Retailer's Guide to Maximizing Impulse Purchase Potential: At the Register

Many retailers are under the impression that shoppers have drastically changed the way they make purchases. While this is partly true, there are quite a few elements of the traditional shopping experience that have aged well with time. For example, although shoppers will use their smartphones to do research on a product, 77% of consumers will go to a store to shop. This gives retailers one major leg above the digital competition: taking advantage of impulse purchases. Between six and 10 purchases in a store can be classified as impulse purchases, but the same certainly can't be said about online shoppers. Here are just a few ways to increase the number of customers who make impulse purchases at the cash register.

Offer More Sale Items
Most grocery store aisles and other sections where shoppers pay for their purchases have small items and trinkets proudly on display. While it's certainly up to retailers to develop creative retail display ideas, it also helps to increase the amount of merchandise you offer near the register at a discounted price. Customers are more likely to make an impulse purchase when the item is on sale, so don't hesitate to move more sale items more toward the register and cash out sections for more last-minute buys.

Mark Prices Clearly
Another important factor of maximizing impulse buys is to make sure all merchandise is clearly labeled with its price. You can put price tags on the items themselves, or look into various retail display fixtures that have designated price tag holders. But no matter which way you look at it, if a customer is standing at the register and looking at an item, they're highly likely to put it back on the shelf if they can't find the price within just a few short moments. They've simply spent enough time in your store and they're ready to leave.

Consider Offering Samples
Many big box stores have special weekly or monthly sample days, where they offer small samples of certain items. Of course, this isn't feasible for all retailers -- after all, you can't exactly hand out free samples of wide screen TVs -- but for certain food and beverage items, this trick works perfectly, especially around the holidays.

Ultimately, a huge number of impulse purchases occur at the register itself, and understanding how to set up your retail display fixtures with clear pricing and sales can lead to increased sales. For more information about retail display fixtures, contact The Global Display Solution.