Visual merchandising, the secret for stimulating fruit purchases

In the meeting organised by the CSO fruit Services Centre at Fruit Logistica 2015 focused on the topic of the ?Fruitness, Enjoy it!? project, great attention was placed on the importance of promotional material and the quality of visual displays in sales points in boosting sales. Another highlight was the novelty represented by "Beacon", an app designed to guide shoppers via bluetooth. The future of the fruit sector is linked to ?visual merchandising?: a series of carefully-studied measures to be implemented at points of sale, capable of stimulating buying by generating positive feelings. This is what emerged from a meeting at the ?Italy Stand? (Hall 2.2, stand A-02) at Fruit Logistica, the international fruit & vegetables show running in Berlin until 6 February. Present were Paolo Bruni, president of the CSO, Hans-J?rgen Kirsch, Fresh Produce Category Director of the German chain Globus, Cristina Ravazzi, visual merchandising expert and author of numerous publications on the subject, and Alessandra Ravaioli, CSO communications chief. "I'm convinced that visual merchandising ? stated Hans-J?rgen Kirsch ? is a key imperative for the fruit sector. The combination of emotional content and product information represents an added value for the customer and therefore contributes to considerably raising purchase probabilities. Visual merchandising can stimulate consumers' desire to eat fresh fruit and vegetables, highlighting how their taste and flavour transmit a sensation of pleasure and joie de vivre. It's also crucial ? concluded Kirsch ? to highlight the provenance of every product. Products must never remain shrouded in anonymity if we wish to increase the customer's confidence and fidelity. This is why typical products and clear regional origins can become a seal of quality and a guarantee. Cristina Ravazzi, the marketing expert, added: "It's vital to understand the need to create product aggregations which are more attractive, functional and logical for customers. Equally relevant is the planning of areas of commercial animation within points of sale, both generalized and within specific areas, aimed at attracting more customers, capturing their attention and arousing their interest and thus stimulating sales (both of products and categories) and productivity." "In this perspective ? commented Paolo Bruni ? fruit producers also have a vital role to play, along with organizations like the CSO, by promoting and coordinating dedicated and systematic initiatives in points of sale." In conclusion, Alessandra Ravaioli illustrated the role played in promoting fresh fruit consumption by projects like ?Fruitness, Enjoy it!? ? the programme launched in 2006 and organized by the CSO with co-financing by the EU and the Italian state ? whose mission is to promote healthy lifestyles based on regular consumption of fruit, directed at young adults in Germany, the UK, Sweden, Denmark and Poland. The ?Fruitness, Enjoy it!? project was also relevant to a technological innovation presented this year at Fruit Logistica, namely "Beacon"... indicating its role as a guiding light for consumers. This involves bluetooth signals transmitted inside points of sale and receivable by smartphones within range. Customers can thus receive personalized information and interact with the products on display via their smartphones, following the bluetooth beacon via the relative app. Beacons were also activated inside the Italy stand and at the entrance to Fruit Logistica and in its various halls. The app is now available for downloading from online stores under the name "Fruitness Beacon". Further information: www.fruitness.eu