Grocery stores tend to be overwhelming when you sit and think about how many products they actually hold. What’s even crazier is that the way the products are showcased all have meaning. Understanding the psychology behind product placement is imperative for retailers to know consumer behavior. Once you have this mastered, you can optimize your store layout for increased sales, better purchasing decisions, and an overall better shopping environment. Read about how S-Cube Fixtures dives into product placement, specifically in grocery stores, and how you can implement it yourself!
Understanding the Basics
Knowing how the human brain processes visual and spatial information is easier than it sounds. All you have to think about is how your own brain works when you’re in a store. Do you usually make decisions quickly? If so, having mental shortcuts within product placements can be beneficial for those types of shoppers. Here’s some strategic things to keep in mind:
Eye-Level Placement
Placing products at eye level is always more likely to be seen and purchased. This prime real estate area is often reserved for the higher ticket items or popular, well-known brands.
End Caps
At the end of every aisle, there’s a display that tends to catch the attention of many shoppers. End caps are highly beneficial for promotions or sales items. They’re so well known that many people try to seek them out first when they walk into a grocery store so they can get the best deal.
Impulse Zones
Impulse zones are similar to end caps in that they appeal to impulse buyers. However, impulse zones tend to be smaller sections near the checkout counter. They’re usually filled with small, easy-to-grab items so people can purchase them on the fly. Retail-ready fixtures are actually remarkable for displaying this type of merchandise.
Category Adjacency
Can’t have nacho chips without the cheese, right? Grocery store owners know that complementary products that sit beside each other encourage customers to make bundled purchases. Think about what products go with what next time you’re planning your layout, and you may be able to bundle quite a few products together for potential purchases.
How Placement Affects Consumer Behavior and Decision-making
When discussing product placement, there’s more to it than just putting a popular item at eye level. This strategy can influence a shopper’s thinking without them even knowing. For example, grocery store owners often put milk and eggs in the back so that shoppers pass by many other aisles and products before getting the bare essentials. Everything has an underlying thinking when it comes to store layout.
Related Article: Best Ways to Enhance Customer Experience
Techniques Used for the Best Product Placement
Retailers use many techniques to determine the best product placement. One in particular is color psychology. Different colors can evoke different emotions in customers, so many times; retailers purposefully use red displays to stimulate hunger or appetite for food-related products.
Also, retailers tend to use bright and attractive signage and lighting to draw attention to new products or sales. Even the time of year is a factor in boosting sales. Seasonal displays are always well-liked by everyone and can be a good strategy for customers to purchase multiple items.
Summary
Knowing why products are placed in certain places in a grocery store is a powerful tool to have as a retailer. Consider the psychology that goes into product placement and implement it in your layout to boost sales. Also, doing so may offer a better shopping experience. For retailers looking to upgrade their current setup, check out S-Cube Fixtures for custom displays, retail-ready fixtures, and more! We can help you create the most effective shopping environment today!
