Want to Increase Sales and Reduce Retail Losses? IRC Labels Do It All!
IRC labels have been a pretty popular topic in marketing and sales circles lately. One big reason, as I mentioned last week, is that they have the highest redemption rate of all types of coupons. Pretty obvious why that’s important—you only offer coupons in the first place because you want consumers to use them.
When we think of IRC labels or Instant Redeemable Coupons, most of us picture labels attached to a product on the shelf offering a discount on that product. But that does a disservice to the incredible variety of ways IRC labels can be used to improve not only your marketing, but the profitability of your whole organization. Even that “Save 50 Cents Now” message might not tell the whole story.
Case Study – Reducing Losses Can Increase Income and Efficiencies
Conventional wisdom says that a price reduction via an IRC label will bring you incremental sales; though a bit less profit on each one of those, due to the discount. But IRC labels are incredibly versatile and can be used in many ways – many of them even more valuable in protecting your bottom line.
One of our clients, Fresh Express, is a major player in salads and salad kits for many reasons. One reason they are successful, aside from offering a convenient, healthy and quality product, is because they use IRC labels as an important marketing and sales tool. Rather than merely promote an incremental sale, IRC labels on Fresh Express packaging keeps product moving efficiently. Salads are perishable items and an IRC label can help ensure that product that is nearing its “sell by” date, will be made even more attractive to the consumer by presenting an on-the-spot discount.
This is the proverbial “no-brainer”—everyone wins. The consumer saves money, the retailer sees the product flow swiftly though the system, and Fresh Express maximizes return while avoiding expensive and labor-intensive waste and returns.
All IRC Labels—and Label Providers—Are Not the Same
This has been a rewarding relationship for both parties. But we had an opportunity to help Fresh Express even more. Their process calls for IRC labels to be applied to packaging in store as needed by field representatives. The labels themselves were provided on rolls of 100-300 each. But these rolls proved bulky to carry around for those sales reps. So Superior Business Solutions designed a better way. Labels were printed instead on 8 ½˝ X 11˝ sheets, with each sheet three-hole punched to fit inside binders that many of the reps and brokers were already carrying. Problem solved. Process made more efficient.
But we didn’t stop there. Our advanced expertise allowed us to maximize efficiency even further by changing the way labels were positioned on the page for printing, to deliver more labels per sheet. We used spot color to reduce production costs, and shrink-wrapped and delivered the labels directly to the field reps who would be using them. Click here if you’d like to read the full Fresh Express story.
Find Out How Our IRC Labels Can Help YOU
If you market a consumer product, IRC labels can be a valuable addition to your marketing toolbox. Whether you use them to sell more product, minimize losses, provide useful information or present promotional offers, they attract attention and customers.
If the idea is new to you, talk to one of our sales reps for more information or feel free to give me a call. I can make some suggestions, and perhaps help you tap an unexplored opportunity to make your bottom line a little more robust. Fresh Express is a big believer. I’ll bet we can turn you into one, as well.
