I noticed A Prisoner in the Garden, Photos, letters and notes from Nelson Mandela’s 27 years in prison, on one of our book sale tables on Saturday and figured that it would sell better if we took it from the mass of books and placed it at the counter. Between noon on Saturday and when we opened yesterday morning we had sold four copies of the book. We sold the last three copies yesterday, Monday. Given the counter placement, all of these copies would have been impulse purchases – $9.95 is an excellent extension of any basket, and even more so at the margin for this book.
I did more that place the book at the counter. I tricked-up an old display unit, copied part of the cover promoting the Nelson Mandela Foundation and placed the display where it could be easily seen.
We are doing better with tactical placement of books and magazines at the counter than selling candy. The keys, based on experience, are:
- Choose the product carefully – it must be easily understood.
- Play to your demographic.
- Create open space around the offer.
- Track sales and kill the offer if it is not working.
- Change the offer at least weekly.
Our counters can be a goldmine if we clean them up and promote to our customers. Too often, newsagency counters are cluttered, the messages confused and customers not guided to extend their baskets. This is in part due to supplier demands. We should stand our ground – we pay the rent after all.