It's about you: shops reach beyond the till

RETAILERS are investing in increasingly sophisticated marketing strategies to make it harder for shoppers to hold their cash.

A study, the first of its kind, has revealed that about a third of retailers have used strategies that go well beyond point-of-sale marketing and in-store promotion.

Dubbed ''shopper marketing'', the strategies include in-store media and theatre, digital and electronic displays, transit media, websites, social media, more effective lighting and more interactive sampling/demonstrations.

The study, Shopper Marketing: The Journey Begins, was conducted by the Global Association for Marketing at Retail, POPAI Australia and New Zealand and the research firm ShopAbility.

Through face-to-face and telephone interviews and an online survey with industry professionals it found that shopper marketing was still in its infancy in Australia, with two thirds of retailers not yet engaged in it.

Karen Spear, the general manager of POPAI, said shopper marketing was expected to improve the retail experience through enhanced consumer insights and better loyalty programs.

"New marketing trends on the horizon coupled with this greater awareness among retailers will mean that Australian shoppers can expect a much more engaging and exciting shopping experience in the near future," she said.

Nina Hendy
August 20, 2010

Sydney Morning Herald