Front-End Focus

Below are the recommended best practices for the checkstand overall and specific categories:

Merchandise front-end checkout displays to reflect shopper buying behavior. Retailers should select items with high penetration (most shoppers buy), that are purchased frequently, and that are commonly bought on impulse.
Focus at the front-end checkout should be on the “Power Categories” that represent almost 80% of front-end sales and profits: Confectionery, Magazines & Beverages. These categories also represent 83% of the opportunity gap.
Be sure to merchandise the Self-Scan checkout lanes with a focus on the key Power Categories.
Carry Confectionery on all the checkout lanes and merchandise Confectionery on both sides of the consumer to generate impulse purchases.
Maximize Magazine presence at the front-end on end caps as well as in the lane to enable consumer buying opportunities. Shoppers need to browse Magazines.
Over-The-Belt merchandising should include “Power” categories such as Confectionery and Magazines.
Make sure the top selling Magazine titles are available on key lanes. It is more important to carry the right titles than a large number of titles at the checkout.
Make beverage coolers available to shoppers on 80% of lanes including the Express and Self-Scan lanes. Stock an assortment of beverages in each cooler that includes water, energy and non-carbonated as well as carbonated beverages.
Provide a moderate space for GM/HBC. Remember that most of these items are need driven and many are also located elsewhere in the store.

Merchandise snacking categories that have higher penetration, purchase frequency, and provide impulse purchases in multiple locations
Merchandise single serve snacks in the food service area to generate additional snack purchases
Potato chips need at least 25 feet of space and 35 items throughout the store to realize their full potential

Make candy and gum available in food service
Candy sales expand with multiple merchandising locations
Gum sales also expand with multiple merchandising locations
Sales are optimized for candy when 200+ candy items are available
In large stores gum sales are optimized with 85 to 94 gum items carried
Candy sales are expanded in large stores with over 100 linear feet available
Gum performs better in small and large c-stores when more than 20 linear feet of space is available
Stocking of at least 25 king size chocolate items expands chocolate candy sales
Temporary displays will drive incremental sales of candy and gum
End cap displays will drive candy and gum sales
In medium sized c-stores, mints sales do expand with multiple merchandising locations
Large stores need to carry 30 to 39 mint items to generate additional sales
Large stores need to allocate 9 to 10 linear feet of space to mints to optimize sales