Speciality Food - October 2025

Time is at a premium for all of us, all year round, but at Christmas – withmore events to plan for, gifts to buy, and people to feed, giving customers what they’re looking for within a minimal timescale is crucial. This means that now is the time to optimise your signage. “Signage really comes into its own at Christmas because people need to see at a glance where the stocking fillers are or where the dinner essentials are,” says Emma. It’s not just a case of making things pretty, says Stefano, it’s making them proactive. “If people are walking past a beautifully curated display and it’s not telling a story or offering a solution, it’s pointless. It’s lovely to create a wonderful-looking display, but you need to also approach it strategically to make it work for you.” Make it an immersive experience Smells and sounds are also an important pieces of the festive merchandising puzzle, says Stefano. “We’re increasingly seeing experience being a core part of our offer, and merchandising lends itself to that first initial sensuality that drives sales. With food and drink we tend to think about taste first, whereas it’s actually the last sense we use whenmaking a purchase. How things look, smell and feel is all part of the shopping experience so need to play a key role in merchandising. “Play Christmas music, have festive scents in-store and offer your customers a chance to sample food and drink in an immersive environment,” says Elinor. “Sampling is a powerful tool year-round, but consumers are typically more receptive to try new products at Christmas, so offer morsels of chocolates and sweets to whet your customers’ appetites. Plus, well placed signage should enhance the experience by highlighting bestsellers, giftable products and new arrivals.” “Limited edition items tap into consumer curiosity and help drive sales spikes, as well as being ideal gifts or stocking fillers. Novelty items, such as festive selection packs or branded merchandise, can also help increase sales.” Paying more attention to the messaging around your range can pay dividends, says Stefano Cuomo, CEO of Macknade. “The effective use of labelling and language is vital – you don’t want to share information for information’s sake, but it’s a vital part of educating customers and driving sales.” Stefano recommends keeping the intel on displays relatively brief – focusing on the headlines that you know will land with your audience and justify the product’s price point – and following through withmore detailed information on your other platforms. “Your narrative needs to be continuous across your social media, newsletters and website so that when people visit in-store your efforts are converted into a sale.” Curate festive cheese and pairing displays Your cheese offering can be a last- minute goldmine, says Elinor. “If you stock cheese, Christmas is the time to let it shine! Unlike other purchases, while shoppers may plan their cheeseboard ahead of time, they are more likely to buy it closer to the big day. Cheeseboards are central to Christmas entertaining, and merchandising cheeses alongside complementary products – gourmet crackers, artisanal breads, chutneys, dried fruit and nuts, wine and port – can encourage incremental sales. Highlight pairings and create thematic displays to inspire customers and help them envisage the perfect spread.” “Make it as easy as possible for your customers by making links clear,” says Emma. “This not only gives them the solution they’re looking for, but also ups basket spend easily.” specialityfoodmagazine.com 31 CHRISTMAS 2025 RETAILER INSIGHT At Valentina, our approach is all about mixing tradition with a bit of trial- and-error as we try new things and see what works best. DO CREATE A SHOWSTOPPERWINDOW DISPLAY OR AREA We always start with a dramatic window. We stack our panettone and pandoro from floor to ceiling. The panettone window always looks really impressive and often stops passers-by in their tracks as they walk past. We also group other Italian Christmas treats together such as torroni, panforti and luxury chocolates which really helps build a sense of discovery. Ultimately, we’ve found that keeping things simple, bold and generous makes the biggest impact. DOUSE HEIGHT AND DRAMA FOR IMPACT Our lower-priced panettoni hang from the ceiling, adding visual drama while making the most of every inch of space. This vertical display also draws customers deeper into the store. DO GIVE INDIVIDUAL BRANDS THEIRMOMENT We think some products deserve a spotlight of their own. Cartwright & Butler, for example, always gets its own dedicated section: it’s a really popular range for us, the packaging is eye-catching, and it almost creates a ready-made display that customers are immediately drawn to. DO BALANCE TRADITION WITH NEW-NESS OR TREND-LED PRODUCTS Customers love returning for the classics, but they’re also looking for something they haven’t tried before. Each year we introduce a handful of new or trend-led products. Not only does this keep things exciting, but it gives regular customers another reason to explore and discover something new. DON’T BE AFRAID TOMOVE THINGS AROUND From the start of November to all the way through December, we’re constantly tweaking and reshuffling. If people arewalking past a beautifully curateddisplay and it’s not telling a story or offering a solution, it’s pointless. It’s lovely to create awonderful-looking display, but youneed to also approach it strategically tomake it work for you Bruno Zoccola, owner of Valentina Deli, shares his dos and don’ts of festive merchandising Festive merchandising isn’t static – products sell through at different rates, and displays need refreshing to keep them looking full and tempting. We also want to remind regular customers and passersby of howmuch we have on offer and encourage them to come back in again and again. DON’T OVERCROWD THE SHELVES Yes, Christmas is about ‘fitting it all in’, but balance is key. By displaying things together in similar categories and maintaining some structure, it’s possible to keep the sense of abundance whilst avoiding chaos or overwhelm!