Bulking Up Displays

I’ve always had a real fondness for the underdog: basics, socks, add-ons – they all need a bit more “love and attention” to look appealing. In the same respect, bulk foods are also a needy bunch. In a bulk food section, there are rows of faceless products – all grouped together in similar containers. Most are dusty-looking, clear acrylic gravity displays that do not look appealing, even though the food is just the opposite – fresh and affordable.

There is no branding, no advertising.

Package-less and BYOC (bring your own container) concepts are really great for reducing one-time packaging use and environmental footprints, but what about how they’re displayed? Styling cannot rely on pretty graphics to line-up or face out, familiar logos, printed colors or their enticing packaging to sell products. An all-bulk grocery store is a whole new (and exciting) ball game for a visual merchandiser like myself. And what about customers? Don’t we all sometimes purchase based on the pretty package alone?

Let’s look beyond what bulk has been in the past and focus on the creative visual merchandising potential on the horizon. Here are a few thoughts on how to give bulk foods that extra TLC:

It’s a feel-good story.
We all know that good VM is about storytelling. And this is just the first chapter. In.gredients, a bulk grocery store in Austin, Texas, set out to revolutionize zero-waste grocery by catering to the local tastes of their customers and cycling products accordingly. Why not get even more personal and merchandise bulk items according to recipes or even measurements? Bring in healthy chefs who create menus for the week and have store-branded ingredient recommendations for the meal. What about having reusable bags sized perfectly with cup markings on them? No one likes to buy two cups of green lentils, when you really only need 1 ½ cups. Shopping for products without packaging is about buying what you need. Just what you need. Another plus? Managing quantities enables consumers to build smaller kitchens because big storage pantries are no longer needed.

It’s simple math.
Visualizing quantity versus price is a bit of a challenge – why not make it fun and interactive? Imagine a scale styled as a dog whose tail wags higher and higher according to how much weight is on it, or even the scales of justice could be a fun spin. More weight plus more engagement equals greater sales. Combined with some good ole digital pre-ordering, this would take some of the guess-work out in an interactive way.

Fixtures, fixtures, fixtures!
Bins, containers, levers and scoops can be super fun and simple. Would stores create their own bin and container system? (Think Container Store meets Whole Foods – I would totally buy into that!) The fixtures designed for Unpackaged, the now-closed health food store in London, were black and white and completely in sync with the look of the brand; I loved their simplicity. The whole store functioned like a bulk foods section. Unpackaged closed in January 2014, but is tentatively planning to reopen in a new location. On the super-fun spectrum, have select containers take on the look of a marble run or a gum ball machine (only if it fits your brand, of course)!

For now, Austin, Texas is the leader of the no-packaging trend in the U.S. I’m not surprised, as (along with California) they’re already part of a ban on plastic bags. This trend will likely soon be widespread. Paper and plastic bags are going out of style – and fast. I’m excited to see how different locations and brands translate their retail strategies, as package-less bulk retail trends (hopefully) catch on.

It’s time to buy based on the pretty product alone.

Faith Bartrug of FBD Studios (Columbus, Ohio) has more than a decade of experience in transforming national brands. Her background includes brand strategy, environmental design and visual merchandising, and she has been able to practice what she preaches with leading design firms and clients such as Neiman Marcus, JCPenney and Mark Pi’s.