Top 50 Indie the Kay Group has pump-top promotions at every one of its 20 sites. The company’s retail convenience manager, Jacob Francis, says they provide a great opportunity to achieve incremental purchases from customers. DSL supplies the products and has done for around 20 years. Jacob says the range of products available has evolved from a time when everything was priced at under a fiver, to today when there are more premium lines that command higher prices of £19.99 and above.
"I think customers now have more confidence purchasing these kind of goods from the forecourt environment and know they are getting a quality product," he explains.
Seasonality also helps with sales: "For this time of year we have cooler bags, travel bags, sunglasses etc and they are doing well. Anything that ties in nicely seasonally is usually a winner.
"Last year saw some great numbers on England football team-related merchandise. As we approach Halloween there will be hats, gloves, torches and themed lines which will do well."
Rather than ’cold selling’ just via the pos outside, the Kay Group makes good use of the display units that are available for in-store use.
"We usually position them in and around the till area to maximise the opportunity for pick up. This helps customers locate them quickly and saves having to search or ask staff. Effectively it’s giving us two bites of the cherry to sell the products to customers."
Jacob says DSL does practically everything for them: they send in the new in-store display units pre-filled for each promotion, along with the pos for on the pumps. "All you have to do is take the stand out of the box and put the header on. Then go and swap the pos outside and you are good to go. They have a field-based team who call on sites and will help with any pos, ordering, returns etc. Re-ordering can also be done via the phone.
"For any forecourt wanting to push non-food a bit harder, pump-top promotions are the perfect entry-level solution.
"They don’t occupy a huge footprint or require a lot of time and effort to manage, and will definitely help drive sales."
Karanbir Landa, director at DSL, says it is important for retailers to maximise the exposure of any pump-top promotions they have in-store.
He explains: "Having the correct pump crowner on display on the pumps is vital to ensure the consumer is aware of the offer in-store. Inside the store it is important to have the counter-top and free-standing display units fully stocked and visible to the consumer."
consumer experience
Asiffa Gadatra, owner of Spot Promotions, says that with most shoppers spending only a few minutes in a forecourt store, it is vital to ensure the consumer experience is optimised as soon as they walk through the door. "We work closely with our customers to ensure they have the right product mix, driving consumer footfall, ensuring good margins and gaining that all-important competitive edge over other retailers capturing sales within this short amount of time is vital."
To help consumers find what they want quickly and easy, she says Spot Promotions ensures its pos and packaging are clear, easy to read and impactful, with key selling points highlighted so that consumers understand the product benefits at a glance.
Spot Promotions prides itself on keeping up with the latest consumer trends. Its range reflects this with a selection of popular essentials as well as on-trend innovative lines.
Gadatra says the ’wearables’ marketplace is in growth in the UK, so the company is developing its range. It currently offers a fitness tracker, smart sports watch and smart sports bracelet, all of which sell for under £22. She adds that their sports arm bands and waist belts are growing in popularity.
Other key sellers are mobile accessories such as phone chargers and cables; Gadatra says their recently-launched wireless charger is selling well.
One company that specialises in mobile accessories is Mr Mobile. Products are not sold as pump-top promotions but in small display units in-store. According to the company, it has sold more than eight million products to date, covering mobile phone power, protection, data and audio.
All the products come in colour-coded packaging, by connector, to make it easy for shoppers to find what they want.
A cleaner way to travel with pets
Non-food items are a natural fit in the forecourt store environment thanks to the presence of car care items and pump-top promotions. Couple this with the fact that many people nowadays travel with their pets, and you might want to consider stocking Pet Rebellion’s car seat carpet, which the company says is the perfect solution to keeping your car seat free from hair and wet, muddy paws. It acts as a protective barrier thanks to its absorbent pile and is comfy for your pet to sit on. The universal size is suitable for most seats and is easy to fit, it simply hooks around the headrest and held in place by velcro and it even makes allowances for the seat belt clips. A new, improved non-slip, anti-crumble backing helps keep the cover in place. The cover can be removed and machine-washed to help reduce dog odour in your car.
Measuring approximately 140cm x 57cm, key features of the car seat carpet include: easy fit; anti-bacterial; ideal for front or back seat; absorbent; non-slip reverse; cut-outs for seat belt sockets; keeps your interior clean, dry and hair-free; and is fully machine washable.
The wholesale price is £14 (the minimum order is 15 units but discounts are available on volume orders) and rrp is £29.99
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