While sushi has become increasingly vital to seafood deli sales over the past few years, shoppers are showing they are concerned about inflation in the category.
Eric Le Blanc, senior vice president of marketing at Idaho Falls, Idaho-based strategic insights company Category Partners, provided these four tips to boost sales:
1. Drive awareness that you have the product
Visible in-store displays that are well-signed are essential. Sushi should also be featured in digital and social messaging.
2. Focus on the core top-selling items
For example, sushi platters aren’t “pulling that many sales” and may present a shrink liability.
3. Always be in stock
“True, sushi is a short shelf-life product, but the retailer needs to be reliably in-stock at peak mealtimes,” he said.
4. Provide quality products
“This is a premium item in the prepared foods area. Never compromise on the quality of the finished product or fail to follow handling/rotation guidelines,” Le Blanc said.