Leveraging the Value of Snacks when Opening a Dollar Store

Carrying snack products is often overlooked when first opening a dollar store. To many new entrepreneurs there are more important items to consider. Those store owners just don’t realize how to leverage the incredible drawing power that snacks can have for your business. Sure there is work involved. There’s also an investment in product. Yet for those who do careful planning, snack products can increase traffic significantly. Snacks can also generate significant sales of other products for your dollarstore. It’s simply a matter of recognizing how to best merchandise the snacks in your store. In this article I present leveraging the value of snacks when opening a dollar store.

There are downsides to using this strategy when opening a dollar store. First and foremost, snacks generally come with very tight margins. Product must be sold quickly. You cannot afford to miss pull-by dates and have waste of any kind. Next, given the volume of sales from this department there will be extra labor required to stock shelves and maintain displays. In fact a well-stocked and merchandised snack department in your dollarstore will have sales far exceeding your expectations.

Build sales of snack items by offering an excellent assortment of items in your dollarstore. Don’t plan to carry your three favorite candy bars and to then call that ‘good’ if you want to maximize results. Provide a full assortment of snack products. Candy, cookies, nuts, pop corn and chips are just a start. Be sure to add the snack items shoppers’ request. Include attention-grabbing signage. Be sure to regularly rotate stock.

Place the snack department so it draws customers through your store. A properly set-up store will funnel shoppers in the front door, to the right and then back and forth from aisle to aisle as they work their way through the store. Snacks should be on the left side of your store so they are not found too soon. After all, your goal is for shoppers to cover as much of your store as possible during every visit. Don’t forget to place snacks in an area that is very visible to employees. You’ll help to minimize shrinkage with this move.

If you are opening a dollar store be sure to add snacks to the assortment of products you carry in your store. Your customers will appreciate it. They’ll show that appreciation by returning time and again to purchase their favorite snack items. And of course, many will be unable to stop there; they will select others items as they move through your dollarstore.

To your success when opening a dollar store!