This is one of my favorite ideas I’ve ever seen. When you make a product convenient the profits will follow.
I went to a grocery store in Florida last week. It’s located on the “main strip” and corner of the main feeder road to a vast land of vacation rentals. I mean vast… like several hundred. Their location is amazing. But, clearly they do not rest on their location for their profits, they use it and gear toward their market. Something that all business need to do. Focus on your strengths and push for even greater services.
Here’s what they do.
When you walk into their store it’s a very expected experience with nice displays, but when you look left there are boxes and boxes of fun noodles! I think I’m hyper-tuned into fun noodles because at our family marina we sell them, but maybe just a box or two over an entire summer. In the grocery store entry there are at least 20 boxes. On top of the boxes is the special product. It’s an inflated raft. It’s the nothing revolutionary… just your entry level inexpensive, lung power to inflate raft. Only a few sit on top of the fun noodle kingdom. The price is great at $6.99.
I kept walking and there is display after display of inflatables. You can easily tell that a store dedicating so much prime floor space to inflatables does a great deal of sales in rings, air mattresses, and beach balls. I walked around and found the packaged (deflated) air mattresses and guess what… they’re $2.99. I almost found the store manager for a hug! I love finding stores that provide convenience and charge for it. No one, I repeat, no one likes to blow up those crazy toys… you’re on vacation, the last thing you want to do is carry in and unload the groceries you bought knowing you have to spend 20 minutes blowing up an air mattress. However, shoving an already inflated air matress in the rental car? Oh heck yeah, I would pay $4 for that service!
Take a look around your business, do you sell a product that if assembled, inflated, or finished would add the “convenience value” to your customer that you could charge for. During the day, all businesses have “staff down time” to allocate for this new profit center so it won’t cost extra. I do recommend displaying in different areas, just like my new favorite grocery store did. Put the convenient item in it’s own featured area.
If you do an assembly required project… send me photos and your story, and I’ll share for others to see! Love this idea.
