MEAT+POULTRY - September 2024 - 8

COMMENTARY
Retail ready
When there was recently a mid-July
break from the oppressive Kansas
City heat and humidity, I jumped at
the chance to host a long-overdue,
informal get together at my house
where the entertainment would be
provided by the broadcast of the 2024
Summer Olympic Games and the
company of good friends and family.
What better way to spend a Saturday
night than expressing my carnivorous
love language by sharing a meal with
a handful of friends and neighbors in
a grazing style dinner highlighted, of
course, by some slow-smoked brisket,
pork ribs and sausage, along with
some less-important side dishes, and a
variety of ice-cold beverages.
Like most hosts, my wife and I
took extra steps to ensure our home
was welcoming, and at least for that
evening, the kitchen sink wasn't full of
dirty dishes, piles of laundry weren't
littering the living room, the yard
was mowed, and the food was fresh
off the smoker with wafting savory
aromas greeting everyone at the front
door. Based on feedback from our
guests, Simone Biles wasn't the only
gold-medal winner that night as almost
every scrap of meat and spoonful of
cheesy corn was decimated by the end
of the evening. I harkened back to that
night several weeks later while hearing
two prominent processors discussing
the important role retail sales play in
their small businesses and some of
the lessons they've learned over the
years as that part of their business
has grown.
Charlie Emswiler, owner of
Wahoo Meat Locker, based in Wahoo,
Neb., and Nick Fantasma, who, along
with his brother Louis, lead Paradise
Locker Meats' in Trimble, Mo., told
attendees during a presentation at this
year's American Association of Meat
Processors Annual Convention, that
paying close attention to details is a top
priority when it comes to maintaining a
successful retail business.
Not unlike my goal of welcoming
and whetting the appetites of guests at
my house, successful retail operators
like Fantasma and Emswiler make
every effort to make their customers
feel special and give them a positive
experience to remember and a reason
to want to come back.
When a retail customer steps out
of their vehicle in the parking lot, the
owners and operators of plants make
it their business to welcome their
customers into their shop just as if they
were coming into their home.
Emswiler said a goal at his plant is to
accentuate the appearance and aromas
of their finished products at the front
of the store, and not necessarily the
processing and slaughter of multiple
species at the back of the plant.
He said eye-pleasing product
displays and the sights and smells
customers experience in the entry
space sets the tone for their visit.
Generously offering food samples is
part of that experience.
" You're making them hungry right
away, " he said, and the lures are most
often products that are unique to
Wahoo, including the locally famous
Wahoo Wieners.
8 MEAT+POULTRY | 09.24 | www.meatpoultry.com
" What Walmart carries, we try not
to carry at our store, " Emswiler said.
Fantasma echoed his counterpart's
points, accentuating that retail store
operators should be aware of the curb
appeal of their business where they are
inviting customers to step inside. That
includes ensuring parking lots and the
exterior of their buildings are free of
any overgrown greenery or off-putting
weeds to step over.
Fantasma said the goal is to be
able to represent your brand initially
without saying a word. Seasonal and
holiday decorations outside and inside
the store is one way of achieving
that goal.
" If you can put a smile on
somebody's face before they walk
in the door, half your battle is done, "
he said.
" We really want to try to keep
negative emotions out of peoples'
heads when they come to our
business, " Fantasma added.
That includes ensuring every
customer is greeted by an employee
donning a Paradise-themed shirt.
Offering customers a food sample
and providing expert service and
making useful suggestions for product
purchases and cooking tips help ensure
a memorable experience.
He also promoted the value of
encouraging employees to smile when
interacting with customers, making the
point that even smiling when talking
to customers on the phone makes a
positive difference in how they feel
about that exchange.
Just like a dinner gathering, once
guests are in the door, they tend to
be more relaxed, engaged and feeling
like they belong. As Emswiler and
Fantasma would attest, nothing
feels better than smiling guests and
ensuring their retail experience is an
unforgettable Olympic-like memory.
JOEL CREWS, EDITOR | jcrews@sosland.com
http://www.meatpoultry.com
MEAT+POULTRY - September 2024

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