Stop interrupting shoppers

Finding faster growth: new customers
Stop interrupting shoppers

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To broaden product consideration and grow
sales, category managers and shopper marketers
must abandon disruption – and focus on helping
shoppers find what they are looking for.


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Retailers and manufacturers don’t draw up planograms purchased from a category – and 45 percent buy
for fun. And at the risk of sounding cynical, they don’t exactly the same product. In case you think this

69%
usually draw them up just to make shoppers’ lives only applies to pre-planned purchases, 66 percent
easier. Their objective is, naturally enough, a more of confectionery shoppers in supermarkets (about
self-interested one: most planograms aim to influence as impulsive as supermarket purchasing gets) have
shoppers’ decisions, affecting what they buy and already decided on the brand they will buy when they
of supermarket shoppers buy the same
increasing the amount that they spend. As such they enter the store.
brand as they did last time
embody an assumption: that shoppers are actually
making decisions in-store, considering choices and Shoppers spend the vast majority of their time at

45%
weighing up options. The problem is that for most the shelf searching for the product they know they
shoppers and most purchases, this assumption is very want – and when they are busy searching for specific
wide of the mark. products they are not open to influence; in fact,
they are effectively blind to anything not relevant
of supermarket shoppers buy exactly
Choosing or searching? to the task in hand. An experiment by ‘Shopology’
the same product
TNS has spent more than 20 years observing shopper proved just how difficult it is to distract shoppers
behaviour. And all of that observation points to one when they are in search mode. Researchers placed a
overriding conclusion: for the majority of shoppers, the pack of beer in the middle of a cereal shelf and then The price of disruption
purchase process has little to do with decision-making; videoed shoppers’ reactions to it. You’d think this was The approach that most category managers and
it has everything to do with finding something that attention-grabbing and disruptive; in fact, hardly any shopper marketers take to this challenge is to
the shopper has already decided to buy. Purchasing shoppers even noticed the beer. The fact is that when interrupt the search and attempt to jump-start
data show that 69 percent of supermarket shoppers shoppers are in search mode, they don’t see what a consideration process, inviting the shopper to
buy the same brand as they did last time they they are not looking for. connect with the category. From a superficial look at


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shopper behaviour, you’d think this approach works:
we see people pausing in front of a category, we
watch them scanning the shelf and we assume that
they are weighing up different options and thinking
Work with the shopper’s
through their purchases. But appearances can be
dangerously deceptive. When you look a little deeper
below the surface, you quickly see that the disruptive
agenda rather than trying
merchandising strategy isn’t really leading to more
open-minded shopping; instead it’s creating more
frustrating searching – and that is hugely counter-
to change it.
productive for all concerned.
positive emotion on the four occasions when he or handed. Our disruptive approach hasn’t opened these
We like to think of shopping as a positive experience, she sees a relevant product. shopper’s minds to other purchases – it’s stopped
centred on finding solutions to satisfy wants and them buying anything at all. Even more frustratingly,
needs. Searching, on the other hand is essentially All of this happens very rapidly, and barely consciously, 20 percent of the items shoppers have specifically
negative: shoppers spend their time de-selecting but that degree of negative feeling does affect the planned to buy don’t make it into the basket.
large numbers of products so that they can focus shopping experience. The longer a shopper spends
on the ones that they are actually interested in. looking for a product within a category, the greater Working with the search agenda
Eye-tracking may show that a shopper rapidly scans the likelihood of them giving up and walking away The way to opening the minds of shoppers isn’t to
100 items within a category but if we overlay EEG from the shelf without putting anything in their interrupt or extend their search; it’s to help them
results, we can see that 96 of them are rejected. basket. In fact, on average, 30 percent of grocery complete it; to work with the shopper’s agenda rather
And rejection isn’t fun. Our shopper only experiences shoppers who browse a shelf walk away empty- than trying to change it. At first glance this seems


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somewhat counter-productive: if shoppers find the
item they were looking for quickly won’t they just
walk away from the category without considering
When a shopper finds their first item within 10
anything else? In fact, TNS’s research shows the
opposite: shoppers that find their first item quickly
seconds, the average number of items going into
are more likely to buy additional items from the same their basket jumps markedly.
category. When a shopper finds their first item within
10 seconds, the average number of items going into
their basket jumps markedly.
4.48
The fact is that within most categories, ‘decided’
shoppers have the potential to become ‘open’ 3.06
shoppers, but only once the initial search process Number 2.91
2.78 2.57
has been completed quickly and without frustration. of items 2.29
Let’s take the example of a woman shopping for purchased
shampoo. Her everyday family shampoo is her priority
and something she buys time and time again. Her
choice has been decided long before she entered
the store. The faster she can locate it, the more time 0-10 11-20 21-30 31-60 60-120 120+
she will spend considering the benefits of other
Time taken to select first product (seconds)
shampoos in front of her; she may well end up trying
a new product or putting more than one option into


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her basket. If, on the other hand, she spends over to increase sales. The simple fact is that merchandising options. In order to do this efficiently, they need a
a minute looking for her family shampoo, then she has to cater to decided shoppers first and foremost. clear structure where the shelf hierarchy is based
will probably walk away as soon as she has it in her on product features and reflects the order of the
basket. And if the initial search takes too long, she The science of de-selection shopper’s search. Research has a vital role to play in
might well walk away thinking they can all make do When searching, the decided shopper interacts helping to identify the product features that decided
with body wash this week. with the shelf at a category rather than a product shoppers prioritise in their search, so we can make
level: they scan many products with very rapid eye them easier to find. By organising the core structure
When we know that most purchases are decided in movements looking for visual cues to help them in this way, decided shoppers are able to rule out
advance, we have a clear goal for organising categories makes sense of the shelf and narrow their search large numbers of products quickly and move rapidly
from search to selection, increasing the likelihood of
them considering alternative, or additional, purchases.

When P&G took the bold step of re-organising the
skincare category shelves to make them easier for

?
shoppers, the impact on both behaviour and spend
was dramatic. Over the next six months, shoppers

? ? spent noticeably less time standing in front of the
shelf scanning products; instead they identified the
products they were interested in from a distance and
went straight to that point in the shelf. Significantly
though, the amount of time they spent in the


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category didn’t reduce at all. Instead, the extra needs, comparing them and eventually choosing the
time saved in not searching for products was spent one that balances their requirements most effectively.
considering purchases – and considering more of Grouping products that meet similar selection needs,
them than before. During the six month period, and enabling shoppers to compare propositions easily,

?
category sales increased by a staggering 31 percent. doesn’t undermine a core shelf hierarchy built around
product features; in fact, it supports and strengthens it.
Catering to ‘decided’ and ‘open’ shoppers
Of course, merchandising cannot afford to put barriers
in front of shoppers who haven’t made a decision
Let’s take the example of a mother shopping for
breakfast cereal. Her two school-age sons simply want
?
– and this means that it needs to cater for open cereal that tastes good. She wants something they will
shoppers’ selection needs as well. On the face of it happily eat, but would ideally like a product that offers
this seems a dilemma, since we’ve already established some nutrition as well. She hasn’t made her mind up
that increasing sales depends on building the shelf about which children’s cereal she wants, but she has
hierarchy around decided shoppers. We only have a good idea of the particular consumption needs she
one shelf to work with, so how can we cater for open is looking to satisfy. If she is able to identify a group
shoppers at the same time? of nutritious kids cereals and start comparing flavours
to find something that her sons may like, then she will
The open shopper’s selection isn’t completely open; it be well on the way to making a decision efficiently.
is based on selection needs that have been established And provided the group of kids’ cereals fits within a
at some point before entering the store. His or her clear shelf structure, this arrangement won’t delay her
selection process will come down to understanding finding her own favourite cereal that she buys every
different product propositions for meeting these time she visits.


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The role of packaging communication Principles for category planning growth when it has a clear objective of its own – and
Similar principles and a similar hierarchy of priorities Applying consistent principles based around actual the evidence of actual shopper behaviour makes it
apply to manufacturers looking to increase share of shopper behaviour isn’t the same as suggesting clear what this objective should be. If manufacturers
spend within a category. Once again, it is essential a one-size-fits-all solution for category planning. and retailers want to increase consideration and spend
to prioritise rapid visual communication with the Merchandising will always remain a complex art, in they must organise categories to reduce search time
vast majority of shoppers who are decided as to the which many different elements are brought together and ensure that decided shoppers find what they are
product features they want – and are engaged in to meet a range of conscious and sub-conscious looking for as quickly as possible. In doing so, they will
rapid, sub-conscious searching. Key product features shopper needs. An understanding of the precise be putting shoppers in control of the time they spend
that are relevant to such a search must be prioritised in priorities of decided and open shoppers in each in store – inviting them to spend less of that time
the package design and communicated where possible category is essential for planning shelf hierarchies and searching and more of that time shopping. It’s a leap
through colour and visual cues, since the product product groupings effectively. However, that planning of faith, but one that is long overdue.
only has a split second to establish its relevance. More process can be rendered far more effective at driving
specific product benefits that may persuade an open
shopper to pick that product over another can be
communicated through text, since they have a longer
window of opportunity to engage with these shoppers Precise priorities of decided and open shoppers
during their consideration process. The pink colour of
a packet of prawn cocktail flavoured crisps is a great in each category is essential for planning shelf
example of the first form of communication; clear copy
stressing reduced fat or increased flavour is a great hierarchies and product groupings.
example of the second.


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About Opinion Leaders
Opinion Leaders is part of a regular series of articles from TNS consultants, based on their expertise gathered
through working on client assignments in over 80 markets globally, with additional insights gained through
TNS proprietary studies such as Digital Life, Mobile Life and the Commitment Economy.

About TNS
About the author
Pat McCann is Global Director for TNS Retail &
TNS advises clients on specific growth strategies around new market entry, innovation, brand switching and
Shopper, responsible for developing best practice
stakeholder management, based on long-established expertise and market-leading solutions. With a presence shopper solutions and enhancing shopper insight
in over 80 countries, TNS has more conversations with the world’s consumers than anyone else and understands delivery.
individual human behaviours and attitudes across every cultural, economic and political region of the world.
She started her career at Nielsen and then worked
TNS is part of Kantar, one of the world’s largest insight, information and consultancy groups. clientside at Avon and Allied Lyons before joining
TNS.
Please visit www.tnsglobal.com for more information.
With over 20 years experience as a buyer and
supplier of shopper and consumer research, Pat was
Get in touch
instrumental in establishing this global practice area
If you would like to talk to us about anything you have read in this report, please get in touch via and in acquiring shopper specialists, Sorensen and ID
enquiries@tnsglobal.com or via Twitter @tns_global Magasin.


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Stop interrupting shoppers

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