| This article was originally published in the March 24, 2014 issue of The Produce News and is reprinted with permission. By: Jonathan Raduns Remember handwritten chalkboard produce signs? Very few were considered fine art with colorful drawings of fruits and vegetables. Most were sloppy, and barely legible. As technology improved innovative chain stores developed basic software to layout and print consistent price signs. Despite continued technological advancements very few independent retailers have easy to use customizable systems to print high impact full-color signage in-store. Maintaining accurate up-to-date signs in any retail environment is challenging. Yet despite operational hurdles and labor costs, powerful signage is paramount to sales, great customer education, and product identification. Jeff Tomasetti, Produce Director of Ohio based, Buehler’s Fresh Foods shares, | 
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“Clear correct signage is one of our company’s top 5 objectives.” Accurate signs reflect a retailer’s commitment to detail and the shopper. A major mid-Atlantic wholesaler’s merchandising manager agrees, “The item / price sign completes any display. The more information communicated, the more successful a display will be.”
These ten best-in-class retail sign generator innovations aid retailers while also opening a number of collaborative merchandising support opportunities for grower-shippers.
1. Water-Proof Plastic Signs: Imagine wet racks filled with lamination-free water proof signs. Cutting edge printers and plastic signage stock can be rolled out in-store designed with perforation for easy separation.
2. Software As A Service (SAAS): Online subscription services exist for retail sign generation. Customizable retailer-branded portals communicate with data from existing corporate pricing systems or can be over-ridden for price changes in-store. Independent retailers may benefit from lower entry costs when compared to developing internal custom software.
3. In-Store or Off-site Print Fulfillment: In-store printing on plastic or thick paper is now accessible. Alternatively, during new store openings, major resets, busy seasons, or broken printer issues produce managers may conveniently outsource sign print fulfillment. Click and order sets of department signs can be printed and direct shipped in 2-3 days.
4. Culinary Images & Informational Icons: Fully scalable color icons easily denote country of origin, category, or characteristics (gluten-free, organic). Signs feature default licensed or proprietary image libraries changeable at store level if desired.
5. Online Store (Ecommerce) Integration: Sign generators may share product and pricing information with online grocery ecommerce websites. Sharing across applications simplifies data maintenance while expanding possible applications.
6. Catalog & Sell Sheets: By funneling sign database information into different layouts, instant customizable full color mini 8.5x 11 catalogs and sell sheets can be generated. Wholesalers & retailers can build quick marketing tools by category, product, or department offerings on the fly while on the road or in-store.
7. Varied Sign Layout Templates: Varied full color design templates can be created for 1 to 8 up+ printing on pre-perforated 8.5x11 sign stock material. Theme or color variations highlight various produce family groups, ad items, or store department.
8. Co-Branding with Suppliers: Specialty produce suppliers or grower shippers supplying retail merchandising support can house informational high-impact signage in a retailers system to highlight key selling points to drive sales. Many retailers hesitate to display vendor supplied signage due to inconsistent design or appearance. Vendors can now easily offer retailers pre-supplied images, logos, selling points, and product descriptions in a manner consistent with a retailers brand style guidelines. Co-branding with dual retailer / supplier logos is simplified.
9. Perfect Pairings – Cross-Merchandising: A sign database can house logical complimentary items or pairings. Data references an image library and can build powerful suggestive product imagery to build a complete meal or recipe solution directly on the label.
10. Quick Entry Functionality: Efficient generators build sign printing queues via quick entry via computer number keypads. Employees quickly enter PLU numbers, hit {enter}, and populate a reviewable list prior to generating a print ready PDF file.
Future Innovation
In the future, fresh produce departments will likely harness the power of digital signage. High-impact videos by grower-shippers will allow for more dynamic visual “story-telling” in the retail environment. Interactive touch-screens will provide engaging customer service and education.
In 2014 even the best retailers face technological limitations and in-store challenges to roll-out effective print sign programs. For now, new technologies make best-in-class print signage a little more accessible and convenient for both major chain and small independent retailers.
These ten best-in-class retail sign generator innovations aid retailers while also opening a number of collaborative merchandising support opportunities for grower-shippers.
1. Water-Proof Plastic Signs: Imagine wet racks filled with lamination-free water proof signs. Cutting edge printers and plastic signage stock can be rolled out in-store designed with perforation for easy separation.
2. Software As A Service (SAAS): Online subscription services exist for retail sign generation. Customizable retailer-branded portals communicate with data from existing corporate pricing systems or can be over-ridden for price changes in-store. Independent retailers may benefit from lower entry costs when compared to developing internal custom software.
3. In-Store or Off-site Print Fulfillment: In-store printing on plastic or thick paper is now accessible. Alternatively, during new store openings, major resets, busy seasons, or broken printer issues produce managers may conveniently outsource sign print fulfillment. Click and order sets of department signs can be printed and direct shipped in 2-3 days.
4. Culinary Images & Informational Icons: Fully scalable color icons easily denote country of origin, category, or characteristics (gluten-free, organic). Signs feature default licensed or proprietary image libraries changeable at store level if desired.
5. Online Store (Ecommerce) Integration: Sign generators may share product and pricing information with online grocery ecommerce websites. Sharing across applications simplifies data maintenance while expanding possible applications.
6. Catalog & Sell Sheets: By funneling sign database information into different layouts, instant customizable full color mini 8.5x 11 catalogs and sell sheets can be generated. Wholesalers & retailers can build quick marketing tools by category, product, or department offerings on the fly while on the road or in-store.
7. Varied Sign Layout Templates: Varied full color design templates can be created for 1 to 8 up+ printing on pre-perforated 8.5x11 sign stock material. Theme or color variations highlight various produce family groups, ad items, or store department.
8. Co-Branding with Suppliers: Specialty produce suppliers or grower shippers supplying retail merchandising support can house informational high-impact signage in a retailers system to highlight key selling points to drive sales. Many retailers hesitate to display vendor supplied signage due to inconsistent design or appearance. Vendors can now easily offer retailers pre-supplied images, logos, selling points, and product descriptions in a manner consistent with a retailers brand style guidelines. Co-branding with dual retailer / supplier logos is simplified.
9. Perfect Pairings – Cross-Merchandising: A sign database can house logical complimentary items or pairings. Data references an image library and can build powerful suggestive product imagery to build a complete meal or recipe solution directly on the label.
10. Quick Entry Functionality: Efficient generators build sign printing queues via quick entry via computer number keypads. Employees quickly enter PLU numbers, hit {enter}, and populate a reviewable list prior to generating a print ready PDF file.
Future Innovation
In the future, fresh produce departments will likely harness the power of digital signage. High-impact videos by grower-shippers will allow for more dynamic visual “story-telling” in the retail environment. Interactive touch-screens will provide engaging customer service and education.
In 2014 even the best retailers face technological limitations and in-store challenges to roll-out effective print sign programs. For now, new technologies make best-in-class print signage a little more accessible and convenient for both major chain and small independent retailers.
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