As part of ADA North East’s dairy aisle “makeover” program, we partnered with Giant Food Stores in Pennsylvania to install cheese pushers in shredded cheese sections in 146 stores – a system that increases product sales and decreases labor costs.
Why Install Cheese Pushers?
Retailers across ADA North East’s six-state region report that average cheese sales have increased by 4 percent in most stores where ADA North East helped install spring-loaded cheese pushers. Studies show that it also benefits the retailers by cutting product rotation time by 31 percent, and shelf replenishment time by 26 percent.
“It’s a ‘win-win’ to partner with retailers like Giant and others to incorporate modern equipment like the cheese pushers – from the store level to the dairy farmers producing milk to the consumers looking for their favorite dairy products,” said ADA North East CEO John Chrisman. “Our long-term relationships with retail dairy case and store managers enables us to present innovative retail ideas and solutions that are mutually beneficial to selling more dairy.”
Cheese Pushers at Giant
In May 2021, ADA North East initiated the cheese pusher project in five Giant test stores with minimal investment. ADA North East’s retail team installed the spring-loaded pushers that keep the packages of shredded cheese at the front of the shelf.
After analyzing the sales increases and labor savings within three months of the test project, Giant installed pushers in three more stores that were being remodeled. By January 2022, Giant started installing the cheese pusher systems in all stores, completing the installations by April 2022. In total, the retailer invested an estimated more than $730,000 in the equipment to better serve their customers and increase overall shredded cheese sales.
ADA North East also works with retailers to install the pushers for chunk cheese as well as shredded, depending on each store’s needs to meet consumer demand.
About the “Dairy Aisle Reinvention” program
The cheese pushers and other merchandising concepts initiated by ADA North East in its region are part of its Dairy Aisle Reinvention program that provides a “makeover” to the dairy aisle. These new looks include the cheese pushers, as well as yogurt dividers, farm-to-table signage featuring local farm families, and updated signage to help shoppers find the real dairy.
Additional Resources
To learn more about ADA North East’s retail programs, visit AmericanDairy.com/for-retailers.