Although online shopping and social media continue to grow and transform the retailing experience, point-of-sale materials remain a critical factor for store-based retailers.

Consider these observations from FESPA, a global federation of 37 national associations:

“Point of Sale (POS), promotional, and in-store packaging are becoming increasingly important to brand marketers, with many investing in neurological research to find out why we buy what we buy.”

“It’s said that the point of sale (POS) is the last great marketing opportunity. After the multi-million [dollar] TV spots, print campaigns, billboard ads, focus groups, and social media chatter, whether a product sells often comes down to a quick decision made in a supermarket aisle.  That decision depends on a huge range of factors: discounts, placement, whether the customer is male or female, how much time they have, pester power, and obviously, requirement.”

“When we shop, up to 80% of our purchase decisions are made at the POS. So it should come as no surprise that brands regard this point in the customer journey as vital – so vital that a specialist industry sector has emerged to cater for this increasing demand for insight into the mind of the customer. Shopper marketing – the science of attracting customers to in-store products – isn’t particularly new. Ever since the first shopkeeper began placing high-margin goods at eye level after noticing these were often the first to sell out, shopper marketing has been around for centuries. But what’s different now is the level of complexity and sophistication required to keep brands shifting product in the face of increased in-store and online competition.”

“With the average person assaulted by over 170 marketing messages on a typical journey to work, it’s becoming more and more difficult to attract and retain customer attention, so brands are placing more importance on the in-store experience. Indeed, research by Booz & Co for the Grocery Manufacturers of America found that some brands are actually spending more on shopper marketing than digital marketing.”

Click the image to learn more from FESPA.

Credit for Slides: Michelle Adams, Founder & President, Marketing Brainology

Post suggested by Bekir Telek