in-store Archives

From Umbrellas to Spoons, How a Growing Retailer Brings a Compelling Brand to Life.

Established in 2007, Menchie’s is North America’s largest self-serve frozen yogurt franchise, and has over 380 locations with 400 locations in further development throughout the US, Canada and 15 other countries worldwide. Menchie’s focuses on serving the highest quality product with friendly customer service in an inviting store design.

Menchie’s offers guests premium rotating yogurt flavors and a large variety of toppings for unlimited combinations. And since they incorporate a pay-by-weight formula, guests can serve themselves and enjoy with Menchie’s signature collectible spoons. Click here to watch Ella, Menchie’s spokesperson, demonstrate the mixing options and process.

In addition to the inviting store design, fresh quality self-serve products and friendly attentive staff, Menchie, the company mascot, is also an integral part in creating a happy atmosphere for guests. Menchie’s operations are standardized for a consistent quality product and in-store experience at any location.

The menu at each store consists of various yogurt flavors, dry goods, and fresh fruits that may vary by region or season. All locations stock branded items and have indoor as well as outdoor seating.

Menchie’s interior décor features whimsical branded
signage and their logo’s bright colors are incorporated in architectural details and throughout the store. The materials used, such as the small green glass tiles on the walls and brushed metal counter provide a modern feel. There are also chalk boards on the walls for children to color.

The large signage placed above each self-serve station provides simple instructions, and the yogurt/topping signage is easy to read. On the exterior, the Menchie’s sign is prominent and there is adequate outside seating with branded green umbrellas.

Key Marketing/POP lessons from Menchie’s:

Utilize large easy-to-read hanging signs for self-service areas
Strong brand identifiers with prominent logo, mascot inside and outside the store
Loyal to brand – consistent use of green and pink brand colors throughout all store elements
In-store brand extensions – take home collectible spoons and branded merchandise help to keep the brand top of mind
Inviting, fun atmosphere encourages repeat business

Menchie’s has set the standard for the yogurt industry by providing a unique customer experience with an inviting self-serve atmosphere. They have created
a successful brand that keeps customers coming back for more. Menchie’s also provides a local gathering place for family and friends to celebrate, relax and have fun.

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Impactful POP with a Focus on Timed Events, Price Impact and the Power of New.

Utilizing inspiration from the “Golden Arches,” McDonald’s sometimes uses simple arch-shaped window graphics to communicate timed promotions, price impact and the power of new products. Below, a review of McDonald’s current POP program:

Create Urgency with Timed Events

Promotions on specific days create a sense of urgency and drive traffic. Recurring timed events encourage repeat business – customers recall the timed promotions and plan to return for the offering. Highlighting different food promotions on different days is also a good way of appealing to a wider range of customers, creating excitement and will increase sales on those featured items.

Price Impact Draws Attention

Highlighting a low promotional price with large, easy-to-read price points captures consumer attention. McDonald’s window decals are clearly readable to parking lot and street traffic. Lower-priced items like their dollar menu are placed to be visible to the highest traffic areas, ensuring maximum impact.

The Power of New

“New” when used correctly can be very powerful. It introduces a product, it says “try me” and can draw attention to an item to create a buzz. “New” works best when used in conjunction with a new product launch. Remember new can’t be new always—examine what new means for you in terms of timing.

Utilize these simple yet effective POP ideas from McDonald’s at your stores—for impactful POP that will deliver results.

Improved in-store experience leads to improved store sales

Oftentimes, we focus on the details of promotions and that next challenge out in the stores – only to miss the, well – rain forest for the trees. Building an amazing in-store experience doesn’t need to mean re-doing the entire store. With careful planning and creativity, you can build a program that drives additional traffic from the street to the store, without the need for an expensive overhaul. Just ask Open Pantry…

Open Pantry is a convenience store retailer supplying 26 stores throughout Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin.

Open Pantry wanted to add to is coffee family, drive additional traffic into the stores and promote a more environmental message to its consumer.

Open Pantry needed to find a way to inform their clients of a new coffee and make it exciting enough for customers to come into the store.

Open Pantry launched the Rainforest Alliance coffee campaign. The campaign promotes the new coffee blend that is farmed without harming the rainforests by leveraging a unique in-store experience developed by GSP.

GSP stepped in and designed a rainforest habitat to incorporate the rainforest look and feel into each store. The coffee area was transformed to be a rainforest complete with jungle-themed designs, steam from a fog machine and a motion triggered lightning display as people approached the area. Other areas of the store, especially the outside, pump area, were affixed with the graphics and frogs all inviting the consumer to the newly transformed area.

“We’ve built this significant growth at full price at full profit on our coffee, without hurting our brand image at all by lowering that price,” says Fiene, Chief Operating Officer of Open Pantry. “GSP helped us create a very unique experience for our customers, which generated new buzz within our market space and has led to a great sales increase.”

The theme not only created excitement in an interactive environment for customers, it also promoted the free water with a coffee campaign. The overall campaign is estimated at increasing coffee unit sales by 18% this past year.

“The cherry on top of the whole thing,” says Fiene, “is we create an interaction between the consumer and the employee, which is the best thing you can do in a convenience store. GSP was a great partner on this project and I look forward to solving the next retailing challenge with them.

Retailer Focus: Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt