RETAIL PROMOTIONS: TRENDS, CHALLENGES, SOLUTIONS  

What is the situation with promotional sales and promotions in Serbia today, and how can INPUT help you organise, showcase, and successfully implement your promotions?  

When in the role of consumers and shoppers, we all know how frequent promotions and deals on various products are in today's retail ecosystem in Serbia. TV commercials, brochures, and catalogues, as well as social media ads, bombard us with information about where and what we can buy at lower prices.  

Behind this first impression are many insights from today's consumer behaviour analysts. Among them, GfK Serbia Shopper 360 research stands out as a relevant source, exploring the market and consumers in Serbia and their shopping behaviours based on a sample of 2000 households.  

According to GfK, promotions and promotional sales have a significant impact and share in shopping in Serbia. And even though this trend has seen a slight decline compared to 2021 (promotional sales accounted for 29% of the overall market in 2021 and 27% in 2022), consumer behavior in Serbia indicates that promotions remain a crucial part of their shopping experience and are not losing importance in their perception.  

What does this tell us? Simply put, today's consumers are well-informed and aware that they can shop smartly and make significant savings in their budgets.  

The majority of promotional actions in Serbia can be found in supermarkets and hypermarkets, while in smaller retail formats, especially in drugstores, this is not the case.  

Regarding the slight decline in promotional sales in 2022, it primarily applies to the sale of milk and dairy products, basic food items, and personal hygiene products, while promotions have increased for frozen food, meat products, alcoholic beverages, and hot beverages (coffee).  

Recognized consumer habits mentioned in the GfK Shopper 360 study include the fact that two out of three shoppers make a shopping list before going to the store, and 16% of them buy only what was planned, while nearly 50% of consumers buy more than originally intended.  

Today's savvy and well-informed consumers get their information about promotions and savings opportunities from retail chain websites, leaflets received at checkout during shopping, online ads, and TV commercials, as well as through personal recommendations from friends and family and communication within the store itself.  

However, there is no guarantee that a customer will respond to messages received through these channels, especially considering that regular prices for some products, especially private label ones, are sometimes cheaper than branded products on promotion.  

All in all, the picture is complex.  

How can you ensure that profitability during promotions is not compromised? One of the answers is: cross-sales,bundled sales of non-promotional products. Combining products that complement each other or have a synergistic effect can create additional value for consumers, and this principle can justify a higher package price.  

Yet again, INPUT provides a solution and shares its experience and advice with its clients:  

1. Product presentation during promotions is of utmost importance. Creative and innovative presentation methods will always capture the attention of customers.  

1. Connect the assortment of promotions with related offers. Detergent paired with fabric softener or beer packaging with snacks is a winning combination for consumers.  

1. Last but not least, there is the INPUT 3 x 3 assortment presentation table.  

Nezamenljiv kada je reč o atraktivnom izlaganju i promociji vezanih kupovina, ovaj sto će rešiti vaše nedoumice oko promotivnihIndispensable for attractive display and promotion of bundled purchases, this table will resolve your doubts about promotional changes. Learn more at https://input.rs/proizvod/sto-za-izlaganje-3x3 and rely on INPUT for expertise and creative solutions for your retail locations.   promena. Saznajte više na https://input.rs/proizvod/sto-za-izlaganje-3x3   i oslonite se na INPUT za ekspertizu i kreativna rešenja za vaše maloprodajne objekte.