Traditional, “Low Tech” Point-of-Sale Outperforms Technology-Based Tactics

12/17/2010

In our most recent addition to The Brandon Agency’s “Why We Buy” study, several insights were revealed into consumer behavior and how we are impacted at point-of-sale.  By understanding the effects of the various tactics on specific behavior at point-of-sale (POS), marketers can introduce strategies to influence purchase, shift loyalty and/or induce first-time purchases.  Our notable findings include:

In this study, 86% of respondents consider themselves somewhat, very or extremely loyal to products and brands.  So, to better understand what marketing tactics truly have an influence consumer purchases and loyalty, and actually get people to purchase new products, we analyzed behavior and influence of multiple types.

We discovered that to shift loyalty and induce first time purchases at POS, hands-on, low-tech tactics such as trial/sampling, coupon dispensers and sales signage are the top three influencers, while their more technical counterparts such as QR codes, in-store video and interactive touch screens were the least influential.

Time is also a factor.  Consumers are four times more likely to take the time to try in-store samples while on a “major shopping trip” or “browsing” when compared to shopping from a list,.

While younger consumers are beginning to adopt new technologies at point-of-sale, QR codes have not established a foothold at POS with consumers and are “not likely” to use them or understand how to use them.

With regard to how much awareness a consumer needs to have in order to willingly participate in in-store sampling, advertising is important in pre-disposing them so they have “heard of it – but not yet tried it”.  51% of respondents said tactics, such as in-store samples, would get them to purchase a product they had heard of, but never tried.

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