2002 Best Merchandising Ideas: Cream Whippers

We're shaking up luxury and economy and serving it whipped. That's the idea behind our merchandising and marketing efforts for cream whippers. This handy little kitchen tool serves up luxury for pennies, and that's exactly what today's consumers desire.

Economic Rules

Cream whippers are cost effective and convenient. One pint of cream whipped up in a cream whipper yields up to four pints of whipped cream, which is twice the volume of hand-whipped cream. And all that luscious cream is possible with just the touch of a button. Plus, the whipped cream will remain fresh in the refrigerator for up to 14 days. All your customers need is a CO2 cartridge, some cream, and a cream whipper and they're ready to create luxurious toppings for coffee drinks and cocoa, incredibly light mousses, pastry creams, and more.

Whipped cream dispensers are simultaneously decadent and sensible. They give customers the best of both worlds — a way to splurge without spending a fortune. As a result, many methods can whip up excitement for this category.

Merchandise this sentiment with a "Pennies from Heaven" Campaign. Design a glamorous display with rows of cream whippers cross-merchandised with dessert bowls, coffee cups, and old-fashioned milkshake glasses. Fill all the glasses with pennies to illustrate the cost-effective benefits whipped up by a cream whipper. During the promotional period, offer a second charger for a penny with the purchase of a cream whipper and a charger.

Decadence Continued

Celebrate Valentine's Day with a bit of devilish fun. Create a Cream Whipper Weekend Getaway Package that combines products like candy tattoos, chocolate body paint, and a cream whipper in a basket, along with champagne glasses. These gift baskets can be created for specific holidays or special occasions, such as bridal parties, weddings, and anniversaries. Market your decadent weekend to local hotels and bed & breakfasts as welcome gifts for their bridal guests.

More gift basket fun can be created with everyday hostess gifts that match cream whippers with coffee services. Fill a basket with a French press, coffee mugs, coffee, and a cream whipper for last-minute gift ideas during the holidays. Design a "Hostess Corner" in your store where last-minute gift ideas like these can be picked up by customers on the run. Use a dessert mold for a great hostess gift base, adding a cream whipper, a flavoring syrup, and a dessert cookbook to complete the presentation.

Bring the Cream Whipper Gift Basket idea into your produce department by designing a Berry Good Basket with a colander, a cream whipper, and a selection of fresh berries. Or jazz up your dairy case by creating a Cream Whipper Display alongside your fresh cream. Promote the cream whippers with a coupon for a free pint of cream with the purchase of a cream whipper.

Pie-eating Contest

Celebrate the outdoors by kicking off spring or summer sales with a Pie-eating Contest. Operate the contest much like a traditional pie-eating contest by challenging a group of contestants to eat as many pies as possible with their hands tied behind their backs.

The twist to your contest will be your recruiting of couples, with one partner creating the pies and the other eating them. Each pie should be created using a cream whipper.

The pies could consist of raspberry or chocolate mousse. For raspberry, start with a cream whipper filled with sherbet, raspberry syrup, and milk. Use a cream whipper to make chocolate mousse with cream, instant coffee, instant cocoa, and flavoring syrup.

Have each team prepare their cream whippers at the start of the contest. Provide a stockpile of "batter" to refill chargers. At the start of the contest, have one member of the team fill the pie while the other eats it. The team who makes and eats the most pies wins.

This contest will demonstrate the versatility and ease of using cream whippers, as well as stir up a bit of excitement among customers and your community. This contest fits best with a day dedicated to outdoor activities, making it a great opportunity to simultaneously promote grilling equipment or picnic supplies. Honor contest winners with a pie-making kit, complete with a ceramic pie pan, a pastry blender, a rolling pin, a pastry brush, a pastry crimper, a pie funnel, and of course, a cream whipper.

Snapshots

Design a glamorous display with rows of cream whippers cross-merchandised with dessert bowls, coffee cups, dessert plates, and old-fashioned milkshake glasses. Fill all the glasses with pennies to illustrate the cost-effective benefits delivered by a cream whipper.

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Celebrate Valentine's Day with a bit of devilish fun. Create a Cream Whipper Weekend Getaway Package that combines products like candy tattoos, chocolate body paint, and a cream whipper in a basket, along with champagne glasses.

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Celebrate the outdoors by kicking off spring or summer sales with a Pie-eating Contest. The twist to your contest will be that you will recruit couples, with one partner creating the pies and the other eating them. Each pie should be created using a cream whipper.

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