Granite Falls IGA Boosts Sales With Seafood Roadshow

Granite Falls IGA's annual seafood roadshows exemplify the potential of event-driven sales and the impact of personalized marketing in the grocery industry. By showcasing their seafood on ice and creating a captivating seafood market experience, they have seen a substantial boost in sales, with customers eagerly embracing the indulgent offerings.

“We branded it as a seafood roadshow," Tyler Trask, store co-owner, said. "It went really well. We were very successful in the product that we brought in and sold.”

Successful indeed. Trask says the special event usually brings in an additional $1,500-$2,000 in sales a day. This year, the seafood roadshow brought in around $4,000 in sales.

The special event happens twice a year: the weekend of Father’s Day and the weekend before the 4^th of July. As shoppers come up to the grocery store entrance, they'll see a welcoming seafood market filled with refreshing options. 

Trask said they are an event-driven sales store, and the seafood-focused event was thought up by previous owner and Tyler's father, Mike Trask.  

“The butcher block service case set up helps with sales,” Trask said. “In our store we wrap all of our seafood in trays and put them in a case, which is good. But when you put it in front of somebody on ice, we get a lot more play out of it and customers seem to like it a lot more. It has more of an appeal to them.”

Dungeness crab legs at this year's Granite Falls IGA seafood roadshow.  

With the store about 12 miles away from major bodies of water and several ports, offerings vary depending on what their seafood companies can acquire. But the store always has local products like clams, Copper River salmon, dungeness and king crab. They also have live lobsters brought in from Maine. 

“It all depends on the season," Trask said on product availability. "We were able to get some king crab legs that were massive. Even if they are pricey, people still are inclined to buy because it is a very indulgent kind of item during these weekends."

When those type of items are out front on a nice display of ice, the product feels a lot fresher to the shoppers. Pair that with staff who are passionate about seafood running the stand and building connections with shoppers, and it's a winning event that shoppers flock to every summer.

Fresh oysters on ice at the event.

“My advice is to just do it, just try it. As independents, we have a big leg up because we have personalities in our stores. And I think we have the ability to put on events that other stores would not,” Trask said. “It doesn't take a lot of effort to do — you can have one ice table or three ice tables — just put it out there and get it in front of people.”