Joan Treistman

CPGmatters: Supervalu Boosts Brands by Re-engineering Center Store

August 10, 2010

FROM RETAILWIRE:
When it came to the crucial but outmoded center of their stores, Supervalu executives realized that shoppers were drowning in merchandising messages, price promotions and other communications. What do you think of Supervalu's attempts to de-clutter messaging around the center store?      [more...]

I am surprised whenever retailers and marketers are surprised that consumers are not paying attention to the signage and display material that clutters their shopping environment. It's not difficult to document the in-store buying process (call me and I'll tell you how).

You can observe shoppers making their choices and OMG, no signs are observed or used. Consumers oftentimes make a beeline for the category display, recognized by packaging for the products themselves and then use packaging for the brands to help them decide what to buy.

I've been using eye tracking for over thirty years to record what shoppers don't see and what they see in the store. Upon interviewing the shoppers immediately after the process they are shocked to see (when it's pointed out to them) all the signage, but hard pressed to consider using it in the future...unless they were having difficulty finding what they are looking for and the signs seem to have some immediate communication advantage (rarely).

But signage was never what consumers expected to use. It wasn't part of their process and chances are it won't be in the future.

This article points out the downside of too much signage distracting consumers from what they want. But it never suggests that shoppers were trying to use the signs and displays to expedite their shopping experience. Point proved.