Visual food merchandising is one of the hottest trends in the restaurant, foodservice and hospitality industry today, which is the art of presenting your products in a way that entices your customers to buy, as well as bringing it to life. to their products with attractions. demonstrations of freshness, color, quality and abundance.

A great food merchandising program combined with cross-marketing strategies will help significantly increase sales of your restaurant or food service operations, as well as increase customer satisfaction and return on business.

The benefits of eye-catching food merchandising displays and cross-marketing techniques are immediate. Sales will increase between 15 and 300 percent if you have done a proper job with your merchandising program. The morale of your staff will also rise due to the improved environment and customer satisfaction.

Running a food service operation requires a lot more than just displaying the usual information, like the “daily special.” As a trader, you need to consider what will attract your customers to your trade in the first place. Here are some basic merchandising rules and tips to follow:

1. Make it look appealing

You should build your food displays so that customers can view them from all angles of your facility. Use only the freshest ingredients and colorful foods to grab their attention. Display your food using uniquely shaped plates and plates with different textures. Use terracotta and other eco-friendly colors and incorporate natural wood and bamboo to create a more modern, clean and elegant look.

For example, the addition of a simple, thick wooden board placed inside a standard glass sandwich display unit emphasizes to customers that the sandwiches have just been made. Without the board, the sandwiches appear bare and bare, leaving customers to wonder how long they’ve been sitting there, as a glass-and-steel display case tends to evoke a feeling of coldness and emptiness. The cutting board helps add warmth and life to the display unit.

2. Tilt products and use color

Food always displays best when it’s placed at an angle and not flat. Show your customers your products! European-style sloping wooden shelves are an excellent merchandising tool for displaying breads, cakes, pastries and other products, creating an attractive display to entice your customers to buy.

Color is one of the most important factors when it comes to food displays. Many food products typically come from brown and beige color schemes, so brighten up your operation with greens, reds, oranges, and yellows to create a fresh, healthy look as well. Consider looking at what items you may already have on hand in your kitchen, pantry, and storerooms that could add delicious color and substance to your display.

3. Use cross-marketing techniques to increase sales

For cafeterias and market operations, cross-marketing is an excellent opportunity to increase sales by putting the right foods together. Soups, sandwiches, and chips should be placed in the same place, while coffee and tea should be served right next to desserts. Side dishes and salads can be split. For example, small salad containers could be packed and placed on ice next to the grill, as well as placed next to sandwiches. Also try different varieties of cream cheese alongside bagels, or fresh fruit and whipped cream alongside cakes and ice cream. Coffee and tea are a great companion to bakery items. Sales of beautifully packaged coffee will skyrocket when placed alongside baked goods.

4. Use the cash wrap area

The cash wrap area is prime real estate for merchandising. Proper marketing of additional retail products in the cash wrap area will help you increase average checks. Use your cash sales area for last-minute sales of coffee, soft drinks, desserts, candy, and chocolate bars, and create an irresistible display of products customers can’t refuse.

5. Proper signage points the way to increased revenue

Proper signage can help you tell customers what you need to tell them when you can’t offer personalized attention. It is very important to be clear, concise, and direct when designing signage for your operation. Make it as easy as possible for customers to buy food by providing proper signage that informs your customers about your products so they can buy them. Signage can be displayed in all shapes and sizes and should be used accordingly. Use mini brand cards to label and price your products, and write short item descriptions detailing the ingredients you used or your cooking method. If you insist on handwriting your signs, be sure to make them legible and graphically appealing.