Many small and medium size meat processors have their own retail area in which they sell products to the public. As 2017 gets underway it is a good time to think about ways to increase sales.

Following are examples of specialty meat products that can be featured for different holidays and different seasons of the year. You can be very creative coming up with specialty products for different occasions. You know what types of products your customers like. Don’t forget to consider different ethnic flavors popular in your area.

Valentine’s Day — Feature specialty pre-seasoned steaks, chops or roasts that someone can use to make a special meal for their valentine.

St. Patrick’s Day — This is a great time to feature corned beef.

Easter — Ham is a popular meat for Easter Sunday dinner. Brown sugar, honey or some other type of specialty ham is often a hit with customers. You can feature boneless ham pre-sliced and ready to be put on a platter or in a pan and easily reheated in the microwave or oven. You can provide recipes for several different glazes that can be put on the ham. What a great way to make it easy to prepare the meat for a memorable Easter Sunday dinner.

Mother’s Day and Father’s Day — Both holidays provide excellent opportunities to feature specialty items. Feature items that have already been cooked or are pre-seasoned and ready to cook.

Summer — Summer is a great time for family get-togethers, outdoor parties and tailgating at sporting events. It is an excellent time to feature meat items for outdoor cooking. Feature different flavored bratwurst and ground beef patties that contain specialty seasonings. Pizza burgers and barbecue burgers can make a summertime cookout fun.

Fall — When it starts to get cooler in the fall feature different types of fresh sausage that can be used to make tasty biscuits and gravy. Provide some recipes for your customer to use.

Halloween — Come up with something scary or at least with a scary name for moms and dads to use to make a special treat for their trick-or-treaters.

Thanksgiving — Thanksgiving is the perfect time to feature turkey; boneless turkey roasts, bone-in turkey breasts and whole turkeys. Consider offering precooked turkeys and roasts to make meal preparation easier for your customers.

Christmas — I know several families whose Christmas tradition is beef prime rib. Why not feature a beef prime rib that is already seasoned and ready to be cooked? You can add additional holidays or special occasions to this list.

There are several things you can do to increase the success of your specialty products promotion.

• Develop a flyer for 2017 that lists the specialty items you are offering.
• Frame a large version of your flyer (in a distinctive frame) and display it in your sales area.
• Have copies of your flyer in your sales area where customers can pick one up.
• For each holiday or special occasion promote the appropriate item on your website.
• Pick specialty items that make meal preparation easier for your customers. Today’s consumers like items that are convenient.
• Furnish preparing and serving suggestions for your specialty items. Give a copy with each item sold.
• Request your customers order their specialty items ahead of time. This helps assure you will have adequate product to meet your customer requests.

Remember: One of the best ways to achieve success is to Plan for Success.