Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://specialtyfoodmagazine.epubxp.com/i/102355
Fresh from the Farm Now Available from the CHEESE FOCUS What do you think about half-pound pricing? don't respond to sales. We do classes every Thursday, and if you come to class, we offer you 10 percent off anything in the store. People do respond to that. It's more fun and it feels special." JD: I'm going back and forth on it. It's a good way to go, but my staff thinks it's dishonest. I'm going to experiment with it in 2013. —Kristin Sande, Valley East Coast to the West Coast. RR: At a grocery store, the biggest number on the cheese package is what it costs. In smaller numbers, you see the per-pound price. When people come into a shop like ours, they look at the per-pound prices and think we're expensive, although our pricing is competitive. So we now put quarterpound prices as well so customers can see, "This is what it's going to cost me to take home a typical amount." "People Cheese and Wine as a branded goat Gouda but without the brand—and we were able to move a lot of it. But when we brought the branded cheese back at the regular price, sales slowed to near nothing. RR: Discounting doesn't seem to drive as much business as I would have thought. Folks come in here looking for a great experience, cheeses they're not going to find at the grocery store. They're not coming in here to get a sale. Over July 4th weekend, we'll run 15 percent off of all American cheeses, but only a small percentage of shoppers take advantage of that. Handcrafted on the farm in New York's Hudson Valley, Coach Farm's Fresh Farmstead Goat Cheese is now available to all – with new extended life packaging. Enjoy the fresh from the farm taste where ever you are. Be sure to try our two new favors: Pear and Fig. Coach Farm. As fresh as it gets. ® ™ CoachFarm.com PL: We don't compete on price, we don't do sales. We're a full-service store. People are buying cheese here because they like the taste. We don't drop the price to move cheese. Kristin Sande: We don't do sales unless we've made a mistake in ordering. People don't respond to sales. We do classes every Thursday, and if you come to class, we offer you 10 percent off anything in the store. People do respond to that. It's more fun and it feels special. We try to keep an eye on our competitors' price on cheeses that customers know, like Parmigiano Reggiano. A lot of people know what Costco charges for that. We don't want to be selling it for less, which sounds crazy but it can happen. And we make sure that customers understand the differences between our Reggiano and theirs. Winter Fancy Food Show Booth 2605 42 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE ❘ specialtyfood.com PL: I don't like it. I think a per-pound price is more consistent, fair, something everybody can figure out. We always show them the piece before we cut it and say, "A piece like this will be about $7." What mistakes have you made in pricing? JD: I learned this the hard way: Don't go all in, to use a poker metaphor. When you get a price break, don't buy more than you can sell in three weeks. PL: You need to cover your sins. Cheese is a very perishable product. So you need your "diamonds" that you get a good margin on. "A per-pound price is more consistent and fair [than listing half-pound price]—something everybody can figure out. We always show them the piece before we cut it and say, 'A piece like this will be about $7'" . —Peter Lovis, Concord Cheese Shop