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Maximising sales through effective shelf management and digital marketing strategies

June 2, 2023

Before digital marketing was a thing, shelf management did much of the heavy lifting for brick-and-mortar stores. But that’s no longer the case: today, businesses require a combination of both shelf management and digital marketing to maximise sales.

The truth is, without either one of these strategies, companies are missing out on potential revenue opportunities and leaving gaps in their market share. Without an effective digital presence, customers can’t find, learn about, and purchase products. Meanwhile, without proper shelf management, customers can’t interact with your brand or identify the right product when they walk into a store.

The key to maximizing sales lies in combining both strategies. Whether you’re firmly entrenched in a market or looking to gain a foothold in new markets, you’ll need to leverage digital strategies and shelf management in tandem to ensure success.

Continue reading to discover how this combo can help businesses increase their reach, drive conversions, and generate more revenue than ever before!

Old but gold: shelf management’s proven power

For those not old enough to remember, a time existed when customers searched store shelves for products they wanted to buy. This method was all about appealing visuals, product placement, and orderliness: you had to make sure all products were visible, labels were up-to-date, promotional signage was eye-catching, and the overall look of your store was clean and inviting.

Shelf management still plays a vital role in retail. This has been proven time and again in supermarkets, convenience stores, liquor stores, bookstores—you name it! No matter the industry, shelf management can drive revenue by increasing visibility, prompting purchases, and improving the overall customer experience.

Try to picture, for example, how convenience stores use this technique to their advantage. Have you ever noticed that candy bars, chips, and other snacks tend to be placed near the cash register? That’s because it encourages impulse buying—which has been proven to account for nearly half of all convenience store sales!

Shelf glides for beverages, dividers for baked goods, and other techniques also help to make products more accessible while creating a tidy and organized shopping experience.

Go digital: unlocking revenue potential

A digital presence is essential for any business looking to reach a larger audience and increase revenue. That’s because online platforms provide an incredibly powerful way to reach customers—not just in the local area but across the globe.

Using social media, email marketing, SEO, paid media and other online strategies can help your business drive conversions in ways that shelf management never could. For example, you can launch campaigns across multiple channels to raise awareness about a product or sale, target specific customer segments with personalized messages, and track detailed analytics to understand the performance of your initiatives.

As you continue to hone and adjust your digital strategies, you’ll be able to reach an ever-growing customer base and make purchases increasingly easier for them.

Maximising revenue with shelf management and digital marketing

Whether you own a small convenience store or manage an international retail chain, combining the power of shelf management with digital marketing can help you maximise sales.

This combo has been used successfully by businesses in all industries: supermarkets use it to drive impulse purchases; liquor stores use it to attract customers to specific products and offers; ecommerce shops use it to boost visibility and engagement, etc.

The possibilities are nearly endless. No matter what sector you’re in or what products you sell, the combination of shelf management and digital marketing can help your business reach new heights in customer engagement and sales.

Let’s take a closer look at two ways you can use this combo to sky-rocket your sales:

Back up your shelf management efforts with relevant online campaigns

Remember that consumers are deluged with online ads and messages every day. No matter how enticing your shelf display may be, your customers may not take the time to pick up your product if they haven’t even heard of it before.

Use your digital presence to back up your shelf management efforts: post updates about promotions, provide special offers exclusively online, and create content that will help customers understand the products you’re selling—providing that final nudge for customers to check them out in-store. 

Say you’re trying to sell a new type of sparkling water. You could place it prominently on the shelf, but why not back up that effort with an exciting video or blog post about the product’s benefits on your website? That way, the hype will start to build and customers will be more likely to pick it up when they see it on the shelf. 

Use data-driven decision making

Analytics are essential to understanding how well your shelf management and digital marketing efforts are performing. Detailed reports can help you identify which product placements make the most sense, what campaigns are resonating with customers, and where you should focus your efforts for maximum success.

Analytics can be especially useful when it comes to tracking customer behavior online. You can use these insights to understand what interests shoppers and how they engage with your content. This data can then be used to guide your shelf management efforts, helping you create displays that will evoke curiosity and drive more sales.

For example, if a product is selling well on your website but isn’t generating much interest in-store, you could adjust the placement of the item on the shelf and use prominent visuals to draw shoppers’ attention.

We’ve only just scratched the surface of the potential that shelf management and digital marketing have when used together. With careful planning, attention to detail, and a commitment to data-driven decision-making, this combo can help you maximize sales and reach new heights in customer engagement. So don’t wait—start leveraging the power of these two tactics in tandem today!

 

If you need help leveraging digital marketing for your brand, then get in touch today. FINN Partners is a London digital media agency committed to helping brand’s realise their full potential by providing a digital marketing service that helps fulfil their objectives.