Shopper Marketing Today

Academic research has shown the importance of point-of-purchase marketing stimuli for influencing in-store buying decisions. (See this classic 1990 study, for instance).

Yet in recent years, the increased availability of information to supplement in-store buying decisions has altered the dynamics of shopper marketing. Consumers frequently research brands and products before entering the store...knowing exactly what they want and what they want to spend as they walk down each aisle.

So what does this mean for shopper marketing in 2017?

• Retailers are personalizing offers via app, email, and snail mail. This strengthens ties with existing customers and allows the stores to present relevant offers to interested buyers, keeping brands top of mind.
• Manufacturers are still paying for in-store displays, but doing more checking to see that the displays actually get set up in visible areas.  
• Manufacturers are seeking ways to differentiate products in the store--such as printing the "time of manufacture" on juice so shoppers can determine how fresh each product really is, compared with competing products.
• Retailers are catering to the showrooming trend by offering actual showrooms, with purchases optional (or not even accommodated). Target's showroom for at-home technology is an opportunity to educate. "These products don’t sell themselves, and we are trying to tell a bigger story. We’re asking Americans to become the technologists of tomorrow," explains a Target innovation exec.