Few deli categories are evolving as rapidly—and generating greater merchandising opportunities—than cheese.

With more consumers switching from conventional processed cheeses to gourmet-quality natural products that are available in a wider range of flavors and textures, retailers of all sizes are bolstering their selections and creating elaborate displays to spotlight the specialty and imported items.

Operators are looking to capitalize on a vibrant natural (non-processed) cheese sector that Chicago-based research firm Euromonitor Inc. projects will grow 13 percent from 2007 to 2012.

Consumers often learn about the many cheese options during their overseas travels or through television cooking programs and the Internet.

Yet, along with the growth come marketing challenges. With many retailers carrying hundreds of cheese varieties, it is imperative that they educate shoppers on the diverse attributes if they are to entice customers to expand their range of purchases.

“It’s very important that customers know details about the cheeses if sales are to increase,” says Sandra Dietrich, a cheese manager at Menlo Park, Calif.-based Draeger’s Super Markets Inc., a chain of three stores in Northern California that carry more than 300 artisan selections.

Draeger’s solution is to display an information card alongside every cheese product.

Data includes the country of origin, whether it was developed with milk from a sheep, cow or goat, and the type of wine that goes best with the item.

“Many shoppers won’t know about the fat content by just listing the name of the cheese,” Dietrich notes. “Goat and sheep’s milk have less fat than cow’s milk.”

Draeger’s sells cheeses that were produced in Holland, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, Spain, England, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Germany, France, Finland, Portugal, California, Ohio, Vermont and Wisconsin.

The most popular imported selections include Manchego from Spain, Fromager from France and Reggiano Parmigiano from Italy.

Dietrich says she visits dairies and farms in Europe and attends food shows to learn about the plethora of varieties.

Deli associates who can converse with shoppers about the cheeses also are vital sales drivers.

Such employees must be able to describe how the various cheeses are made, how the flavors differ, and the recommended food pairings, she notes.

Stores also benefit from frequent product samplings, Dietrich adds.

“Many shoppers are unfamiliar with the tastes of different cheeses, but when they try they often buy,” she notes.

Indeed, Michael Collins, marketing director for the Portland, Maine-based Cheeses of France Marketing Council, which promotes French cheeses in the U.S., says his organization’s demos have generated double-digit sales boosts in retail outlets.

Collins says about 40 percent of the available cheeses sold during recent Marketing Council sampling events in 500 stores. Shoppers tasted approximately 65 types of cheese during the demos.

“Today’s consumers are more willing to experiment with different cheeses,” he notes. “Even with the poor economy, sales of our more expensive products are growing the fastest. Cheese is an important element in the trend towards eating and entertaining at home.”

More shoppers, he states, are seeking upscale trays that contain varieties of cheeses, and want to match the items with specific wines.

Merchandisers, in response, can benefit from cross-marketing cheese and wine, or recommending combinations on signage, he says.

“Consumers want convenience so it is important to help them make easier decisions,” Collins adds. “They can get overwhelmed from all the different choices.”

The Marketing Council educates shoppers with brochures that detail where specific cheeses were developed and their unique tastes.

Literature also describes how customers can create attractive cheese plates with different themes, such as a breakfast platter or champagne tray.

“There is a growing fascination with food, wine and global trends and people want to taste new things,” Collins says. “With about a thousand different cheeses produced in France alone, there is a lot of variety.”

Pete Buol, director, retail programs, for the Madison, Wis.-based Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB), notes that there also is greater demand for the wide variety of specialty cheeses being developed in the U.S. The most popular selections include Blue, Feta, Brie and Asiago.

“Consumers’ desire for adventurous foods is leading to greater choices in supermarkets, especially for ethnic varieties,” he notes.

More retailers are supporting their specialty cheeses with “upscale” merchandising. That includes adding “boutique aspects” to the deli, including better-trained clerks and more fresh-cut products, Buol notes.

Indeed, Giant Eagle Inc., a Pittsburgh-based chain of 220 supermarkets in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Maryland, offers more than 400 varieties of cheese in many of its outlets and supports the category with a “Cheesemonger” program.

Cheese department personnel go through “Cheesemonger” training—an annual series of four, four-hour sessions where associates are versed on merchandising techniques, including the best ways to slice cheese and market cheese-related accoutrements.

Associates who complete the program wear berets that signify their expertise.

Giant Eagle also is among the growing base of retailers that are using stand-alone island cheese displays and counters to spotlight premium and value-added items.

Such displays frequently include cheese-friendly accompaniments, such as pears or figs.

Other effective marketing strategies include the distribution of recipe cards in which cheese is a key ingredient; couponing; and the featuring of cheese in advertising circulars and on supermarket Web sites, Buol states.

The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board provides retailers with merchandising materials as part of its “Toolbox” concept. The promotion allows stores to pick themes and to launch campaigns that are uniquely their own in terms of content and timing.

Among the elements are co-branded signs and recipe cards. Themes include Holiday Cooking and Entertaining, Grilling, Hispanic Cheeses, Cheese of the Month, Award-Winning Cheeses, Football and Basketball.

Retailers also can play WMMB-produced videos in stores and on their Web sites. The more than 50 cheese videos are 60 to 90 seconds in length. Among the categories are Education, Recipes, Entertaining, Tips and Varieties.

Buol, meanwhile, predicts an even greater focus by merchandisers on cheese marketing.

“More natural, specialty and artisan cheeses will be offered at retail and more highly flavored cheeses—including aged, washed rind and ripened—will be available,” he states. “Supermarkets also will adopt the look and feel of boutique cheese departments.”