Vestcom unveils a comprehensive guide to maximizing the effectiveness of in-store activations with evidence-based best practices based on real-world campaign learnings and recent shopper insights.
In-store is where intention turns into action. As retailers expand their in-store media across both analog and digital surfaces, brands need practical guidance that enhances, not hinders, the shopping journey. In this article you can preview: Vestcom’s Guide to Effective In-Store Messagingcombines shopper perspectives from recent research with learnings from thousands of real-world campaigns to distill what works best in-store to help brand teams design simple, impactful messages that drive measurable results.
Inside, we provide helpful guidance to both brands and retailers to optimize their content strategies with the voice of the shopper in mind. Everything from what to say, where to say it, and how to work more effectively is possible – with clear, creative best practices, smart digital connections, and an industry-leading measurement approach.
Vestcom’s Guide to Effective In-Store Messaging
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The Secret to Delivering Impactful In-Store Messages that Drive Action
Daily foot traffic in stores is enormous, with approximately 30 million grocery store visits each weekday across the United States. The captive audiences that walk through these stores rival the reach of the biggest moments in media. A recent study by Vestcom found that shoppers are three times more likely to let in-store messaging influence their decision to purchase a new product than digital advertising. Treating your store as a true media channel through compelling, purposeful, creative, and closed-ended measurement is how brands turn that traffic into profitable volume.
Our new guide reveals patterns that drive results universally across categories. Three out of four shoppers say they make unplanned purchases as a result of seeing in-store marketing. We investigate the types of messages that are most impactful and when, where and how to best engage shoppers throughout their in-store journey.
Here are four practical plays every brand can implement across its stores.
1) Lead with value beyond price
Prices and promotions continue to be one of the most influential message types, but research shows that messages about functional benefits, health and wellness, new products, or seasonal copy reliably impress shoppers. The point is to center your message around proof points that build value, such as “lasts longer,” “clean ingredients,” or “new this season.” This is how you can increase your basket without relying solely on big discounts.
2) Connect your message to the moment
The context is the creative brief. Intuitively create messages tailored to the moment and mindset of the shopper journey. Establish direction, key brand messages and values upon entry. Drive discovery and education on and around the endcap to drive shoppers into your store and encourage them to convert. Aisles provide clear and compelling reasons to buy to close the sale.
3) Connect the physical and the digital without adding friction.
Our research shows that 45% of shoppers frequently use their phones to find product information while in the store. Use that action to expand the story. QR codes allow you to provide scannable recipe shortcuts, deep-linked in-app coupons, or expanded product information to increase engagement without cluttering your creative. Treat physical assets as links and digital engagement as extensions.
4) Measure what matters and scale what works.
In-store must adhere to the same standards as all performance channels. Combining retailer POS data with test versus control methodologies can help isolate incremental impacts. Teams that plan, test, learn, and scale see their results scale. Our experience shows that when we guide brands to apply these store performance insights, they optimize their campaigns for greater impact and achieve consistent sales growth and return on advertising spend.
Why This Matters Now
Although retail media has gone mainstream, a digital-first mindset is starting to migrate to stores, acknowledging mass audience reach and contextual relevance, with more than 85% of purchases still taking place in-store. Budgets that focus too much on upper-funnel strategies risk missing opportunities to influence consumers at key moments of action. Whether you’re planning to launch a new item, enhance product benefits, build a prescription or increase use cases, physical stores can drive more sales than any other channel.
Vestcom’s Guide to Effective In-Store Messages provides actionable best practices for delivering clear, relevant messages at the moments when it’s important to motivate shoppers in their purchase intent, with a practical testing and optimization loop to transform your store into a consistent, measurable driver of incremental growth.
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