Sell More with Better Displays, Part 1: Make it Look Good

This beautiful display at Idylwilde Farms in Acton, Mass. showcases a variety of products, arranged by color and packaging. Note the extra supply stored just below, ready for fast refill. (Photo by Betty Mackenzie.)

Eye-catching, appealing displays are essential for selling food products. “The display sells the product,” says Betty Mackenzie, former co-director of Red Tomato and former Marketing Director at Harvest Co-op Markets. 

Effective displays won’t just help you sell more products at the farmers market, farm stand, or store, they also help you increase brand awareness and build customer loyalty.

In this series of six blog posts, Myrna Greenfield discusses six strategies to Sell More with Better Displays.

Part 1: Make it Look Good

Siena Farms uses a metal bucket to display garlic at Copley Square Farmers Market in Boston. (Photo by Myrna Greenfield.)

• Act natural. Local and specialty foods shoppers are more attracted to baskets, bushels, wooden crates, and natural fibers than plastic crates or plain boxes.
• Get creative.  Use recycled, homemade or found objects to display products.
• Find the right spot. Arrange items by color, size, or shape, not just product family or usage.
• Don’t let small items get lost. Group small items together in baskets or attractive containers.
• Let there be light! Foods lose their appeal and won’t sell if people can’t see them. Invest in well-placed, natural-looking lighting to eliminate dark corners or sell at night.
• Use all of your space.  Hang products from your rafters or tent poles. Large items, such as giant squashes, vases, or big melons can also be displayed on the floor, grass or ground.

Myrna Greenfield and her company, Good Egg Marketing, specialize in marketing for good food and good causes.