3. Customers are unsure which vendors accept HIP

Available resources:

• You can request printed signs from CISA (reach out to Zoey) or the DTA.
• All kinds of printed signs available on CISA’s HIP Retailer Resources page!
• HIP flyers in multiple languages are available on the mass.gov website.
• Prepare customers ahead of time by sharing market and vendor info to the HIP-Healthy Incentives Program, Pioneer Valley Facebook page.

One recommended example: 

• Weatherproof, waterproof signs clipped to the edge of booth tents let customers see which vendors take SNAP and HIP at a glance. It makes it look more like a grocery store, with aisle markers.
• This is one kind of sign available on CISA’s HIP Retailer Resources page!

Tips from market managers:

• Make a HIP sandwich board at the front and back of the market with arrows pointing to the active HIP vendors, or encourage HIP vendors to make a HIP A-frame sign to place in front of their booth. This way customers don’t have to walk all the way to the manager’s tent to find out who is accepting HIP.
• Print out lists of which vendors accept HIP, and have this posted and available for customers to take at all times. It saves a lot of energy repeating which vendors accept HIP when you can give out a list people can take with them.
•  Encourage your vendors to display their durable, HIP logo signs prominently on the front portion of their booth space, so that customers walking by can see them from afar. If vendors want a HIP sign next to their register, make sure they have additional signage in a place that won’t be blocked from view during busy times at the booth. Have a HIP logo sign on hand at the market manager’s booth, and direct EBT customers to look for that logo at participating HIP vendors’ booths.
• Create a map of the market, with vendor names and HIP/SNAP eligibility clearly labeled. Hand out to customers entering the market.