{"id":55456,"date":"2022-02-21T09:55:34","date_gmt":"2022-02-21T09:55:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eyeware.tech\/?p=55456"},"modified":"2022-02-24T11:32:19","modified_gmt":"2022-02-24T11:32:19","slug":"data-driven-retail-merchandising","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eyeware.tech\/nl\/blog\/data-driven-retail-merchandising\/","title":{"rendered":"Hoe u uw schap- en merchandisingstrategie naar een hoger niveau kunt tillen met 3D-oogvolgtechnologie en -gegevens"},"content":{"rendered":"

Shelf and merchandising strategies are quite old trades in retailers and product\/brand managers’ marketing mix. Tactics like building solid relationships with KAs (product\/brand\/store key accounts), advocating for premium shelf space, implementing shelf color blocking, or avoiding out-of-stocks are part of any retailer or brand manager’s strategy towards increasing sales.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, how can you make your products stand out? What can you do besides these classic tactics that everybody does? And, even more important, <\/span>how can you take your product merchandising strategy from art to science<\/b>\u00a0so that when you DO meet the shopper, your products will be seen and chosen?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We took a shot at answering all these questions as <\/span>we put together an article to help you optimize and advance your merchandising strategy in a data-driven way, <\/b>so you<\/span> can rely more on facts vs. experience or gut feelings when making decisions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let’s dive into the why & how of a new data-driven approach built to deliver results.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Using Shopper Data to Improve Your Product Merchandising Strategy<\/span><\/h2>\n

You can differentiate your merchandising strategy, whether you are a retailer who wants to enhance store sales or a marketing manager who wants to increase product sales, by making more educated decisions regarding your merchandising and shelf strategy<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You have to use a more reliable way to increase the possibility of conversion & sales – a “hidden card” that makes your merchandising decisions better and more informed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And that hidden card is shopper <\/strong><\/span>data<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Data can mean Purchase History, Customer Demographics, Product Preferences, Consumer Journey, Engagement Patterns, or Shelf Attention. And this type of info is what can make your merchandising strategy stand out.<\/span><\/p>\n

But getting to the data isn’t always easy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Common Issues When Obtaining Shopper Data\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Usually, part of the merchandising strategy feels like you do some guesswork based on experience or standard practices.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Big data means surpassing that and having a greater understanding of your consumer’s shopping habits<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To get this type of data, most retailers use focus groups or analytics obtained from their point of sale systems and foot traffic analytics devices (people counters or beacons) \u2013 while those are helpful tools that enable you to make data-based decisions, they can only go so far in painting an insightful picture into what customers desire and want to buy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Let’s see why:<\/span><\/p>\n

Focus Groups<\/span><\/h4>\n

For example, when deciding the packaging of the following SKU in your product portfolio, as a brand manager, one common practice is to conduct a focus group. But it is well known that people’s answers in focus groups are somewhat overthought and altered by post-rationalization, thus, not as objective as you would need them to be.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Even if you conduct the perfect unbiased focus group, it still won’t give you data regarding a product’s capacity of keeping the attention. It may catch the attention at first glance during the focus group activities, but can the packaging hold that attention as well, thus increasing the chances of being bought?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Eye Level is Buy Level<\/span><\/h4>\n

In the context of retail research, visual attention reveals what customers are naturally interested in. <\/a><\/span>Klik om te Tweeten<\/a><\/span><\/h4>\n

As for shelf merchandising, everybody learned the basic rule: the benefits of merchandising come down to eye-level shelf interest \u2013 <\/span>eye level is buy level<\/span><\/i>: you need to place the product at the level of straightforward gaze. Products positioned much lower or higher than that aren’t quite noticed and therefore attract less attention from shoppers.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Considering the competition for attention in the eye-level area of interest, what you need to know is…knowing things your competition doesn’t.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So, the eye-level\/buy level approach could be a good start for shelf merchandising.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • But, should you place the product more on the right or the left?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Is shelf 3 or shelf 4 more suitable for your product (bearing in mind that both are at eye level)? Where does the consumer look first?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • And should it be placed next to that fellow brand with more striking packaging colors?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Is that particular space flattering for your product, or are the shoppers immediately drawn to other products in that area?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Which product in the planogram just received a glance, and which one retained their attention?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    To conduct a proper merchandising strategy, <\/span>you should be able to answer these types of questions and have access to real, objective, and direct data about your shoppers’ behavior in-store before the act of buying<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    You need to be able to “catch them in the act” and observe their authentic reaction and feedback on your product.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    And<\/span> that’s where 3D eye tracking comes in <\/b>– with its power to capture all your user’s data in a non-intrusive way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    How 3D Eye Tracking Can Help Get Unbiased Shopper Data<\/span><\/h2>\n

    In retail, <\/span>one of the methods used to directly observe what the customer thinks and desires is eye tracking<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Analyzing the shopper’s eye movements can tell a lot about his perceptions, intentions, and future actions.<\/span><\/p>\n

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    And it can also tell a lot about your products as well – you can see product sales increase from the sales numbers, but only <\/span>if you use eye tracking are you able to understand if your product was not bought because it was unseen or unliked<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    So far, eye-tracking has been done mainly by using special glasses or headsets. These are given to the customers to be worn during the shopping process.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    As this method has proved its efficiency over time, but also its limitations, being a rather intrusive and controlled method, here, at Eyeware Tech, we took market research and eye-tracking a step further and created <\/span>3D eye-tracking – a technology that<\/b> remotely tracks visual attention<\/b><\/span> from as far as 1.3m (4.3 ft) away.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    This means:<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    • No glasses<\/span> – it is a non-intrusive method<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n
    • No VR headset<\/span><\/strong> – the shopper is not burdened by any heavy objects while shopping<\/span><\/li>\n
    • No personal approach with the shoppe<\/span>r<\/span><\/strong> – it is all anonymous and GDPR friendly\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Geen kalibratie<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

       <\/p>\n

      All you need is a depth-sensing camera, and you can track thousands of customers in a GDPR friendly anonymous way.<\/p>\n

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      Using off the shelf depth-sensing cameras, it allows you to track multiple subjects, label objects of interest (shelves, displays, or other merchandising items) in the open space, and track attention towards them in real-time, with the help of GazeSense<\/a><\/span>, a 3D eye tracking software created to be able to map your store or your point of analysis (shelf display, products, etc.).<\/span><\/p>\n