If you’re in the CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) business, then you probably understand that grocery stores these days have a massive range of foods and other products available to customers. That’s why signage is especially important. It enables customers to navigate the aisles, indicates which items are on sale, and creates an overall consistent environment. Additionally, many stores use signs to tell shoppers about locally grown foods or organic foods.
It’s critical to ensure that grocery store signage is informative and helpful above all else. This is what will encourage brand loyalty with shoppers and ultimately improve your sales. So, why not take the time to speak with some of your customers before you move forward with your signage strategy? There is no better way to determine what they prefer for sign colors, sizes, lettering, design, location, etc.
A survey would be very helpful in this regard so that you can simply make note of their comments. After you have gathered all of the results, take a look at your current design and determine the discrepancies between what you have and some of the suggested themes. This will help to you make the best choices possible when designing your signage. Remember, different generations and age groups will have different preferences regarding packaging and signage. A recent article in Forbes cited that “Millennials will spend $65 billion on consumer-packaged goods over the next decade.” This is not a demographic you would want to miss out on by failing to do enough research.
After you’ve been able to determine what your customers want from your brand you can work toward implementing those suggestions. As far as the type of signage is concerned, you have a great number of options available, but you should still be taking into consideration the needs and wants of your customers. The key is to ensure that signs are eye-catching, visible, and informative. Shelf signs help to steer the grocery shopping process – whether customers are conscious of this or not.
Here is a list of several effective tactics used in the grocery retail world that will help you generate brand buzz:
Utilize Experiential Marketing. One of the best ways to get customers purchasing your brand is to have them try your product. Sometimes just seeing your product on the shelf won’t be enough to influence someone to buy – especially if the product is new. However, if you offer them the chance to test the product the results will be likely be positive. Never underestimate the power of direct person-to-person communication by using sampling tactics.
Acknowledge Generational Differences. This is one of the most important things when it comes to targeting and reaching every possible person in your market. In the past, many brands and retailers alike have chosen to focus their attention on one specific demographic, without recognizing the differences and how to target each group. Why not make use of the vast amount of research that has been done on generational differences in the CPG industry? That way you can incorporate those findings into your retail merchandising campaign.
Audit Retail Processes. Being on top of what’s going on in the retail chains that carry your goods is crucial for your bottom line, and one of the best ways to do this is by keeping an eye on how retailers are handling your product. Retail intelligence through mystery shopping, and promotional execution can give you a leg up and help you maintain control. This means ensuring that employees can answer questions about your products, and that special promotions are in the right location. More importantly, you can make certain that shelves are stocked correctly with your products.
Leverage Social Media. It is not possible to stress enough the importance of taking advantage of social media, and for good reason. Social media has become an essential tool when it comes to bringing in sales, both through the ability to influence sales and to improve in store experiences. Make sure that you are staying in touch with customer expectations, and responding when necessary.
Topics cpg, grocery, Brand buzz