I enjoyed reading Inbound Marketing, Get Found Using Google, Social Media, and Blogs. It’s written by among others, Brian Halligan, CEO of Hubspot who’s made an astute observation:

“People shop and learn in a whole new way compared to just a few years ago so marketers need to adapt or risk extinction.” When you look at retailing Brian’s point is spot on as we’re dealing with a rapidly changing audience. Shoppers are:

• Omnichannel astute: People combine on-line, social channels, mobile and the store in ways that are most convenient to them (and demand that prices are consistent across them)

• Tech savvy: They expect the store environment to be as slick and customer-focused as online experiences

• Showroomers: 76%^[1] regularly research products in a bricks-and-mortar store before buying online

• After a deal: 77% are more likely to shop at a store that has a loyalty program while 57% are more likely to shop at a store if they receive push coupons^[2]

As retailers look to build long lasting relationships with customers, in an environment where they have much more choice, how can Electronic Shelf Labels help you engage with and build longer lasting and more profitable relationships with shoppers? Here are my top 7 ideas:

1. Price dynamically: With no limits pricing you can price as quickly and accurately in store as you can online, ensure prices are consistent across all channels and build confidence with customers that they’re getting the best price, availability and service – always.

2. Embrace showrooming: With the option to display competitors’ prices on your labels you can show customers there’s no better deal to be had elsewhere (persuading them to buy from you there and then).

3. Be transparent: With six ‘flippable’ pages per display, you can show pretty much any information you want – from origin to price per kilo, sustainability, recipe ideas, compliance data, social reviews and many more – responding to customers’ desires for more insight about product sourcing, ingredients, recycling, etc…

4. Connect in-aisle: Using our ESLs with low energy Bluetooth beacons, you can engage shoppers in-aisle and use your app to send personalised offers to their smartphones at the moment they’re thinking about a purchase.

5. Create eye-catching promotions: Easily create and distribute promos and offers – to one shelf, or thousands – in seconds

6. Reduce the need to ‘flash clear’: Using dynamic pricing strategies you can clear overhanging stock and reduce waste – while protecting margin.

7. Help increase brand visibility: Help CPG companies to promote, introduce or highlight their products at the shelf-edge. You can also allow partners to put their logos on specific labels or to support their PoS activities.

For more on how ESLs work watch this animation.

^{[1] Interactions Consumer Experience Marketing, Retail Perceptions: The Rise of Webrooming, 2014}

^{[2] Retail Shopping: Connecting the Multi-channel shopper, SessionM, 2015}