At the height of the pandemic, social distancing and house searches have forced many consumers to experiment with digital purchasing options, such as food pickup and delivery. While digital shopping will certainly last, many consumers are starting to enter stores. Forbes reports that the number of visitors and store visits to stores, restaurants, and entertainment has increased by 44% since the beginning of 2021.
As in-store traffic grows, marketers must reach audiences based on shopping behavior. Here are three buying behaviors to consider when planning your in-store marketing strategy:
Consumer shopping lists are not marked
When compiling shopping lists, most consumers do not add brands to the list. Instead, they look for “meat for lunch”, “frozen pizza” or “detergent”. And yes, they may have a brand they are loyal to, but 75% of consumers have changed their preference for the brand in the past year.
To place your product in the shopping cart, you need to create a “moment” to inspire you to purchase. Inmar found that 80% of consumers are actively looking for deals when shopping in-store. Placing key phrases on the shelf, such as offers, a popular recipe to try, or how your product solves a shopper’s dilemma, can encourage them to choose your brand.
Buyers are price sensitive
Consumers see the prices of daily food and household items rising and this influences their purchasing decisions. Many (41%) believe that brands and retailers should find solutions to avoid price increases and choose to shop in different stores or buy different brands to cut costs.
Fortunately, 62% of shoppers have signed up for store loyalty programs, which play an important role in consumer decision-making. Getting discounts, points, or other credit through a retailer’s loyalty program—after purchasing a particular brand—influences 95% of the buyer’s decisions. Marketers can have a greater impact on in-store messaging by leveraging their partnerships with retailers to offer exclusive discounts to loyal members.
Don’t forget to monetize
Not only do shoppers start their journey without a specific brand, but their in-store experience directly influences their purchasing decisions. A survey of more than 3,000 shoppers found that 82% of their purchase decisions were made in-store, 62% made impulse purchases while shopping and 16% of unplanned purchases were due to in-store promotions.
The signage in the store may look old-fashioned, but in the current climate, they generate revenue. In a recent consumer survey, Inmar found that 69% of consumers remember seeing product ads in stores. Most importantly, these impressions led to browsing and buying. Of the shoppers who remembered seeing an ad in a store for a brand or retailer, 69% looked at the product and 61% bought the product.
The takeaway? Customer purchase decisions cannot be changed once they enter a store.
Buying decisions are made when the buyer, your product, and your shopping ad are in the right place at the right time. It is therefore essential to reach customers with the right message at the key moment of the decision.