由 caicai8478 I. Core Concept Definition
Main Channel Products (Traffic Builder)
Definition: These products are well-known, widely in demand, and highly price-sensitive. Customers are drawn into the store by their attractive prices.
Goal: To attract new customers and create a buzz. These products are not the primary source of profit, but rather serve as a “bait” to attract traffic to the entire store or product line.
Characteristics: High-frequency consumption, low unit price, strong brand recognition, and strong comparability (e.g., eggs, milk, Coca-Cola, rice).
Combination Products (Profit Maker / Add-on)
Definition: These products are related to main channel products, have high gross profit margins, and can increase overall average order value.
Goal: To generate profits and increase average order value. Leverage the traffic attracted by main channel products to guide customers to these high-profit products through related displays and promotions.
Characteristics: High gross profit margin, strong complementarity, good user experience, or potential for upgrades (e.g., a wine glass opener that pairs well with inexpensive red wine, or high-margin ink cartridges that pair well with printers).
The Value King
True Meaning: This doesn’t refer to the cheapest product in the world, but rather a solution that, within a specific consumer scenario and within the minds of the target customer, is perceived as providing “maximum satisfaction at the most reasonable price.” This “solution” is often an organic combination of “main channel products” and “combination products.”
II. Examples of Combination Strategies for Different Products
Below, we design specific “main channel” and “combination” strategies for several common product types.
Category 1: Home Appliances (e.g., small kitchen appliances)
Main channel selection: Basic electric kettles / budget-friendly rice cookers
Reason: These are practically essential household items, with transparent pricing and a strong customer preference for price comparison. A visually appealing electric kettle, a reliable brand, and a competitive price point is an excellent traffic entry point.
Operation: Selling at minimal profit or even break-even, with posters highlighting slogans like “Shocking Price” and “99 Yuan Flash Sale.”
Combination Strategy:
Related Products: High-quality tea/coffee beans. Displayed next to electric kettles with the slogan: “Use a good kettle to prepare good tea.” Electric kettles solve the problem of “boiling water,” naturally leading to the need for “what to drink.”
Upgraded Products: Multifunctional health kettles/high-end smart rice cookers. Displayed next to products with more features, better materials, and a more attractive appearance, with the slogan: “Upgrade to a multifunctional health kettle for just XX yuan! Stewing and souping are all done in one pot!”
Accessories: Specialized scale cleaner, heat-insulating coasters. Small items with high gross profit margins, making them a hassle-free purchase.
Presentation of the King of Value: The poster is no longer simply “Electric Kettle 99 Yuan,” but “Exquisite Drinking Lifestyle Set: 99 Yuan Electric Kettle + 29 Yuan Selected Black Tea (Originally 49 Yuan).” Make customers feel like they’re buying more than just a water bottle, but a complete solution and a lifestyle.
Category 2: Beauty and Skincare (e.g., skincare sets)
Main Channel Selection: Star-Brand Cleanser / Best-Selling Mask
Reasoning: Cleansing is the first step in skincare, consumes quickly, and the trial cost is low. A well-received, rock-bottom-priced cleanser can quickly attract a precise target customer (skincare enthusiasts).
Operation: Offer the star product as a trial pack or special offer, sacrificing its profit margin.
Combination Strategy:
Core Profitable Products: Toner, lotion, essence, and cream from the same product line. This is the core source of profit. After building brand trust with the cleanser, recommend complementary products with enhanced effectiveness and functionality, achieving “single product traffic, set profitability.”
Experiential Services: Free skin testing / free sample packs. Providing professional services increases customer retention and creates sales opportunities. The service itself is free, but it can effectively drive sales of high-priced products.
Gift Strategy: Buy an essence and receive a free full-size cleanser. Conversely, offering high-margin items as gifts alongside main aisle items not only enhances the perceived value of these high-margin products but also clears inventory.
The ultimate value proposition: “680 RMB All-in-One Repair Set (includes full-size makeup remover + essence + repair essence + face cream), plus a full-size cleanser valued at 198 RMB today.” Customers will feel like they’re getting the cleanser practically for free, and the overall value of the set is incredibly high.
Category 3: Fresh Food (e.g., hot pot season)
Main aisle options: Specially priced beef rolls/hot pot base
Reason: Hot pot’s core ingredients are highly recognized by consumers and extremely price-sensitive. A low-priced box of beef rolls is enough to convince customers that eating hot pot here is a good deal.
Operation: Strictly control costs, even selling a small amount at a negative profit margin, to create a weekly hit.
Combination attack:
High-margin categories: Meatball and Slide Platter, Specialty Tripe, Vegetable Platter, and Soy Product Set These products have significantly higher gross profit margins than meat rolls. Displaying them next to meat rolls in a display case will encourage customers to purchase.
Beverages: Beer, plum soup, juice. Drinks are essential for hot pot and are a perfect complement, often yielding substantial gross profit margins.
Utensils: Portable gas stove, double-boiled hot pot, special dipping sauces. Exploit the “hot pot at home” trend and increase average order value.
Offer the ultimate value: “Hot Pot Carnival Combo: 19.9 yuan beef roll (limited to 1) + 39.9 yuan meatball and vegetable platter + 9.9 yuan hot pot base = only 69.7 yuan!” Make customers excited about the entire combo, not just the cheap meat roll.
III. Action Plan and Implementation Key Points
Product Selection and Channel Identification:
Analyze sales data thoroughly to identify traffic drivers and profit drivers.
Clearly define who is the “bait” and who is the “hook.”
Display Connection:
Physical Proximity: Main aisle merchandise and combo items must be displayed together to create a visually cohesive whole.
Visual Prominence: Use large POP posters, floor stickers, hanging banners, etc. to clearly communicate combo discounts.
Training Traffic Flow: Place combo items along essential customer routes or near the checkout counter to encourage impulse purchases.
Training Sales Strategies:
Train frontline staff to master the sales pitch for “combination deals.” Instead of asking, “What else would you like?”, say, “This electric kettle pairs well with our new black tea. We’re currently offering a combo deal. The brew is incredibly fragrant, and many customers are using it this way. Would you like to order a set?”
Pricing and Promotional Design:
Main aisle merchandise should be sufficiently sharp and competitive.
Combo deals should appear to be significantly discounted (for example, add 150 yuan to the original price, resulting in a combo price of 119 yuan).
Flexibly utilize promotional strategies such as “second item half price” and “add-on purchase.”
Summary:
The true “price-performance ratio king” is a carefully crafted “magic trick” that manipulates traffic and profits. It requires operators to accurately select main channel products as the detonation point, and then cleverly use a combination of products to undertake and transform them, and ultimately establish a strong perception in the minds of customers that “buying here is the most cost-effective and worry-free”, thereby winning the market.