According to recent surveys performed by Numerator and dunnhumby, two prominent market and consumer data companies, consumers have reacted to rising food costs primarily through changing what they purchase as opposed to where they shop. However, the likelihood of that changing increases the longer consumers are faced with rising costs. Co+op Deals, Flash Sales and BOGO — promotions that help co-ops extend value to customers and project a positive price image — are more important today than they have ever been. To ensure shoppers are aware of these money-saving promotions and to maximize the benefit to your co-op, you’ll want to enlist NCG’s resources, and your own creativity, to fully capture the potential of these programs.

Co+op Deals is one of the largest and most successful promotions programs in the natural channel, and they are designed to meet or beat the lowest sale price in town. Flash Sales drive shopper excitement with urgency by offering deeper-than-normal discounts for a limited time. Buy One, Get One (or BOGO) is a new promotional feature that will be offered through Co+op Deals beginning with the 2022 August B promotional period, and will help drive customer enthusiasm and shopper loyalty. All these promotions pass savings on to the customer and make shopping at the co-op more affordable for everyone.

The first step to getting the word out about these price-saving promotions is to take full advantage of all the promotional materials available. NCG provides many valuable resources to advertise and promote Co+op Deals, including flyers, coupon tear pads, feature shelf promotions and off-shelf promotions for endcaps and case stacks. An array of similar marketing materials (as well as preferred practices) is available to help execute Flash Sales and BOGOs, too.

With these tools in hand, and ideas tailored to appeal to shoppers in your unique marketplace, promotions will leap off the shelf. Try these tactics that successful co-ops use to wow their customers with great deals:

• Price in multiples to improve promotional price perception on high-turning, high-purchase-frequency products. Be careful not to overuse quantities to improve a perception of savings. For example, while the individual unit price is the same, a 2/$10 promotion is much more attractive to customers than a 4/$20 promotion.
• Place attractive, full displays at the entrance to the store or within immediate eyesight from the entrance. Utilizing space in vestibules and outside (weather permitting) are great ways to ensure that positive price perceptions are conveyed early in a shopper’s trip when space directly inside the entrance is limited.
• Cross-merchandise promotions with complementary items in other departments. For example, when you have a great deal on ground beef, use a spot cooler to merchandise as part of a grocery grilling-themed display.
• Devote Flash Sale promotional energy on high-usage items. For instance, featuring a line of body lotions in the wellness department will have more appeal and potential for sales than facial masks.
• Post engaging social media content to draw attention to promotions, especially Flash Sales, and provide product education or personalized “staff favorite” testimonials.
• Window shop your competitors to see what and how they’re promoting. Many retailers are promoting fewer items while focusing attention on pricing and display placement. This may also provide useful insight into how to utilize promotions to impact consumer price perception.

Get creative and stay competitive! For more tips and strategies to maximize NCG’s promotional programs for success at your co-op, as well as examples and photos of these resources in use at other co-ops, check out the course Priced To Compete: Taking Co+op Deals and Co+op Basics to the Next Level in Co+op U. When you’re ready to put it all together, dive into NCG’s promotions planning tools featuring promo playbooks, endcap planners, hot sheets and other resources.

Co+op Deals promotions support a positive price image for your co-op and so much more. They can help grow sales and improve margin contribution, compete in your market and, by making the co-op accessible and welcoming to more shoppers, grow your positive impact in the community.