If you plan on opening a salvage food store in a town with little or no competition, you should plan on a marketing campaign that aims to educate the public as to the cost savings, along with the safety of salvage food. From the start, the words salvage food does not conjure up an image that necessarily portrays a feeling of “safe to eat.”
There will be a segment of people, in any market, that will avoid salvage food grocery stores simply because they do not want to take a risk with expired or unsanitary conditions when shopping for food items. It’s these people, this segment, for which an aggressive marketing campaign will do the most good. If you can help dispel some of the myths surrounding salvage food, your store will prosper as your customer base grows.
How can you effectively advertise the bargains, while at the same time, dispel negativity?
Commit to an aggressive local social media campaign- Allow your customers to interact with each other through a blog, Facebook page, and a company Twitter account. If you’re not up to speed with today’s social media scene, it would be best to take a seminar or hire someone part time to assist with all things internet related.
Publish a bi-weekly or monthly store newsletter- Keep customers up to speed when it comes to in-store sales, educational information, recipes, and community happenings within your town by publishing a newsletter that can either be mailed or emailed.
Create an informational flier that can be handed out to new customers– Keep a stack of fliers up by the front entrance explaining the definition of salvage food. Within the flier you can explain the basics of food dating and put ill feelings at rest.
