces waffles, cookies, etc.

More the better

It is most cost-effective to purchase sweets according to the needs of the store. To increase sales, it is necessary to create the appearance on the display that there is a lot of goods. To do this, it is not necessary to purchase tens of kilograms of each type of product, because there is a risk that it will not be sold before the expiration date. You can, for example, place empty packaging or boxes with other goods under the corrugated trays.

Using simple rules displays can significantly increase sales. As an option, contact an experienced merchandiser who will arrange the goods in accordance with the rules of effective trading.

In preparing a store for the holidays, increasing sales of confectionery products is given a special place. It’s safe to say that chocolates and sets are one of the most emotionally charged products: they are closely connected with experiences and significant events in the lives of consumers, with the holiday atmosphere. Unlike single-piece confectionery - a classic product at the checkout area - and flour confectionery, selling more expensive chocolate requires sellers to be able to create a mood. In the long term, this has a positive effect on customer attitudes towards the store.

WAYS TO INCREASE SALES
confectionery products before the holidays

Pirates, warriors and businesswomen.

Objective 1. Increase sales by
expansion of the assortment and competent display

It is obvious that the number of planned visits to candy stores and purchases in confectionery departments before the holidays increases significantly. But it is worth remembering that in the pre-holiday bustle, buyers have much less time to make an informed choice, so the first task of the store is to force them to make a purchase here and for this, adequately present the assortment of gift sets and create comfortable conditions for their selection. Despite the constant improvement of the range of products offered by manufacturers, as well as their packaging, it would be a mistake to assume that the confectionery department will be attractive on its own, without competent display and the use of methods to increase sales. The desire of the merchant to display a large number of confectionery sets in a limited area often leads to boxes being turned upside down and packages being partially closed. The face of the product is not always visible even on chocolate bars in a confectionery display. Especially if not used special equipment, the packaging is sometimes closed with price tags comparable in size to the product itself. At the same time, a careless seller can easily slap the price tag on Alenka’s face or the nose of Kramskoy’s “Unknown.” Expensive chocolate gifts and small figurines can get completely lost in a display case without creating a “visual frame” for them. Placing cheap piece goods next to each other on the principle of “one size in one place” can have a negative impact on their sales. Then the buyer will have the same impression as in the story of the famous satirist: “And these, well, so small - but in threes!”

Task 2. Increase sales by
expanding the circle of gift buyers.

It should also be remembered that when planning gifts, the buyer does not always consider chocolate as a permanent addition. The holiday budget is often limited, and the “competitors” of chocolate sets and luxury chocolate as independent gifts are alcohol, cosmetics and perfumes, and other typical gifts.

Increasing sales through the presentation of chocolate for men.

Candy for men and boys is a promising topic, and today its potential is far from being fully realized. Initially, it appeared in the segment of chocolate bars and bars, and supermen, spiders, horror stories and skeletons were called upon to create the image of candies for real guys. Chocolate boutiques responded with chocolate for serious men: bitter and “super-bitter”, with 98 percent cocoa beans. The Aztecs believed that a product made from the fruits of the tree of the gods (according to legend, the cocoa tree was brought to earth by the deity Quetzal-Coatl) arouses masculinity. According to the testimony of the great conquistador Hernan Cortes, at the court of the Aztec emperor Montezuma they consumed two types of liquid chocolate: sweet with cream and spicy with pepper. Cortez wrote that “one cup of this valuable drink is able to keep a person completely alert on a hike from sunrise to sunset.” The style of maritime romance can also be associated with chocolate - ships delivering cocoa beans to the royal courts of Europe were often the object of attention of pirates. This style can be used both in creating brands and in laying out a scattering of chocolate medals, like coins from a treasure chest. In the years Patriotic War large confectionery factories produced chocolate specifically for pilots, paratroopers, scouts and sailors who needed energy to survive in conditions of physical, intellectual and emotional stress. The military victory theme (for example, the Red October stamps “Guards Glory”, “Glory”, “Peter the Great”) and the theme of real men (“Bogatyrsky”, “Presidentsky”) are now present in the design of chocolate. And before the holidays, it makes sense to highlight and group such brands and pay attention to bitter varieties, so that women, having chosen sweets for children, guests and themselves, make another purchase - as a gift to a man.

Increasing sales with a chocolate presentation for office employees.

Another promising group of buyers and recipients of sweet gifts are office employees, bosses and work colleagues. In business districts, to attract attention, you can group on one shelf sets of candies with coat of arms symbols, sovereign and Moscow themes in the packaging design. Not everyone is comfortable giving a box with a bouquet of flowers or a frivolous dancer on it. Grouped by theme, the packages themselves contribute to the pre-holiday decoration of the hall. Manufacturers and traders can be successful with a theme that has not yet been worked out in chocolate execution - office gifts and jokes in the mid-price category. Perhaps in the future a chocolate laptop, briefcase or mobile phone will compete with more traditional figures.

Let's look at a few more techniques for increasing sales.
confectionery products before the holidays:

• INCREASING SALES is facilitated by equalization of prices for chocolate candies by weight (most often used in the range of 10 rubles per kilogram). Most housewives like to bet on festive table a bowl of different types of sweets, even low-income shoppers are tempted to decorate a pile of soy bars with a couple of “Golden Soufflés”. An interesting detail: candies in a candy wrapper with a “bouffant tail” are often chosen for the table, because there seem to be more of them on the table. At the same price level, the labor costs of the seller behind the counter and time for service are reduced, which is important during the pre-holiday period, when there are queues of customers in a hurry and wanting attention. The number of impulse purchases among buyers themselves is increasing - a bag of sweets is already on the scale, and they really want to add more of both! When leveling prices, you can use a well-known brand as a sales engine. It is worth noting that this technique requires preliminary research of buyers in order to choose the right varieties for the price range. For buyers of different groups, price barriers may be different, but the general boundaries determined by the perception of numbers are 100, 200 rubles per kilogram.
• INCREASING SALES is facilitated by the packaging of chocolates in self-service stores. Candies packaged in a plastic tray at a price of, for example, 38 rubles (a price comparable to the cost of a waffle cake) look attractive. Some buyers are put off by the price of 150-200 rubles per kilogram, and a lower amount makes the purchase of chocolates an impulse purchase. Another part of consumers believes that when buying packaged candies, they do not overpay for gift wrapping, excess paper and air in it (“Such a big box, but there are only ten pieces inside!”). In stores where the majority of buyers are of average and below-average income, it is possible to display packaging (special bags, boxes) in a visible place so that customers can put together a gift themselves from weight and piece candies - to their taste and pocket.
• INCREASING SALES is facilitated by the presence in the department of materials for artistic gift wrapping and the provision of this service in the store.
  In general, paper bows, ribbons and roses decorating counters and racks have a positive effect on candy sales, but in Russian stores such decor is used less frequently and weaker than, for example, in American candy stores for the middle class. Individual caramel flowers are also very rare in our country, although there are caramel baskets - for example, they are produced by Red October. A single caramel flower would make a nice gift.
• INCREASING SALES is facilitated by the joint display of alcohol and confectionery sets, using decorative compositions and advertising display. A bottle of champagne next to a box of chocolates, several sets under a poster “Congratulate your loved ones!” - all this serves as a reminder, a hint to the buyer and also increases the number of impulse purchases (see Fig. 1). Non-standard solutions can be successful, for example, chocolate bottles located next to each other and real small bottles. Holiday items may already be packaged in a basket at the store, decorated with flowers, and offered as a set.

• INCREASING SALES by grouping and highlighting famous Soviet confectionery brands. Firstly, this is compliance with the principle “ the best products– the best resources”, because behind old brands there is a reputation of large manufacturers. There is another aspect. Our research into various food products has found that among consumers over 30 years of age, the number of people experiencing nostalgia for Soviet times. At the same time, old brands are associated with the wonderful years of childhood and youth, and the same varieties are bought to create a festive mood. It is not without reason that the theme of nostalgia, the time “when everything was scarce, but everything seemed very tasty,” is now used by manufacturers. Some buyers are trying to take revenge on consumption: “Previously, they only gave it in orders, but now on New Year’s I eat caviar with spoons, and all sorts of “Bears” and “Squirrels” - kilograms!”
• INCREASING SALES is facilitated by optimizing the display of gift sets of sweets. Sets on racks can be grouped according to the principle color combinations and the contrast of packaging, the theme of packaging design, as is done, for example, in Red October brand stores. To make it easier for thrifty buyers to choose, sets can be arranged according to box size and price. It is not recommended to place packages that are similar in color next to each other, and you should always check for reflected light effects when viewed from the audience. Obviously, the number of small sets of candies in the checkout area before the holidays can be increased. The allocated display area can be limited by bright stripes of sets arranged vertically in several units on the rack (see Fig. 2).

• INCREASING SALES is facilitated by the use of posters with information about the composition and properties of the candies in the set. “Chocolate in a cut” is actively being introduced through advertising of “Rittersport” and POS materials of “Korkunov” and “Derzhava”. It is known that most buyers have more confidence in the packaging on which the product itself is depicted, because the seller cannot always provide reliable information. Sellers in confectionery departments say that when customers see a bottle of champagne on the packaging, they often joke: “Is it included?” No one thinks of a champagne filling, but if a bottle of cognac or liqueur is depicted, many buyers already expect that there is an alcoholic filler inside. Let us repeat once again that before the holidays the buyer is in a hurry, and he has a thousand different problems in his head. Visual information can help avoid frustration and reduce stress on salespeople.
• INCREASING SALES is facilitated by the use of models of gift chocolate figures. Figured chocolate in plastic packaging is difficult to display with dignity. Chocolate melts from the light, and polyethylene shines, and these reflections destroy the integrity of the volume of the figure. Skillfully made dummies can stand in any place and attract attention to elite products. Painted plaster sculptures can also be used to decorate a display case. Thus, figures made from various materials, and figured chocolate in the Konfael boutique in Moscow are some of the most significant and memorable interior and display details.

Holidays and weekdays.

Shops and confectionery departments always carry an element of festivity, so their design should create an overall warm impression and evoke pleasant emotions among visitors. It is desirable to use natural materials or their skillful imitation in interior decoration and equipment. Colonial style elements may be present - various shades of mahogany, bronze or brass details, large glazed surfaces, mirrors - as, for example, in the design of the Petrossian boutique/cafe in New York. The designers of the Mozart boutique in Toronto used a palette of colors in the interior based on the range of the product itself - shades of chocolate from white to brown, on a mauve background. “Candy Cauldron” was inspired by the theme of the Disney film “Snow White” - natural materials combined with wall paintings and sculptures create an unforgettable atmosphere.

In the display of sweets and chocolate bars, decorative compositions (columns, spirals, screws, pyramids) on the counter still impress the buyer. Let us remember the Eiffel Tower made of chocolates described by Bulgakov in the novel “The Master and Margarita”, shamelessly destroyed by the cat Behemoth. For many other products, such techniques are no longer used or look old-fashioned. But chocolate compositions set the buyer up for holiday consumption, and this can have a positive effect on sales growth in other groups. The composition means can also be used to fill transparent containers with weighted goods (see Fig. 3). Display of weighted sweets, marshmallows, marmalade, etc. in plastic bags instead of containers it gives the impression of untidiness.

A successful combination of confectionery products with products such as tea and coffee, flour confectionery - also with milk, because when a person sees a large number of sweets, the thought of drinks arises in the subconscious (see Fig. 5). Psychologists have the opinion that only people with disabilities can eat a lot of sweets without tea or other liquid. Coffee and tea aromas have a positive effect on sales. An example would be brand stores"Red October" on Shabolovka and Tverskaya in Moscow. Hot chocolate is gradually becoming popular, and it has good prospects in our climate (by the way, in the classic recipe, cognac can be added to hot chocolate). To emphasize the character of this drink, its density, and significance, the choice of tableware plays an important role: cups made of thick-walled porcelain are preferred over plastic cups and light cups. Those who have visited both Sever cafes in St. Petersburg on Nevsky Prospekt could feel this difference.

If the confectionery shop is adjacent to the grocery store, it is better to “match” it with canned fruit, jams, etc. Despite the fact that diabetics are some of the most loyal customers, it is recommended to place diabetic products in less visible places so as not to confuse other customers (imagine hangover remedies in the center of the display case in the wine and vodka department!). If diabetic products are located in a general confectionery display, it is more effective to provide large information about the ingredients (xylitol, isomalt) or use special symbols that are understandable to diabetics and will always be found. Confirmation of safety is also necessary, but can be written in smaller detail.

In specialized confectionery stores and departments, it is sometimes difficult to display weighted sweets and caramels on a glass counter, as well as on shelves. A display by type and price can be used: the product is divided into groups with a certain price range per kilogram, then they look at how many types can fit in one row. Examples of displays for counters and racks are shown in Figure 6. There are times when the view of goods in the corner of the confectionery display case, located near the cashier, is limited. This needs to be checked by looking from the audience. Then place interesting impulse and significant ones there profitable products unjustified.

An attractive, bright assortment, high markup on goods and stable demand with an increase during the holidays make the confectionery department one of the most important in any grocery store. It is known that today there are many opportunities to create a unique confectionery department. Visual merchandising in the confectionery department is a field for creativity, fairy tales and magic. Give free rein to your imagination, complement it with the logic of displaying confectionery products and your sales will go up!

What is proper display of confectionery products? Let's look at their trade classification in detail to make logical displays.

Confectionery products are divided into:

• sugar,
• flour,
• cocoa and chocolate products
• low-calorie, dietary.

The pastry department does a great job both self service and over the counter.

Many confectionery products are stored and sold at room temperature and can be sold from metal or wooden shelves. Our measurements show that for displaying cookies, waffles, sweets, halva, dough products, etc., large Moscow supermarkets use about 20-25 linear meters of racks 2.20 m high with five to six shelves. For dietary assortment, 2.5-5 linear meters are allocated.

ATTENTION! These linear meters greatly depend on the characteristics of your store. If you want to get a consultation with our expert, which is completely free = free of charge))) - register and send us a letter and photos of the point of sale.

Tea, coffee, and alcohol are usually placed next to confectionery products.

There is no generally accepted standard that dictates where a pastry department should be located. Experts believe that the confectionery department should be located on the way out of the store, at least in the second part of the buyer's journey through the store. However, it is worth considering the proximity of the location to the flour workshop and storage facilities.

Confectionery products that require refrigeration.

More and more confectionery products with short shelf life and requiring special temperature conditions are beginning to be sold in the public domain. These goods are laid out on the shelves of refrigerated racks. When transferring cakes and pastries to open refrigerators, the turnover can increase by 1.5-2.5 times, which is certainly very profitable. The supermarket has 300-500 sq.m. For displaying cakes, a slide 2.5-3 meters long and having 4 shelves is allocated, which are recommended to be hung up to 1.6 m in height. This is necessary to access the cakes and prevent the goods from falling and being damaged in the process. Cakes and pastries can also be sold over the counter. They are laid out in a refrigerated display case. We recommend purchasing a regular gastronomic display case for displaying cakes, since specialized display cases are usually more expensive and cool the top shelf quite poorly. The Magnifica display cabinet from ISA has special air ducts that supply cool air to each shelf. In this display case, cakes and pastries can be stored on any of the four shelves. True, the cost of this showcase is quite high. The Euro "Cryor factory produces refrigerated display cases to order. The assortment of supermarkets includes, as a rule, 30-40 types of cakes. They also sell approximately the same number of product items of cakes and pastries. Therefore, to organize a confectionery department, three or four display cases with a total length of 4.5 are required -8 meters.

Elite confectionery products.

These are expensive, often imported, elegantly and stylishly decorated sweets. It is recommended to sell them from high-end cabinets or over the counter. This means that the client can order any showcase of any required length, as well as with any temperature conditions. In this case, modules with different temperature conditions can be docked in a single row.

The confectionery department should create an upbeat, festive mood among customers. “There are many ways to create an attractive image of the confectionery department. For example, you can use various design elements - dummies, awnings, etc.