Barbecue: Heat up sales

Summer is almost upon us, and we all know what that means. School holidays, muddy festivals, disappointing sporting events and, of course, barbecues. As always, the Great British public are ready to strip off to the waist, don Union Jack shorts and fire up the grill at the first sign of sunshine. Thankfully, with the country’s climate being ever-changeable, a barbecue is increasingly viewed as a last-minute event by the public, and that’s where independent retailers come in.

Spar UK brand director Susan Darbyshire says the barbecue season can be a profitable one for small stores. “The heatwaves and sunny weather of 2013 saw huge increases in sales of barbecue and all barbecue-related products, with retailers recording strong sales in all our barbecue lines compared with the previous summer,” she says. “The key to boosting sales of barbecue and related products is an early launch in store. This means retailers can signpost to their customers that they can meet all their needs for a barbecue in full - whether the sun shines or not.”

Paul Cheema of Malcolm’s Stores in Coventry sees strong growth when the weather is good. The summer of 2013 proved to be the warmest since 2006, providing him with a solid sales uplift.

“We’ve seen up to a 12% increase in sales at our store during good weather,” he says. “Sales of barbecue meat, coleslaw, pre-packed salad and ice all become much more popular during the summer months.”

Paul believes that the sunshine changes his customers’ demeanours - and gets them spending more. “Customers don’t think about the money when it’s sunny; they’re thinking about barbecues and social gatherings.”

He says that retailers need to make the most of the sunshine and everything else that summer brings. “We’ll have sporting events on in the store, which creates a buzz with customers,” he says. “It doesn’t take much to have the events showing on TV for people to watch and get them involved and spending.”

Binny Amin, of Budgens in Whitstable, Kent, is in a prime location should temperatures soar. “We had an awesome summer last year,” he recalls. “There was a great combination of hot weather and plenty of events going on, so we saw a big uplift in sales.

“Also, because it was mostly groups of people coming into the store I saw a lot of new faces, plus they would split up the purchases for the barbecue and buy extra products each, increasing basket spend.”

Darbyshire says that while stocking barbecue items can be tricky, it’s vital to have them visible. “It is difficult to determine how much room a retailer should give barbecue in terms of physical space, as these products are large and don’t always fit well on standard shelving,” she says. “But stores should maximise their seasonal selling opportunities on these lines. In terms of forecourts, this could be outside space, whereas larger stores may create in-store displays or stacks of product inside.”

She believes that customers purchase with their eyes and so encourages retailers to begin stocking early. “Stores must allow consumers to see they have the products, to build awareness early in the season, even though the warmer weather may be a few weeks away,” she explains.

Get in early

Rishi Madhani of Today’s Stokenchurch in Buckinghamshire agrees it’s best to prepare early for the barbecue season to get the most out of it. “When the weather is good, there can be a huge growth in sales so we’ve already started stocking barbecue goods in preparation,” he says. “We had a bit of good weather in early March so that got people in looking for barbecue items, which gets it into their heads that they can buy these items from us.”

He says that independent retailers should be making the most of relationships with their suppliers to ensure they have the right stock in time for the warm weather. “We always have stock such as firelighters and disposable barbecues in the store room, but we’ve got quite a good relationship with our wholesaler so we can put in a last-minute call for these things and not miss out on sales if the weather turns suddenly,” he says.

“This relationship is important as it can mean the difference between getting the stock in time for a good weekend, or it arriving the Monday after when it’s too late.”

To ensure he makes the most of any warm weather, Binny uses Musgrave’s daily deliveries. “If we know the weather is going to be good for a couple of days, we can react quickly,” he explains. “With the daily delivery service, the stock is with us quickly and in time for us to take advantage.”

Being close to the beach, Binny and his team always make sure there is a stockpile of disposable barbecues and fuel. “We’ll have some in stock to keep us going and make sure to top it up when it runs down.”

He also believes that theatre is a big part of attracting barbecue sales, and making an impact in a store doesn’t have to be much work. “We create displays with products already in the store, such as sauces and breads that can be merchandised together,” says Binny. “We’ll be taking it to the next level this summer by creating link deals with barbecue products such as paper plates and cups to grow spend.”

Stock the essentials

Nisa business manager for chilled foods Nick Slater agrees that retailers can get a solid barbecue offering together without stretching themselves too much. “Given Britain’s temperamental climate, it is important to keep a tight range of barbecue food in stock at all times, and be prepared with essential products such as sausages, burgers and rolls,” he says. “It is imperative this small range is always available, because the products are not just bought for barbecues, but consumed all year round. It will also ensure consumers identify the store as a destination for BBQ lines. However, if the weather is a let-down, most of Nisa’s protein-based barbecue lines can easily be grilled or even oven baked.”

He says that while c-stores usually have the sausages and burgers, in stock, it’s important retailers don’t forget all the ancillary lines to go with them. “These additional lines include rolls, bagged salads, sweetcorn and extra condiments,” he points out.

 

Looking ahead

Paul says that just waiting for the hot weather to happen isn’t enough; retailers need to plan ahead to make the most of any sunshine. “The hot weather is great, but as a retailer you have to look at how you can benefit by looking ahead at the forecast and making sure you have enough barbecue products, rolls, condiments and salads,” he says.

“To stay on top of the weather, we’ll use the BBC five-day weather forecast to see what’s coming up. That way we can plan for the whole week and if there’s hot weather we stock up on products that we know will be popular.”

Rishi agrees about being prepared and using the technology available to maximise sales during the barbecue season. “It’s important to look at the forecast so you know what’s coming up for the weekend,” he says. “If we order by Wednesday, we can get stock in for that weekend if we know it’s going to be good weather. There’s no point in waiting until the last minute for these things.”

He says it’s also important for retailers to be flexible. “It’s one of the advantages of being an independent retailer that we can react quickly, but you need to have plans in place for good weather to make the most of sales.”

Rishi reveals that as soon as he knows what the weather will hold he makes sure he has enough fresh meat, bread rolls and alcohol for customers who want to organise their barbecue at the last minute. “We’ll work ahead and get plenty of buns and salads prepared for the day so that customers can get everything they need at short notice, because nobody really plans more than a few days in advance,” he says. “A barbecue is a last-minute occasion which means that shoppers will also usually spend more because they haven’t thought about it in advance.”

With space at a premium, retailers may be concerned about dedicating shelf space to something that customers may not want. Slater suggests keeping a tight range of essentials that can be added to at peak times. “A small range of lines which are always available will ensure consumers recognise retailers as a destination for barbecue lines.

“It is important for retailers to expand fixtures with more lines for the weekends, or when the forecast is good. They can build off-shelf displays with non-food barbecue lines, and add marinades, rubs and sauces placed near the meat and poultry section.”

So with tweaks to existing ranges and a little imagination, retailers can fire up sales this summer whenever the sun shines.