Retailers may debate whether -- and how -- to merchandise film and batteries together, but for manufacturers it is clearly a match made in heaven.
president of trade development at Duracell USA, Bethel, Conn. Adding cameras to the mix further enhances the presentation as a one-stop-shopping opportunity, he noted.
"Merchandising these together offers retailers decided benefits in terms of shopper convenience," said Mike Ivester, national accounts marketing manager for Fuji Photo Film USA, Elmsford, N.Y. "And with film and batteries accounting for some of the highest sales within the general merchandise category, displaying these products together at endcaps, near photo-service counters and in line only makes sense."
Ivester said one Fuji promotion in particular that worked well in supermarkets was an instant-rebate battery coupon that came with a film purchase. In tie-in promotions like this, he added, batteries outperform all other products.
"We'll continue to promote with batteries because we think it's a natural tie-in," said Ivester. "We have good relationships out there with battery companies and we're always looking to do other things with them."
Displaying a full assortment of batteries along with cameras and film on a front-end fixture, as opposed to isolating them in a grocery aisle, can trigger unplanned sales, according to Bill Dempsey, product manager for batteries at Eastman Kodak, Rochester, N.Y.
"People aren't thinking about their camera batteries until they start to use the camera. By placing photo batteries and film together, [retailers] can make the connection."
Dempsey added that supermarkets can pump up battery sales by featuring AA and AAA sizes for lower-end 35mm cameras, which take those sizes.
Bill Amirault, marketing manager for primary batteries, Panasonic, Secaucus, N.J., agreed. "The key for batteries is cross merchandising the smaller types for photo usages such as AA and photo lithium batteries with film, and placing the larger Cs and Ds in with housewares and hardware."