2003 Best Merchandising Ideas: Feta Cheeses

Often the simplest things in life are the best, especially when it comes to food. When it comes to cheese, it doesn't get much simpler than Feta, the wonderful and versatile white, crumbly cheese that most Americans know as a component of a traditional Greek salad. Feta's steady gain in popularity makes it among the fastest-growing categories within the specialty cheese business, reaching a size comparable to well-established "historic" categories, such as Brie. Retailers should take advantage of this growth and expand their Feta shelf by adding new SKUs representative of the different segments and brands.

Consumers are beginning to understand how well Feta pairs with other foods and the fact that Feta offers so much to them in terms of value (slabs and chunks), convenience (easy-to-store crumbled Feta cups), authenticity (both domestically made cow's milk Feta, as well as imported 100-percent sheep's milk Feta, and 100-percent goat's milk Feta), and healthfulness (available in regular, which is relatively low in fat and fat free). Try out some of the following ideas to help boost your customers' awareness and appreciation of Feta, and ultimately, your sales.

Feta Fete

For most people, an introduction to Feta's great taste and versatility is all it takes to make them lifelong Feta consumers. With that in mind, try hosting a promotion that focuses entirely on Feta. With the wide assortment of styles available, you can present quite an array of cheeses for the event. First, ask your suppliers for material on their products, including the manufacturing process, posters showing the cheeses, nutritional information, recipes and serving suggestions, and samples for tasting. Since the three main criteria for choosing Feta among consumers are taste intensity, convenience (chunk style and pre-crumbled), and healthfulness, feature as broad an assortment as possible in order to offer a Feta for everyone. Be sure to show how different styles may be incorporated into different dishes, with more mainstream cow's milk Feta at its best as an ingredient in numerous recipes and sheep's milk or goat's milk Feta ideal as a snack accompanied by grapes, watermelon, or green apple.

Offering suggestions on how to use Feta, as well as providing accompanying recipes are the best methods for increasing sales. Feta can easily be used in most recipes instead of Mozzarella or goat cheese, and can bring a fresh, new taste to other dishes. Feta is great crumbled over pizza and pasta or on a variety of salads, such as a warm beet salad or on a spinach salad with warm bacon dressing. Feta is perfect in scrambled eggs and omelets, crumbled in tacos, or used as part of a stuffing for zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, and even a spring leg of lamb, along with roast garlic and basil. One of the best and healthiest snacks, as well as a great do-it-yourself hors d'oeuvre for a cocktail party is to simply fill toasted pita bread with Feta, toasted walnuts, fresh mint, and basil. Once you start experimenting, you'll find the possibilities are endless.

My Big, Fat Greek Salad

Feta is made in many countries today, as well as in several of our states, but it is still closely identified with its Greek origins and consequently, with Greek food. Greek celebrations are always fun and a great way to boost sales on other Greek products, such as olives and olive oil, vinegar, roasted peppers, and taramosalata. Also, with the popularity of the sleeper hit "My Big, Fat Greek Wedding," your promotion should pique everyone's interest. Have the event revolve around a traditional Greek salad, easily the most recognizable dish from the Greek repertoire, although most versions here are pale reflections of their true Greek counterpart where freshness of the ingredients is key. You can even set it up as a demonstration wherein your chef could show the proper way to assemble the salad with fresh mint, olives, colorful peppers, lemon juice, olive oil, cucumbers, and of course, crumbled Feta cheese.

You can further enhance the demo by giving recipes for other classic and contemporary dishes from Greece and elsewhere around the Mediterranean region that incorporate Feta. Besides the Greek salad, you could include a gratin of spinach and Feta; eggplant stuffed with peppers, herbs, and Feta; classic saganaki; baked shrimp with Feta; or Feta simply whipped with basil, lemon, and pepper for a quick and easy party dip. Make it a festive event with flags, travel posters, Greek music, lots of Greek products, and a wide assortment of Feta cheese. Perhaps your promotion will make your Feta sales the sleeper hit of this year.

Quick Tips

Feta is among the fastest-growing specialty cheese categories. Expand your Feta shelf in line with its sales growth and the development of specific consumer needs, such as fat free, sheep or goat's milk, crumbled, and so on.

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Hold a Feta Fete to show off the cheese's versatility. Offer a variety of styles, as well as serving suggestions and recipe ideas.

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Hold a Greek Foods Promotion in which you demonstrate an authentic, fresh Greek salad, as well as other classic and contemporary recipe ideas from around the Mediterranean region.

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