In-store experiences are a great way to entice shoppers to make unplanned purchases. Most stores have implemented impulse buying strategies where shoppers enter the store to purchase one item but leave with multiple items. Brick-and-mortar stores can adopt several of these practices better than online retailers. So, how can they be successful in encouraging impulse buying? Having solutions like visual merchandising planogram software can help store staff place products that are relevant to each specific shopper to drive sales.
The Psychology Behind Impulse Buying
Did you know that store displays have an impact on how shoppers make impulse purchases? Although most customers would like to believe that they make their purchase decisions rationally, impulse buying has a significant emotional element to it. That is why impulse buying is termed ‘therapy’ if a shopper is feeling low. Around 70% of shopper’s purchase decisions are made in-store. This makes brick-and-mortar stores implement retail store planograms to encourage impulse buys. Planograms help shoppers place the right merchandise, enticing displays, and signages, to improve store layout design, so your customers get a sense of urgency to purchase. For example, if your customer loves cake and sees one at your shop, their brain activates a series of urges or desires to eat. It can be because of the strong smell of your shop, lighting, cake design or the display of cakes. The exact reason behind each impulse purchase is due to main components like value, urgency, and novelty. Now that you understand the psychology behind impulse buys, let us look at what drives customers to buy instantly:
- Create a path for shoppers to follow: Encouraging impulse buying requires the right mix of product categories and product placement. It is much easier to find the best placement for merchandise when shoppers follow a predetermined path in your store. By designing specific store layouts and understanding consumer behavior, you can lead shoppers past shelves with high demand items and plan for more customer traffic. When you decide to create a path for shoppers to pass through the aisle, you need to understand factors like when they will need a visual break, or when they are likely to linger, their way through the store. This will make it easier to determine the right placement for impulse displays.
- Eye-level product placement: Another key reason to rightly display your impulse purchase items is to ensure that they are easily visible to your customers. Your displays should be neither too high nor too low for the average shopper. The average shopper is not going to spend too much money on impulse purchases. That is why, price is one of the key factors in choosing the right items to use for impulse purchases. For checkout counters, it is best to keep low-priced items like candies, gift cards, magazines, and small toys. This will boost purchase values with products shoppers are ready to purchase without thinking twice. Another way to keep prices down is to use your designated impulse buying areas to display items that are on sale. Take perfumes or cosmetics for example. Stores frequently offer discounted samples of new fragrances and little add-ons right next to the checkout counter. Combining sales prices with the urgency of a limited-time promotion can boost sales.
- Draw attention to impulse buys: Let us say you have found the perfect place for your impulse purchase items — the next step is to draw your shopper’s attention towards them, which is best done using color blocking, lighting, and signage. When it comes to your choice of colors, it is best to stick with your brand’s color scheme or use bright and bold colors. Try colors or lighting that sets the display apart from the rest of the store. Use signage on and around shelves to get shopper’s attention, like flat 10% off or buy one, get one free offer.
- Showcase seasonal or cross-merchandise items: Seasonal items like scented candles, body lotions, decor, clothing, or food items are one of the best choices for your impulse displays because they tap into that sense of urgency only available for a limited time. Choosing to display seasonal items can make you change displays regularly, which is key to winning impulse purchases from existing shoppers who have seen your displays before. Another effective way to encourage impulse purchases is to cross-merchandise products with complementary items. For example, displaying socks near shoes can help you move small and affordable items easily.
Planogram Impulse Buying: Final Thoughts
Mastering how to get customers to make more purchases is considered the most crucial factor in retail. But getting customers to purchase impulse items must be done more carefully than simply providing a promotion. A well-designed store layout, shelf space, and the right merchandise with the help of planograms can keep shoppers attracted to your store. Implementing the right shelf planning solutions for your store can drive sales and create exciting shopping experiences that customers will remember.
