Post by tyronewalden on Nov 26, 2013 22:28:24 GMT -5
When I go to most any large supermarket and check out the super premium pint selection, I see the same thing. There's plenty of shelf space for Ben & Jerry's and Haagen-Dazs, while smaller super premiums like Graeter's, 2nd Street Creamery, Talenti, etc. each receive considerably less shelf space.
That's understood. Ben & Jerry's and Haagen-Dazs both do quality products and their assortments of flavors and mass popularity warrant the significant amount of shelf space each receives.
My problem isn't with the fact that smaller microbatch ice cream manufacturers get less shelf space, but that neither manufacturer nor retailer uses that shelf space wisely.
The problem is that when a new ice cream brand launches and gets limited shelf space in a grocery chain, the retail buyers will take a look at the flavor selection, pick 3-6 flavors to stock...and then never, ever vary that flavor selection.
Take the case of 2nd Street Creamery's shelf space at Shaw's Supermarkets (recently renamed Star) in the Boston area. When Wells, the company behind Blue Bunny, launched the 2nd Street line a few years ago, they got space for 5 or 6 flavors at Shaw's, and virtually all of the initially launched flavors got shelf space.
Flash forward two years, and 2nd Street Creamery offers over half a dozen new flavors since added over time, but I've never seen any of the newer flavors on the shelf at Shaw's or any other Boston area store. I see the same flavor assortment they ordered two years ago.
Mention it to any grocery manager, and they parrot the same line "We have limited shelf space for some brands."
So, why not make the most of the limited shelf space allotted to a particular brand by revolving the flavor selection throughout the year, as well as holding one of the spots open for limited edition and seasonal flavors?
That's good for the customer, because we get more variety over time and we're able to try new flavors we've been on the lookout for. And it's good for the manufacturer and retailer, because it gives them the opportunity to see which flavors sell best in a particular region or a particular store.
Often, stores make a big mistake when selecting which flavors will fill the half dozen or fewer slots allotted to a smaller ice cream manufacturer. Stores seem to order flavors which match those already on their shelves from other brands. Really, if you're in the mood for a pint of super premium vanilla, you've already got plenty of choices. What's most likely to inspire someone who doesn't read ice cream blogs to try a new brand is an interesting flavor, one which isn't already offered by another brand the customer knows and likes. If I'm an ice cream company executive launching a new brand, I want to make the most of my shelf space by ensuring that the flavors stocked in that limited space don't duplicate the flavors already found in the same freezer cases.
There's a similar problem specific to Whole Foods Markets. WFM stores are under a corporate mandate to stock locally and regionally produced products on their shelves when ever possible. The problem with this policy is that it gives shelf space to local brands which you can readily find in your town while taking shelf space away from harder-to-find brands. A new WFM store opened in Arlington, MA back in October. They gave a lot of shelf space to The Chilly Cow frozen custard. The Chilly Cow's ice cream and custard is made and sold in its scoop shop...five blocks down the street from that WFM store. I'd rather see shelf space given to a brand I can't easily find elsewhere.
TW
That's understood. Ben & Jerry's and Haagen-Dazs both do quality products and their assortments of flavors and mass popularity warrant the significant amount of shelf space each receives.
My problem isn't with the fact that smaller microbatch ice cream manufacturers get less shelf space, but that neither manufacturer nor retailer uses that shelf space wisely.
The problem is that when a new ice cream brand launches and gets limited shelf space in a grocery chain, the retail buyers will take a look at the flavor selection, pick 3-6 flavors to stock...and then never, ever vary that flavor selection.
Take the case of 2nd Street Creamery's shelf space at Shaw's Supermarkets (recently renamed Star) in the Boston area. When Wells, the company behind Blue Bunny, launched the 2nd Street line a few years ago, they got space for 5 or 6 flavors at Shaw's, and virtually all of the initially launched flavors got shelf space.
Flash forward two years, and 2nd Street Creamery offers over half a dozen new flavors since added over time, but I've never seen any of the newer flavors on the shelf at Shaw's or any other Boston area store. I see the same flavor assortment they ordered two years ago.
Mention it to any grocery manager, and they parrot the same line "We have limited shelf space for some brands."
So, why not make the most of the limited shelf space allotted to a particular brand by revolving the flavor selection throughout the year, as well as holding one of the spots open for limited edition and seasonal flavors?
That's good for the customer, because we get more variety over time and we're able to try new flavors we've been on the lookout for. And it's good for the manufacturer and retailer, because it gives them the opportunity to see which flavors sell best in a particular region or a particular store.
Often, stores make a big mistake when selecting which flavors will fill the half dozen or fewer slots allotted to a smaller ice cream manufacturer. Stores seem to order flavors which match those already on their shelves from other brands. Really, if you're in the mood for a pint of super premium vanilla, you've already got plenty of choices. What's most likely to inspire someone who doesn't read ice cream blogs to try a new brand is an interesting flavor, one which isn't already offered by another brand the customer knows and likes. If I'm an ice cream company executive launching a new brand, I want to make the most of my shelf space by ensuring that the flavors stocked in that limited space don't duplicate the flavors already found in the same freezer cases.
There's a similar problem specific to Whole Foods Markets. WFM stores are under a corporate mandate to stock locally and regionally produced products on their shelves when ever possible. The problem with this policy is that it gives shelf space to local brands which you can readily find in your town while taking shelf space away from harder-to-find brands. A new WFM store opened in Arlington, MA back in October. They gave a lot of shelf space to The Chilly Cow frozen custard. The Chilly Cow's ice cream and custard is made and sold in its scoop shop...five blocks down the street from that WFM store. I'd rather see shelf space given to a brand I can't easily find elsewhere.
TW