The role of impulse products within Coffee, Fast Food & QSR and how Wrigley can help

The Opportunity
Sometimes the small things can grow into big opportunities, how much time and focus have you given your grab and go range recently? Impulse products play an important role in many foodservice businesses as incremental or unplanned purchases that will drive increased spend per visit, with the objective of promoting customer loyalty. The latest research shows that 7 out of 10 who purchase a bakery product had no intention of doing so before they entered the outlet. Similarly, 60% of savoury snacks sales are also bought on impulse. With little operational complexity, to be seen is very much to be sold when you display a credible and relevant range of products.

How can working with Wrigley help you take advantage of this?
Whilst we specialise in gum, mints and confectionery, we have a dedicated team that focuses on research and development of the wider impulse category across both the retail and foodservice channels, specifically coffee, fast food and QSR. This enables us to support you, our customers, with advice on best practice and by sharing our learnings to help grow your impulse sales.

Selecting the right range of impulse categories and products
As with many industries and businesses, we recommend putting the consumer first. An impulse range should always be based on meeting the key consumer need states, asking the question: are you offering products that your consumers want when they enter your shop, store or restaurant? Naturally, for the different foodservice environments, these need states will also change. Recent research indicates that the key need states for coffee shops, in particular, are ‘Reward & De-Stress’, at 66% of occasions and ‘Refresh My Senses’ at 40% , with both gum and mints performing very strongly within the latter. Each impulse category will play a role in meeting a particular need state and as a general guideline, we recommend offering an impulse portfolio that delivers choice in meeting these needs. For example, as well as confectionery products, also offer bakery products to capitalise on the ‘Reward & De-Stress’ occasion. Across each category, it is also important to understand the latest flavour and ingredient trends.

Growing your impulse sales
As an operator you should consider the four key barriers to purchase, to grow your impulse sales:
1. Awareness (be thought of) - ensure your shoppers are aware of the range you have on offer through strong location and POS
2. Visibility (be seen) - we only see 1% of the stimulus that is in front of us, so ensure your range and display is highly visible and easy to access i.e. by the till point
3. Relevance (compel your consumers) – use POS and in-outlet messaging to highlight the key consumption occasions and emphasise the relevance of your offering
4. Price (offer value for money) – provide added value through compelling promotions and meal deals

Measuring your success
There are many ways to measure your sales performance, however, we recommend using a metric called conversion. As impulse products are typically unplanned, increased footfall can naturally drive an uplift in sales, therefore, by removing this element and simply dividing the volume sales (units) for a given period (normally a week) by the total number of till transactions for the same period, you can see how many shoppers have been converted. Success is therefore measured by an increased propensity of purchase. 

Enhancing your customers’ experience with gum and mints
Unlike the majority of impulse categories, gum and mints complement the post-meal experience, with 54% of shoppers stating mints and gum would enhance their overall customer experience. This is based on these products having both functional and emotional roles in oral care, refreshment and promoting confidence. When it comes to displaying impulse products, we also work with our customers to ensure they have the right range and unit, including our newly developed equipment for the coffee, QSR and fast food environments, to maximise impact and return.

Together, let’s give your impulse portfolio the focus it deserves and capitalise on the opportunity to increase your shoppers’ spend. For more information, support and advice, contact [email protected].