Digital Marketing and In-Store Merchandising: Two Peas in the Same Pod
It was not difficult to
recognize the hot topic at the
recent
Shopper Marketing Expo in
Chicago: the role of digital
marketing in the retail
merchandising process. This
trend is unmistakable in the
today’s retail environment.
Consumers can access via their
computer or smartphone all the
information and data they need
before entering the store to
make a purchase.
According to a report from Forrester Research, 42% of all in-store retail sales are influenced by consumer’s activity online. Kanter Media’s Online Shopper Intelligence Study found that 79% of consumers research products on the web a majority of the time before shopping in the store.
Google has even anointed this phenomenon with new moniker: The Zero Moment of Truth. This is an evolutionary addition from Proctor and Gamble’s doctrine of the First Moment of Truth which is defined as the moment a shopper decides to purchase a product at the store shelf. With the rapid adoption of personal digital technology, the line between when a person transforms from consumer to a shopper is even more blurred. Is it in the store or in front of their computer?
There’s no doubt that e-circulars, downloadable coupons and shopping list apps will continue to gain traction with shoppers. But it remains to be seen if online engagement tactics be the bright, shiny object of the month or the next magic bullet for retailers and consumer packaged goods companies. Only time will tell as budgets are shifted from one media to another and actual sales results reveal what works.
However, the one constant that will never change is the emotional stimulus that occurs during the moment of purchase in the store. This is where in-store merchandising will always play a significant role in the process. From point of purchase headers, product pallet displays and well merchandised end-caps, there is always an opportunity for impulse to play a role.
No matter how well prepared a consumer might be as they enter the store, there will always be a moment where they can choose a competitor’s brand. The question should also be - How are the other 48% making their decisions in Forrester’s study? There are so many factors that go into the path to purchase. To be sure, the process of selecting a can of beans is much different from deciding which HDTV to purchase. In both cases, the merchandising at the shelf is the final source of information they are exposed to before they moment of decision.
Product marketers should be careful to always remember that end of the shopping process is just as critical as the starting point of the process. It may not be as exciting as the newest digital marketing technique, but proven point of purchase merchandising has proven its value for many years.
The journey to product purchase decision is a complex process that varies from shopper to shopper and every moment of truth is important. It is important to remember that In-store merchandising and digital marketing are truly two peas in the same pod looking for the same result – to make the sale.
The moral of the story is: don't forget the in store merchandising!
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