An independent store will not beat a national chain on price. It wins on the aisle. The Polish and European shopper wants the brands from home, in stock, easy to find. Build that aisle well and you own those trips. Here is how.

Carry the brands shoppers came for

The chain carries a thin set of imports. You can carry the real range. Stock the names shoppers ask for, Tymbark, Kubuś, Cracovia and the European pantry, and keep them in stock. Being the store that always has it is worth more than a lower shelf price.

Group the aisle by the meal, not the category

Shoppers cook meals, not categories. Put the pierogi near the kraut and the cold cuts. Put the juice and water with the pantry. During the holidays, build the Christmas or Easter table in one display. A shopper who finds the whole meal in one place buys the whole meal.

Use merchandising support

You do not have to build it alone. A distributor that merchandises will set the shelf, rotate stock and build the seasonal display for you. Eagle's Spotlight merchandising does exactly that for the stores we serve. A shopper decides at the shelf, so the shelf has to be right.

The bottom line

Independents win the European shopper on range, stock and a well-built aisle. Carry the real brands, group by the meal, and use merchandising support. Eagle has supplied independent stores since 1992 with Spotlight merchandising and more than 1,000 products. Request the catalog, become a customer, or call 773 775 5777.