Researchers have studied product placement and its impact on consumer behavior for decades. While some argue that using psychological tactics to influence consumer behavior can be manipulative, others believe this type of research can enhance the shopping experience. At Cayuga, we believe the latter to be true.
As we see it, grocers should have two objectives: to earn profits and serve the public. To be successful, both these objectives must be fulfilled, but serving the public should be your number one priority. If you fail to win over customers, you won’t have any profits.
At Cayuga, we use customer research when designing our displays. Our goal is twofold: to help grocers position their products to influence customer decisions while making shopping easier and more enjoyable for those customers.
How grocery displays affect customer behavior
Grocery displays play a crucial role in maximizing product placement to influence customer behavior:
Visibility and Attractiveness The abundance of product choices and sensory overload can overwhelm shoppers, making it more difficult for them to make decisions. Well-placed displays — like an attractive and colorful arrangement of ripe strawberries and juicy mangoes in a Fresh-Go Bin — catch the customer's eye, resulting in an impulse purchase.
Promotions and Sales Most people shop on autopilot with a list, purchasing the same items week after week. A great display showcasing promotional items, special offers, or new products can interrupt their pattern and encourage them to try something new — like a display featuring variety of gourmet cheeses paired with artisan crackers, accompanied by a sign announcing a special tasting event.
Cross-Selling and Upselling Continuously having to make choices while shopping can lead to decision fatigue, where shoppers become mentally exhausted and find it harder to make decisions — so we try to make those decisions easier by filling displays with complementary offerings.
Imagine your customer walking toward the coffee aisle and seeing a beautiful display of premium coffee coffee beans alongside gourmet biscotti and elegant coffee mugs. The strategic placement of these complementary items are enticing, prompting them to indulge in a more luxurious coffee experience than originally planned — resulting in a larger purchase than initially intended.
Seasonal and Trend-Based Displays Our flexible displays make it easy for grocers to align their displays with specific seasons, holidays, or current trends to create a sense of urgency and relevance, ultimately driving sales.
During the summer, for example, imagine how shoppers feel as they enter the grocery store and are greeted by a vibrant display of fresh fruits, colorful picnic supplies, and refreshing beverages. Or a display featuring canning equipment and sugar next to the fresh peaches. Sometimes, customers don’t know what they need until we show them.
Brand Awareness and Loyalty A well-curated display that consistently reflects the brand's visual identity, color schemes, and messaging helps reinforce brand recognition, fostering loyalty amongst customers. Because our displays are customizable, it’s possible to incorporate brand-specific elements such as brand colors into displays. This helps strengthen brand recall and differentiates your store from your competitors.
Consistent and appealing displays not only make shopping a visually pleasing experience — they help increase trust and reinforce brand loyalty over time.
Improve Traffic Flow Strategically placed displays can create designated pathways or "aisles" within the store, guiding customers through different sections and categories. This helps improve traffic flow, prevent congestion, and make navigation more intuitive for shoppers.
Having eye-catching displays at key locations — like the checkout — draw customers' attention and encourage impulse purchases.
Helping shoppers shop, and retailers earn profits At Cayuga, we believe the use of psychology can be a powerful tool for boosting sales and enhancing the shopping experience — and we use what we learn from psychology to thoughtfully design and build our displays.
Our flexible collection of displays — including Fresh-Go Bins, Market Tables, Self-Service Displays and a host of other products — helps retailers provide value, convenience, and a positive shopping experience to their customers.
