Maximizing Up-Sells During Customer Check Outs

Think about the last time you visited your local grocer. What did you do during your waiting time in the check out line? Did you ponder the magazines on the shelf? Did you debate buying a candy bar? Did you snag a novelty toy that you knew your kid may love? Or maybe you saw some hand sanitizer and realized you needed a new container for your purse – grabbing it and tossing it into your cart to buy.

Ultimately, what you really did here is continue to “shop”. Grocery stores and classic big box stores, such as Target or Walmart, engage customers during their check out process with items that are affordable and impulsive. This same strategy works for independent retailers when executed effectively. Some retailers have been known to even “pay  their rent” based on the sales of their “cash wrap” buys . Now wouldn’t this be a nice addition to your store sales?!

Tips for Selecting Items to Sell by The Cash Wrap

1. Keep items affordable in price. Depending on your overall store assortment, your idea of affordable may vary. However, traditionally speaking items that make impulsive purchases are priced around $1, $3, $5 or $10. Once you go over $10, customers give more thought to their purchases.

2. Include a wide variety of  items. Gum and candy are obvious choices, but pens, earrings, mirror compacts, sewing kits, kids toys, magazines, picture frames and other items only make sense if they are items your specific niche audience would enjoy. You can have some fun identifying what to include in your cash wrap, impulse buy assortment, and even stray from your normal inventory. But ultimately consider who your customer is and if the item and the price point together would equal quick buys for your customers.

3. Merchandise items to welcome customer engagement. The last thing you want to do is invest in items that don’t lend themselves to cash wrap merchandising. Make sure they display easily in counter top bowls, on counter top display racks or stand alone without any fixtures. A box of matches tossed in a bowl, an assortment of mints in a counter top display case or a 12 inch high fixture to hold bracelets are good examples of this.

 4. Train your sales team to engage customers with impulse buys. There is no better time to capture your customer’s attention when they are standing in front of you with their credit card in hand. Make sure you and youor associates speak directly to customers about the extra items available at the cash wrap. You can casually mention  something fun or how great a pair of earrings are or even suggest a bottle of water, asking them “Do you need a bottle of water today?” and have a clear sign stating how much ice cold water bottles are.

5. Mix up your cash wrap assortment often. Not only is this fun for you, it’s fun for customers. If you have “staples” that sell fast and sell great – keep them. But if other items are more seasonal or not proving to be winners, once they are gone don’t repeat them. Again, remember that this is an area of inventory in your store to not only have some fun with, but to make quick cash with!