Retailers and their food packaging partners understand how important it is to maximize sales during the brisk holiday shopping season. In fact, fourth-quarter sales represent a significant share of total annual revenue for most sellers, especially gift shops and food retailers.
To make the most of the holiday shopping season, food packaging strategies shift for fourth-quarter retailers, drawing on proven approaches to higher holiday sales. And to maximize register totals during the run-up to the end-of-year holidays, it is essential to define your sales goals and partner with capable product packagers.
Food Packaging for the Holidays
Fall and winter holidays furnish prime marketing opportunities for food producers, who take advantage of seasonal shopping trends. Beginning in October, for example, demand is high for bite-sized candies suitable for Halloween trick-or-treaters. High-speed flow wrapping and cello-wrap processes furnish go-to packaging options for producers seeking cost-effective wrappers for hard candy, gum, and individual-sized chocolate bars.
In November, many consumers celebrate Thanksgiving, which is another food-centric holiday creating opportunities for food packagers and retailers. As shoppers anticipate family meals, holiday-themed mixes and other foolproof food formulations take the guesswork out of entertaining, leading to higher sales totals for packaged seasonal food products. Hostess gifts and other holiday-inspired food items also sell briskly during peak entertaining seasons, stretching merchandising opportunities into every retail food category.
Holiday gift-giving extends through the entire fourth quarter as consumers hone in on special occasions. Holiday packaging redesigns offer several advantages for producers, wholesalers, and retailers committed to raising fourth-quarter sales totals.
Holiday Options Provide Added Value
Consumers spend liberally during the holiday shopping season, but food packaging reflecting added value is still the best approach for landing higher sales. Multi-packs, for instance, printed with holiday graphics, create a sense of unique value as related food products are grouped together for sale.
Gift sets have the same impact, luring value-oriented holiday shoppers primed for seasonal savings. Even when the underlying food products stay the same, your proprietary holiday artwork stimulates interest among shoppers. And by bundling multiple items with shrink-wrapped film or other unique packaging alternatives, you create the extra value shoppers seek.
Exclusive and Distinct Packaging
Holiday packaging presses the right buttons among food shoppers seeking unique products during the gift-giving season. Holiday gift sets and special limited-time sizes create exclusive packages appealing to holiday impulse shoppers. Gift baskets, for example, utilize shrink films and multi-colored cellophane to create distinct, one-of-a-kind holiday food bundles. And collectible accessories and other holiday-themed add-ons call further attention to well-executed holiday packaging.
Seasonal Packaging Supports Branding
Although it represents limited runs, available only during certain times of the year, seasonal food packaging supports branding year-round. In addition to stimulating immediate sales, holiday packages help associate your products with good times, leading to ongoing relationships with consumers. Samples of new products and trial-size versions of related products can also be incorporated into holiday food packages, stimulating brand awareness and cross-marketing sales. Secondary packaging is also popular during the holiday selling season, prompting consumers to reuse decorative tins and other special packages.
Display-Ready and Gift-Ready
Packages that solve problems for shoppers and retailers are among the most welcomed holiday food presentations. Display-ready point-of-purchase (POP) units, for example, help retailers keep pace with busy holiday stocking needs, so stand-alone POP displays lead to reorders from appreciative sellers. Likewise, consumers struggle to keep up during the hectic holiday season, so gift-ready assemblies make gift shopping a breeze for those needing grab-and-go access.
Producers and retailers count on holiday sales, so the stakes are especially high for food packaging professionals during the busy fourth-quarter selling season. Innovative food packaging solutions keep liquids, powders, and solid food items protected, as experienced product packagers use proven methods to stimulate seasonal sales. Gift packs, multi-unit SKUs, and other specialized packages, for instance, create added value and a sense of urgency for shoppers committed to finding the best holiday merchandise.
To push reorders higher for your fourth-quarter goods, match your brand vision with the right food packaging and ride the wave of seasonal sales.
