Stop & Shop initially carried Frosty Paws, a fast-selling frozen pet novelty from Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream Holdings, in the ice cream section of its frozens department. Yet two years ago, it found a way to merchandise the product where it really belongs: the pet aisle.
"Frosty Paws are the No. 1 frozen pet treat, so we wanted to make an effort to have them in-aisle," said Bryan Shlager, pet and baby buyer for the Quincy, Mass.-based division of Ahold USA. To do so, it installed small frozens cases directly in the pet department. The units are currently in about 30 stores, and will be part of all new stores and remodels. "Pet food is such a big business that it's important to make the aisle exciting," Shlager told SN.
While Stop & Shop expected the project to pose certain challenges, it found that making room for a frozens product in a dry grocery aisle wasn't too difficult.
"We had to buy freezers, make the shelving work and get power into the area, but it was easier than expected," he said.
"Pet treats are an impulse item, so it makes sense to have them in the pet aisle rather than mixed in with hundreds of different types of ice cream," he said.
Frosty Paws now have dual placement; several stockkeeping units are still merchandised in the ice cream section to cater to customers who are accustomed to finding them there.