Frozen foods have been the supermarket hero for both the shopper and store since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. A sudden surge in sales realized after the first social distancing orders were issued has put a strain on supply, and also on grocers’ freezers.
Given their convenience both in preparation and storage, frozen food has moved from what many considered last-resort dinner options to a top choice for shoppers seeking quick and budget-friendly solutions. Strong frozen food sales have also been essential for grocery stores to see continued growth in sales after the initial surge in March.
In fact, the New York Times reports that grocery sales were so robust at the outset of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. grocers realized 8 years’ worth of sales growth packed into a single month.
Sales of frozen foods spiked when states started shutting down, which caused shoppers to proactively stock their freezers. As a result, sales for frozen foods were up by 94% in March compared to 2019, according to the American Frozen Food Institute.
What goes up, comes back down—unless we are talking about frozen food sales. While the initial surge did drop slightly, frozen food sales still increased 17.4% during the week of August 30 compared to the same week in 2019.
The freezer section will continue being a hotspot in the grocery store if this trend persists, meaning that convenience and organization will be vital. Nobody likes a disorganized freezer section that turns a shopping trip into a scavenger hunt as they search to find this week’s meals. Refresh your freezer section with Retail Space Solutions’ SpaceGrid® HiGlide.
SpaceGrid HiGlide creates attractive, organized displays that will deliver a better experience for customers. These premium pusher systems gently and securely bring bags or boxes of frozen food to the front of the shelf to create that new-store feel and eliminate false out-of-stocks. All while also making it easier for shoppers to find what they need.
The higher side walls on SpaceGrid HiGlide pusher trays are designed to efficiently move traditionally difficult-to-display products like floppy bags of vegetables. Those trays mount to the SpaceGrid steel grid, which creates more product facings. Employees who work hard to stock and condition freezer sections will also appreciate the innovative pull-out tray design of the SpaceGrid HiGlide, which makes restocking faster and easier than ever.
Many grocers have also found Retail Space Solutions SimpliStock Wire and Metal Shelves to be a flexible display option that enhances the customer’s shopping experience and integrates on to existing store fixtures. Wire and metal shelves are the most common retail freezer fixtures but can also be the most cluttered.
The modular components of SimpliStock—pushers and side walls—are designed to install onto existing freezer shelves in minutes, without modification to existing infrastructure. The modular design also allows a single system to handle any package width, everything from bagged to boxed.
It’s no wonder that frozen food sales have grown since last year. In the midst of a pandemic, we have all learned to appreciate reliability, convenience, and simplicity. Frozen food—and Retail Space Solutions frozen food display systems—will continue to offer those virtues to both shoppers and grocers alike.