A café display is the most visible expression of a business's product strategy. But the decision on how many varieties to carry generally rests on instinct rather than data.
What does the mathematics of range size say?
Every variety requires a minimum production batch.
A batch generally runs three to five kilograms.
At twenty grams a piece that means a hundred and fifty to two hundred and fifty units.
That quantity has to sell within the shelf life of the variety.
Cookies keep ten to fifteen days.
A café selling two hundred cookies a day and carrying ten varieties sells twenty of each a day.
That means a batch of two hundred takes ten days to clear; it sits exactly at the limit of the shelf life and the risk runs high.
| Daily sales | Suggested varieties | Per variety daily | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 units | 4-5 | 10-12 | Low |
| 100 units | 6-7 | 14-17 | Low |
| 200 units | 8-10 | 20-25 | Moderate |
| 400 units | 10-14 | 28-40 | Low |
| 800 units | 14-18 | 44-57 | Very low |
| Variable | 6-8 | Variable | Moderate |
How many varieties are optimal?
The answer depends on the volume of sales.
Four or five suffice in a café of low volume, at fifty cookies a day.
More produces waste.
Eight to ten at moderate volume, at two hundred a day.
Fourteen to eighteen at high volume, above five hundred.
But an upper limit exists too.
Above eighteen the customer cannot decide; too much choice makes the decision to buy harder.
That is a documented effect in marketing research and it works the same way in a display.
How does the segment spread work?
The varieties divide into three segments.
The basic segment: low-cost products such as plain, cinnamon and sesame.
Forty percent of the total.
The middle segment: hazelnut, chocolate chip, oat.
Thirty-five percent.
The premium segment: walnut, pistachio, chocolate-coated, special recipes.
Twenty-five percent.
That spread speaks to different budgets and balances the average margin; a display made only of premium products slows the rate of sale.
How does seasonal rotation work?
Part of the display should be fixed and part variable.
The basic varieties stay all year.
Customers expect to find those products.
Half the premium segment enters seasonal rotation.
Cinnamon, ginger and orange come forward in winter.
Lemon, strawberry and coconut in summer.
Traditional varieties rise around religious holidays.
That rotation creates a sense of novelty for returning customers and stops the display looking static.
What does a display layout change?
The layout directly affects the distribution of sales.
Eye level is the most valuable zone.
High-margin products go there.
The lower shelves suit the basic varieties.
The upper shelves are the least seen zone; gift packs and large packages suit there.
The area near the till is the point of impulse purchase.
Single pieces and small packs sit there.
That plan of layout can change the distribution of sales by 15 to 20 percent with the same range.
How is cookie waste managed?
Cookies are a product of relatively long shelf life.
But the risk of waste rises as the range grows.
Three methods get used.
The first is small batches; less of each variety gets made.
That raises the unit cost while lowering waste.
The second is mixed packs; products near their date go together at a discount.
The third is secondary use; broken and older product becomes a cheesecake base or a dessert decoration.
How do cookie price tiers work?
A single price is the simplest and least profitable method.
Three tiers reflect the segment spread.
The basic varieties carry the lowest price.
The middle segment sits 20 to 30 percent above.
The premium segment 50 to 70 percent above.
That tiering also gives the customer information; the difference in price signals a difference in product.
A discount on multiple purchases applies too; a reduction for buying three raises the average basket and reduces the risk of waste.
Which data get tracked?
Four kinds of data are needed for the decision.
The first is daily sales by variety; how much of each product sells.
The second is the rate of waste; how much of each gets thrown away.
The third is unit margin; how much profit each variety leaves.
The fourth is basket association; which products appear in the same purchase.
Those data get reviewed weekly.
A variety selling below the average for two weeks running comes out of the display; that simple rule lets the display optimise itself continuously.
How are presentation and packaging chosen?
Two forms of sale exist in a café display.
Single sales; the cookie gets lifted with tongs and handed over in a paper napkin.
Packaged sales; several pieces in a box or a bag.
Single sales suit immediate eating.
Packaged sales suit gifts and taking home.
Both should be visible in the display.
Packaged products sit in a section of their own; that shows the customer the option exists and markedly raises the average basket.
How does display hygiene get managed?
Cookies in an open display sit in direct contact with the air.
Three measures become necessary.
The first is a covered or glazed display; the product does not stay entirely open.
The second is tongs; every container has its own and nobody touches the product by hand.
The third is regular cleaning; the display gets wiped at least twice a day and crumbs removed.
Allergen information also appears in front of every container; hazelnut, sesame and gluten are the three most critical, and that information is obligatory both as a legal requirement and for customer confidence.
