Boosting Impulse Sales with Novelty Items
By Meline Beach
Boosting Impulse Sales with Novelty Items
From quirky gadgets to unique collectibles, novelty items is a popular category in the convenience and gas (C&G) channel. C&G retailers are seizing the opportunity to stock up on eye-catching products that enhance their customers’ experience, boost sales on impulse and maximize revenue.
Air Fresheners, Lighters and Tire Rotation Identifiers
A1 Distribution is a Canadian company celebrating 21 years as an importer and distributor of renowned consumer products in Canada. With over 20 product lines within its portfolio, impulse products, such as air fresheners, lighters, and tire rotation identifiers, are popular items sold in the C&G channel.
According to Marie-Eve Amesse, vice president of sales and partner at A1 Distribution, Mirror Critter air fresheners continue to trend as a popular novelty product for customers of all ages. With witty character designs and enticing fragrances like candy, new car, fresh pine, linen, and ocean breeze, they offer both fun and function. Their cute, eye-catching design makes them easy to display in a counter box or on a clip strip, positioning them perfectly for impulse purchases.
“Retailing at $1.99 each, Mirror Critter air fresheners are popular because they combine fun, personality, and function at an affordable price year-round,” says Amesse. “Their uniqueness serves as a form of personal expression.”
Slick lighters is another popular year-round novelty item. Slick Deluxe lighters have a very unique electronic mechanism; they are refillable with butane and are all exceptional with their design. Their bold aesthetics, including metallic finishes, cool patterns, and built-in gadgets, like laser pointers, easily stand out as small items that are often displayed in a tower at checkout counters.
Retailing at $16.99 each, these lighters attract customers for their quality craftsmanship, including premium alloy casings, heigh-adjustable and wind-resistant flames, and appealing artwork designs, which make them great as a collectible item that drives repeat purchases.
Tic Tag – Tire Rotation Identifiers is a seasonal high-margin, low-effort novelty item that is sure to attract vehicle owners in need of a quick, practical fix. As tire rotations become essential during seasonal changes, Tic Tag is an easy-to-use, universal identification system that attaches directly to tire valve stems. This simple yet effective product is compatible with most vehicles, allows for easy visual identification of tire position, simplifying the tire rotation process during seasonal changes or maintenance, making it a convenient solution for drivers preparing for winter or summer tire changes.
Retailing at $5.99 retail, Tic Tag provides a cost-effective way to prevent tire mix-ups. As a seasonal best-seller, Tic Tag offers an innovative seasonal best seller.
“Tic Tag is a seasonal must-have as a perfect impulse buy for convenience stores and gas stations,” says Amesse. “As one of our top-selling items, Tic Tag is must-have addition to any retail lineup.”
Hand Warmers, Toe Warmers and Cake Fountains
With offices in British Columbia and Ontario, Mystical Distributing Company has been providing exciting and impressive products that amaze people across Canada for over 25 years.
Hand and toe warmers are classic novelty items that encourage impulse buys, driven by immediate consumer needs, particularly in frigid weather. Strategically placed near the register, customers who feel the chill are sure to grab these at checkout.
“While typically considered a seasonal product, demand for warmers exists year-round in colder regions,” says Bill Raynault, general manager – Western Branch of Mystical Distributing. “Some customers use them for outdoor activities, while others stock up during sales for muscle pain relief.”
Retailing at $1.99, a two-pack of hand and toe warmers is a convenient and affordable solution for instant warmth. Their compact size makes them an easy grab-and-go purchase perfect for pockets, gloves or boots.
Cake fountains, also known as indoor-safe sparkling candles, have become an increasingly popular item in the C&G channels as a fun and exciting alternative to traditional wax candles and sparklers. These sparkling displays provide a visually stunning effect for any celebration, adding an element of surprise and joy to the occasion. With their safe indoor use and impressive appearance, they are perfect for birthdays, anniversaries, corporate celebrations, or national holidays – making them a great year-round novelty item for C&G retailers.
“To maximize impulse sales, retailers can strategically place cake fountains near other celebration-related products, such as balloons, streamers, sparklers, and party plates,” says Raynault. “This placement will encourage customers to grab everything they need for a memorable event.”
Retailing at $2.35 for bulk orders, cake fountains bundled with other party essentials can also drive higher sales. Raynault adds, “Make it easy for the customer to buy their full celebration. If they buy one of each, then here’s the bundled price.”
Fireworks
BLAST-OFF Fireworks, a Canadian-owned, family-run business with over 26 years of experience in the fireworks industry, offers over 200 exclusive BLAST-OFF branded products and other major fireworks brands, to the Canadian market.
Fireworks are a popular novelty item sold in the C&G channel that offers customers a fun and exciting way to celebrate special occasions with quick and accessible purchase options.
“Traditionally, fireworks were centred around Victoria Day, Canada Day, and New Year’s Eve,” says Matt Bialek, president, BLAST-OFF Fireworks. “The traditional selling model has exploded over the past few years. We’re seeing fireworks being used for more niche celebrations, like family reunions, gender reveal parties, memorial gatherings, weddings, and anniversary celebrations.”
Many newer holidays across the calendar have emerged for fireworks, including Lunar New Year, Family Day, and Diwali.
“Diwali is emerging as one of the top three fireworks holidays of the year,” says Bialek. “It’s our goal to help our retail partners identify emerging marketings like this, ensuring that they are equipped to capture new sales dollars.”
This year’s Canada Day is anticipated to be a great patriotic celebration. According to Bialek, C&G retailers should expect to see a spike in sales leading up to July 1 and recommends that retailers be prepared with additional inventories.
Value is key. Customers are looking for “bang for buck” in fireworks – a quality fireworks show that stretches dollars spent over a longer display duration.
“Our line-up of Fireworks Kits starts at below $30, and each assortment comes complete with fireworks, ignition tools, and a professionally sequenced firing order,” says Bialek. “For less than $100, fireworks can entertain a backyard crowd, making them an affordable option for customers and a great year-round novelty item for C&G retailers.”
Ease of purchase, knowledge of regulatory requirements, and cautionary storage are key.
Bialek recommends C&G retailers purchase fireworks from a reputable source – preferably directly from an authorized importer or large-scale distributor. This is important to ensure that, in the event of an unforeseen incident, the retailer has full support and product liability coverage.
BLAST-OFF Fireworks has a team of regulatory specialists that can conduct a formal regulatory assessment for any retail site. They also offer retail customers a Client Toolbox retailer handbook, a self-guided training manual, as a “must-read” for any Canadian fireworks retailer. It provides additional information on best practices for selling fireworks in the Canadian marketplace.
“Convenience is paramount,” says Bialek. “Customers want to grab their case of soda, pack of hotdog buns, an assortment of fireworks, and head to their “main event,” whether that be the lake cottage, a birthday party, or a backyard cookout.”
Meline Beach is a Toronto-based communications practitioner and frequent contributor to Convenience and Carwash Canada. In addition to freelance writing, Meline provides communications and public relations support to businesses across Canada. She can be reached at www.mlbcomms.ca.
