IT’S ENTERTAINMENT SHOPPING!
By Vending Times, Vendingtimes.com
Page 1, 2, 3
Free shipping and volume discounts are also negotiable benefits, Gitler said. When free shipping is offered as part of a show special, suppliers will often grant it for purchases made a week after a show – if the operator asks for it.
Price breaks can kick in whenever an operator buys two boxes instead of one, she added. Redemption prize buyers should ask suppliers, “What is my next price break?” as volume ordering increases. Combining volume orders with repeat business can also justify a price break, said Gitler.
For example, an FEC owner might order two boxes of a certain item for immediate shipment, and also sign a purchase order for two more boxes of the same item, to be shipped two months later. This allows the owner to obtain the lower price associated with a four-box purchase.
Long-term staple items such as Whoopee Cushions, sour candy and Magic Ink can safely be stocked in six-month quantities, Gitler said. “Those items will always sell for the life of your facility,” she explained.
Effective display of redemption merchandise can be achieved by creating simple point-of-purchase displays, Gitler said. This technique makes a noticeable impact on the operator’s ability to move merchandise. Grouping similarly themed items together, such as patriotic items (flags, stickers, etc.) or holiday items, increases the visual and emotional impact of the display.
A group of items need not include 20 variations on a theme to create an effective display, Gitler said. Three or four Pokémon items arranged together with a large Pokémon poster behind them will effectively generate a themed effect.
Elaborate POS displays in lavish redemption centers can emulate the McDonald’s approach by mounting high-end prizes (or even TV monitors that showcase in-house advertising) where they are visible by customers standing in line to redeem their tickets at the prize counter. This technique can be used by large and small centers in low-cost or lavish variations, and generates a noticeable impact on redemption merchandise selections made by customers.
Even if children enjoy selecting their own merchandise in redemption centers, their parents still have the final say. Effective prize display strategies can be geared toward parents as well as children, Gitler said.
Noting that the average American woman is 5 ft. and 3 ins. tall, Gitler recommends that low-cost merchandise (in the $1.99 to $3.99 range) should be displayed on the wall behind the prize counter. This approach is widely deployed in Chuck E. Cheese’s sites.
Gitler calls this strategy putting items at “Mom’s eye” height, and said it serves to bring the items highlighted to the attention of the person who may make the final selection.
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