Tuesday, September 30th and
Wednesday, October 1st, 2014
from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
by appointment only
September 30 & October 1, 2014
at the
DCU Center
Outdoor Living * BBQ * Beach * Sun Care
Allergy * Summer Toys * Food-Related Promotions * Summer Entertaining
Things are heating up this year at our 17th Annual
Spring & Summer Seasonal Show, and you’re invited!
Join our experts as they show you how to grow sales with
the latest must-have seasonal items. Learn the latest trends,
monthly promotions and proven sellers. With hundreds of
new items on display, we offer compelling promotional buys,
food-related events, our Pallet Power Alley and explosive
closeout opportunities.
Join us for Breakfast and Key Note Speaker:
Peter Larkin
President and CEO at National Grocers Association
State of the Industry Address
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
8:00 am at the DCU Center
Champagne Tour
View exciting merchandising opportunities during the Champagne Tour at Imperial's Innovation Center, Tuesday, September 30, 2014 at 4:30 pm.
Thank you for attending the Imperial 2014 Spring & Summer Seasonal Show.
A profitable Spring & Summer sales effort requires good assortment planning, clear profit objectives and the right partner.
Imperial Distributors is ready to be your profit partner.
How does Imperial build seasonal profit with you?
First Imperial has the right product.
Our Category Managers are offering more than 1000 seasonal selections that your
customers want in a wide assortment of categories. Whether it’s toys, barbecue tools, pet needs,
suntan products, foam coolers, etc. Imperial has it! And the many new items added for 2014 to our
proven best sellers will lend excitement and buying opportunities to your store.
Second Imperial develops the right marketing plan with you.
Profitability requires planning. Imperial will work with you to develop your 2014 seasonal
ad plan. Properly developed, seasonal ads can drive customers to your stores and add incremental
margin dollars. Additional sales efforts like clip-strips and power panels can be used to generate add
on sales to related categories.
Third Imperial has the right in-store presentation support.
This booklet contains the best practices in store presentation and merchandising. Dramatic
point of purchase signing and display, strong price impact, and festive seasonal decor can really
make a difference in building sales. Regular re-merchandising of the seasonal display during this
long period will also significantly aid in sell-thru.
Let’s work together to maximize your seasonal sales and profits.
Thanks again for coming to our seasonal show. We believe that the Imperial seasonal shows are
another example of how Imperial takes that extra step to partner with you.
Happy Selling!
Michael D. Sleeper
CEO
Summer Seasonal
With customers “thinking spring” and looking forward to the warmer weather, our summer season begins in April and lasts until the latter part of July. This event is the longest seasonal opportunity of the year. With product to the sales floor early, we are able to tap on that early spring excitement and capture impulse sales. Therefore, as Easter sells down, begin staging the summer goods package.
• This keeps the promotional section looking full and also gives a head start on the outdoor living business as it begins to accelerate.
• In temperate climates where sufficient space exists, the seasonal section will often be divided between Easter and the first phase of Summer Goods.
• This requires very careful planning and delivery scheduling with key suppliers and/or internal cross-docking timetables. At all costs, avoid a glut of product in the back room that cannot be staged on the floor.
The general merchandise categories included in this season, and as listed below, are based upon an extensive analysis of scan data from participating retailers. They represent the core products or is used by most chains:
• Insecticides, citronella
• Garden hoses, tools, sprinklers, accessories
• Garden fertilizer, soil, chemicals
• Coolers (resin and foam)
• Summer furniture
• Barbecue grills, tools, accessories
• Fans
• Sunglasses
• Summer toys and sports (includes pool toys)
• Summer miscellaneous (party goods, flags, etc.)
Summer Seasonal Merchandising Tips
1. Full implementation of program should be in place by Memorial Day and sell through by mid-July.
2. Lawn & Garden look to the weather reports as an indication of when customers might set their sights on spring yard work - hoses, sprinklers and small garden tools.
3. Sunscreen products and accessories (i.e. lip care, sunglasses, disposable cameras) can be presented as a category.
4. Patio, Picnic, Pool, Barbecue, Accessories,Outdoor Toys, Citronella, Furniture should all be available early in this season carrying a sell down by the Fourth of July.
5. Fans and coolers will sell into August – some stores will sell coolers through the Fall with thebeginning of football season (they’re great for tailgating). Merchandise coolers near the bagged ice, wing at the end of the beverage aisle, etc.
6. Flags should be merchandised at the front of the store near the registers. Great for the Memorial Day and Fourth of July holidays.
7. Take advantage of easy cross merchandising opportunities like corn skewers and holders in the Produce department, bamboo skewers, hamburg patty presses in the Meat department, etc.
8. Summer Toys - Get your Playballs in the rack sand out on the floor before Memorial Day.
9. POP decor can be used twice, capitalizing on the patriotic themes of Memorial Day and the Fourth of July.