How to improve in-store product visibility

Online CPG sales may be growing at an unprecedented rate. But that doesn’t mean shoppers have abandoned the in-store experience.

According to a recent survey, 93% of consumers made an in-store grocery purchase in the past three months. The in-store shopping trip is clearly alive and well.

But we must accept that things have changed dramatically over the past few years.

CPG retail has gone hybrid. Shoppers use their smartphones to research products online before they make a purchase. They look at online reviews. They click and collect.

This spells big changes for brands – and how they better achieve in-store product visibility. Let’s take a look. 

Why is product visibility important?

Retail settings are brand battlegrounds – where CPG products have to stand out if they’re to be noticed and purchased by consumers.

When you have good in-store product visibility, it’s easy for shoppers to discover and engage with your products.

This has always been the case. But there are a couple of reasons why product visibility is particularly important right now.

Firstly, consumers are less brand loyal than they used to be. They’re more willing to pick up and try a competitor’s brand, particularly as supply chain issues hit retailers.

According to an Inmar Intelligence survey, 80% of consumers bought a different brand than usual in the previous three months, motivated by stock availability and pricing.

Secondly, as online sales increased, brick-and-mortar retailers worked to differentiate their offering. Many have embraced the concept of the experience economy.

The result? Shops are no longer simply a place to buy goods but also a place for discovery and entertainment.

The rules of in-store product visibility have changed.

What’s the impact of having low product visibility?

Even if you have a prime shelf spot for your CPG products, if consumers aren’t actually seeing those products, it can have a huge impact on your business.

• You make fewer sales – consumers can’t buy what they can’t see
• Previous customers switch brands – because they can’t find yours
• Retailers reduce your shelf space – they want the highest-selling brands in prime positions

All of which means there’s never been a better time for CPG brands to examine and update their in-store product visibility strategy.

How to improve product visibility

So how do you get shoppers to notice your CPG product? As well as securing premium shelf space, consider any or all of the following.

Use product displays

Product displays catch the eye of consumers. So talk with your retail partners about your in-store display options.

You can use end caps, customized display units, simple shelf wobblers or a video to highlight your brand and products to consumers.

Ensure you never go out of stock

The ultimate failure in product visibility? Out-of-stocks – when consumers can’t even find your product on the shelf.

Not only are you failing to attract new customers, you also risk losing loyal customers to competing brands.

So what can you do to reduce the number of stock-outs your brand experiences?

Upgrade systems

Manual inventory systems are prone to error. But technology is your friend.

Digitize your inventory system, so product levels are automatically updated at every stage of the product journey.

When manufacturers, distributors, and retailers all have the right information at their fingertips, it’s a lot less likely you’ll end up with empty shelf space.

Fine-tune forecasting

When you can make accurate predictions about future product demand, you can give your retail partners all the stock they need.

To fine-tune your forecasting, track sales, and stock-out trends over an annual basis. This will help you to find the months, weeks, and days when consumers just can’t get enough of your product.

Offer in-store experiences

Brands are tempting consumers into stores with exciting retail experiences, like luxury vending machines, mini stores within a store, and interactive experiences that shoppers are eager to share on social media.

Product personalization is also popular. For example, beauty brand Birchbox partnered with Walgreens and allowed customers to  make their own custom Birchboxes in-store.

Create your own engaging in-store experiences to get shoppers interested in your brand.  

Embrace the hybrid shopping experience

To win over in-store customers, you have to embrace the fact that they’re looking at your product both in-store and online.

That means you have to ace both channels, keeping your communications consistent throughout.

Ready for a few hybrid product visibility ideas?

Maximize product reviews

Nine out of ten consumers read online reviews before making a product purchase. So make sure your product reviews are visible to consumers.  

Prompt any direct-to-consumer customers to leave product reviews. And, with the help of smart packaging (more on this below), prompt in-store customers to do the same.

Harness the power of social media

We know that two in three CPG shoppers research digitally before or while shopping for a product.

So even if the majority of your sales are made in-store, your brand still needs an online marketing strategy to stand out from the competition.

Start with social. It’s affordable, and it gives your brand the social proof it needs to build trust amongst your prospective customer base.

Develop smart packaging

Put a QR code on your packaging so customers can link straight to additional product information.

You can share supply chain or sustainability details, showcase reviews, offer discounts and link to exclusive content. You can even start a post-sale conversation that helps you sign up a customer for future comms and benefits.  

Take inspiration from the QR code on Funny-Frisch’s potato chip packaging.

Consumers who scanned the code activated a mobile game experience. For each new potato chip flavor logged, consumers went up a level and eventually got entered into a competition to win a year’s supply of their favorite flavor.

Use your packaging to link in-store and digital worlds, and your product will stand out from others on the shelf.

Use a distributor with proficient in merchandising

Buffalo Market can help you to optimize your in-store displays to boost engagement and sales. To find out more about our merchandising services, schedule a demo with one of our experts today!