Products placed near the store’s entrance sell better
Have you ever bought something simply because you saw it when you entered the store? Well, your purchase might not have been accidental.
It has previously been argued that customers are unable to spot good or bad deals at the store entrance, as they need some time to adjust to the retail environment at the store. The so-called decompression zone of the store is therefore not thought to be an optimal area for the store to place products. However, according to the findings of a recent study by MAPP Centre researcher Tobias Otterbring, this theory is not necessarily always correct.
The recent findings are based on two field studies conducted in a Scandinavian home-goods store. In the first study, some customers would see candles and candle holders at the store entrance while others would not see any products in that area. The same candles and candle holders could also be found within the store.
Contrary to the notion that people are not able to properly see products placed at a store’s entrance area, the study showed that customers who were exposed to the candles and candle holders at the entrance were more likely to buy one or both of these products compared to customers who were not introduced to the products upon entering the store.
In a second study, an employee was greeting the customers as they entered the store with or without the same products as those used in Study 1 nearby. Again, customers who were introduced to the candles and candle holders at the entrance bought significantly more of these products than customers who did not see any products there.
The studies concluded that placing particular types of products at the store entrance will increase sales for those specific products, but it will not have an impact on the customers’ overall spending in the store.
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Tobias Otterbring