Snack I imeGolf course owners face unique challenges in driving revenue through halfway houses and beverage carts. With limited counter space and customers who are typically rushing off to the tee box, it is important to have the right product mix that will result in the highest sales and make the purchasing decision easy.

THE RIGHT SELECTION Golf courses that get the most out of their halfway house and beverage carts focus on top sellers and, even more import-antly, carry proven brands that drive customer loyalty. It is essential to carry brands cus-tomers want, trust, and are looking for every day. Brands such as Oreo, Caramilk, Dentyne, Halls and Maynards are top-performing brands across their respective categories and recognized by Canadians. The right selection will ensure inventory turnover and maximize sales. Create the space to showcase innovation, since new products add incremental sales; talk to your distributor to find out which

Golf Business Canada 38 Golf Business Canada 39

Mark BraungardtMark is the Customer Category Manager of

Mondelez Canada, which is a global snacking powerhouse that includes brands like Oreo,

Ritz, Dentyne, Trident, Cadbury, Halls, Caramilk, Maynards and Mr. Christie. Mark can be reached at

289.374.8077 or mark.braungardt@mdlz.com.

products are new and would be a good fit. Innovation is critical to keep the product selection fresh and customers engaged, especially in a highly impulse-driven environment. The need to snack may strike a golfer at any time of the day, and the halfway house or beverage cart needs to be able to satisfy those cravings. Whether they are looking for that indulgent treat as they are making the turn to the 10th tee or that savory snack in the afternoon as they finish their round, every

Making The Best Choices For Your Golfers

Golf Business Canada 40

point of buying on the course needs to be stocked with the right product mix. An easy way to ensure your customers have a quick and enjoy-able buying experience is to carry the right brands and only the top SKUs. For example, Maynards is the top selling candy brand on the market and Swedish Berries, Fuzzy Peach and Wine Gum Rolls will satisfy the consumer who is looking for a fun, sweet or sour candy ex-perience. Because of space restric-tions typically found at the various buying venues, golf courses should only carry the top 2 to 4 SKUs for each category (chocolate, savoury, gum, cough, candy, and better for you snacks).

IMPULSE PURCHASESA counter display can also prompt your customers to make an impulse purchase at the snack counter. A gum rack can carry the top 4 gum SKUs and if well stocked with variety and assortment, will cover a range of consumer needs, from breath freshening with Dentyne Peppermint to Stride Spearmint, which is aimed at a younger consumer. Trident and Dentyne are two of the top three gum brands in Canada. In addition, by carrying Halls, you will help fight those nasty summer colds with Canada’s number one selling cough drop. This will increase impulse purchas-es and drive up average cash ring by proper positioning near cash and/or with a shelf tag call out. For the beverage cart, upselling snacks with a beverage purchase and asking, “Do you want a candy bar with that?” is key to developing in-cremental sales. It is also important that snack offerings are tailored to the specific time of day as snacking needs vary. In the morning, golfers will be more interested in belVita breakfast

“It is also important that snack offerings are tailored to the specific time of day as snacking needs vary.”

biscuits to eat on the course with their morning coffee. After their coffee, they may need a pack of gum to freshen their breath. Then, in the afternoon, they might be looking for a sweet snack like a chocolate bar or something savoury like a bag of Crispers or Bits n’ Bites. You can help them find the items they need by positioning these products in the most promin-ent location at the halfway house – near the cash or next to the coffee station, depending on the time of day. Where a confectionery rack may not work on a beverage cart, the same rules apply to proper display of the products and having the right mix available. Combining the right product mix with the right point-of-sale just makes the purchase decision that much easier. An excellent website to get free POS and addition-al ideas is CCentral.ca/free-pos, which is continuously updated by manufacturers.

HOW TO INCREASE SALES The following are some tips on how to increase sales using effective Point of Sale (POS) signage:

• Build excitement: Professionally designed POS will catch the golfers attention

• Emphasize promotions: POS material will showcase new product lines and special promotions at your facility, allowing the golfer to make quicker and easier decisions

• Shine spotlight on different products: POS for lesser known products helps put this on the top of mind to your golfers, which will allow them to try new or once forgotten products

• Increase customer spend: POS display material promoting bundling and price combos increase both the quantity of products purchased and overall customer transaction size

P U R C H A S I N G P R O G R A M

National Golf Course Owners Association Canadawww.ngcoa.ca

Brad Jaycock, Principal, TTG Course Guide and Synergy Golf Solutions

Rob Brandon, Assistant GM/Director of Golf

at Cardinal Golf Club, Kettleby, ON

Call us at 866-626-4262Let us show you how he saved

TTG Course Guide is just one of the 200+ supplier agreements offered by the NGCOA Canada’s Golfmax Purchasing Program, saving the turf & maintenance department of every member facility money. This program is free with your NGCOA Canada membership.

During the 2012 season, Cardinal Golf Club saved

$ 8500working with TTG Course Guide and Synergy Golf Solutions,

Golfmax Partner of the NGCOA Canada

Let’s not forget the tried and true tactics of suggestive selling or upselling – whether it is a single item, a combo or a special promo-tion – reminding a customer can help incent purchase, which is especially true with impulse items, such as gum and chocolate. Here is what to keep in mind: first, upsell items with a question like: “Would you like to add a pack of Dentyne to your coffee this morning?” This is highly effective as gum sales can increase 250% when promoted on the counter and with suggested selling*. The other way is to bundle two complementary items together at a price discount such as a cold drink with a chocolate bar. Complement-ary combos that are effectively merchandised can drive a 500% lift in sales!*

IMPROVE YOUR BOTTOM LINE By implementing these tips you will easily drive growth and positively impact your bottom line. These tools make the shopping experience more enjoyable for consumers and simplify the mer-chandising process for retailers. It also drives a consistent message; whether your customers are buying at the halfway house or at the beverage cart, they are guaranteed to know what they are getting, where they can get it and when they can get it, which will lead to increased sales.

Source: *Nielsen Market Track, YTD period ending October 27, 2012

Consumer’s Snacking Trends

(following statistics are from Technomic’s The Snacking Occasion

Consumer Trend Reports, 2012 & 2010)

Nearly half of consumers (48%) snack at least twice a day, this is up from 25% in 2010.

What motivates consumers to have a snack?

• 58% are hungry and it’s not time for a full meal.• 38% like to snack while doing certain activities.• 31% are hungry and do not have time to eat a full meal.• 26% are not really hungry, but just enjoy snacking.• 31% try to eat a few small snacks throughout the day so

that they will not overeat during mealtimes.Analysis: Today’s consumers are more likely to snack for reasons beyond hunger, for instance snacking out of habit, in between meals or during certain activities.

How important are the following factors when choosing a snack?

• 83% indicated flavour• 74% indicated quality• 68% indicated price• 48% use of premium ingredients was important• 39% indicated that new or unique flavours was importantAnalysis: Taste, flavour and quality are key when choosing a snack. Appeal to a younger customer base by offering snacks with new, unique or ethnic flavours (which can justify higher price points).

How has your snacking behaviour changed in the last two years?

• 35% are snacking on healthier options• 11% are eating more sweet snack options• 10% are eating more salty snack options• 8% are purchasing more beverages as snacksAnalysis: With this increase in choosing healthier snack items, you should consider offering more better-for-you snacks which are positioned as nutritious options or are low in fat or calories.

Golf Business Canada 42

Increase your profit margin on food and beverage sales by offering a variety of convenient

‘grab & go’ products. They’re easy to stock in your beverage cart, practical for golfers to

carry on the course, and handy for keeping your bottom line in the green.

Take advantage of Ontrak’s agreements with quality suppliers of food, beverage

and facility products.

1 brand name convenience foods,

2 superior food standards combined with

3 steady prices and

4 you.

Ontrak Procurement ServicesTo learn more about Ontrak, visit our website at www.ontrak.ca or contact us at 1 877 632-8592 ext 33310 or Ontrak@Sodexo.com

Now that’s the perfect foursome!

Convenience Foods & Beverages That

Will Keep Your Refreshment Cart Sales

Swinging Throughout the Season