Managing the Case

Egg Color
Egg shell and yolk color may vary, but color has nothing to do with egg quality, flavor, nutrition, or cooking characteristics.
Carton Dates
All egg cartons from USDA inspected plants display a Julian date—the date the eggs were packed—expressed as the number of days since the first of the year.
Storage
Fresh shell eggs can
be stored in their cartons 4 to 5 weeks beyond their Julian date with insignificant loss of quality.

MAKE PRICING EASY TO FIND
Shoppers want prices both over the egg case and on the shelf. In one study, the difficulty in finding prices was the single most mentioned dislike about shopping for eggs in the store.


  

WHAT IS MEANT BY “FULL VARIETY?”
A full variety is a “core” mix of egg sizes, pack sizes and types of eggs. This includes:
12-count Jumbo
12-count Brown
Cage-free or free-range eggs

12-count Extra Large

18-count Large

Organic eggs
12-count Large

18-count Extra Large

Vegetarian eggs
12-count Medium
2 1/2 or 5 dozen
1-3 Liquid egg items
6-or 8-count Large
Nutrient-enhanced eggs
Additional varieties, packs, brands, and sizes can further enhance sales.

SETTING THE CASE FOR SUCCESS
Setting the egg case for success involves just a few simple guidelines:
  • Put the best sellers (typically 12-ct. & 18-ct. Large) in the well at opposite ends of the case.
  • Place higher gross margin items, including specialty eggs, at eye level.
  • Position the best selling items at the end of the traffic flow.
  • Allocate space primarily based on overall sales in your market.
  • Give a little extra space to higher margin and high growth items.

The diagram below shows how these principles might be applied to a typical shelf set.

  

PROPER SHELF MANAGEMENT YIELDS RESULTS
In a five-chain controlled test, stores were reset utilizing AEB Best Practice guidelines (see diagram below and page 19). The results from remerchandising the egg case were dramatic, significantly increasing department sales and incremental profits in excess of $2,000. Proper shelf management puts more eggs in the cart.		  
Remerchandising Test Results
5-Chain Study
Per Store
Sales Increase
Per Store
Profit Increase

 

Average Weekly Sales (dozens)
50% Space Increase-8 week test period
  
INCREASING EGG SPACE IMPROVES PERFORMANCE
Some retailers have reduced egg space in the mistaken belief that egg sales will be the same “no matter what.” To evaluate egg space, one chain with a relatively small department allocated a 50% increase in linear space to determine sales impact. After eight weeks, sales had grown by 42.7% versus the control stores. Items with the greatest space increase also showed the largest sales growth. 		 
SIGNS


Research consistently indicates that increased sales and consumer satisfaction will result when it is easy for the shopper to find everything they need and the information they want. Utilizing easy-to-read department signage, clear pricing, rail strips, and promotion signs will improve department results.

EGGS BELONG WITH DAIRY
Shoppers expect eggs to be located with dairy, ideally as an anchor on the opposite end from the milk case. This encourages customers to shop the entire dairy case. 		 
% Answering “Eggs are very easy to find in my store” (by case type)