How to Help Customers Navigate Rising Costs with Signs and Labels

The price of consumer goods is rising across all categories, from center store to the perimeter. At the same time, supply chain issues mean that some staples are absent from store shelves at one time or another. Today, a trip for groceries is increasingly more costly and less predictable than ever. As savvy shoppers turn their attention towards opportunities for cost savings, and towards substituting for items that aren’t available, store signage and labeling becomes an even more useful and important tool, for shoppers and store management alike.

A Shopping Roadmap

While signage at the point of purchase is a good way to draw attention to that product, a consumer only sees that sign when they’re in the aisle, standing directly in front of the sign. Have you considered using signage like a trail of breadcrumbs, creating a path that leads shoppers through the store?

When a customer approaches your store’s entrance, pique their interest with an attention-grabbing sign featuring the daily or weekly specials at the front door. Then, lead customers where you want them to go with strategically placed stand-up signs along their path. In essence, you’re providing a roadmap for each customer’s shopping experience that draws them towards specific products and specials. You’re guiding them right where you want them to go, so they can see the products you want them to see. The result? Customers moving more product from shelf to cart.

Focus on Savings

Studies indicate that over 80 percent of millennials will change brands simply because of price. And, a study at the University of California, Berkeley found that customers are six times more likely to buy a product if a sign at the point of purchase highlights a special price. There’s no doubt that consumers are becoming more price-conscious. So give your customers want they want—clear and concise signage and labeling that doesn’t leave customers guessing about price.

Whether your product is in a clam shell, box, pouch or shrink wrap, your goal is to make it stand out to consumers who are flooded with imagery from every direction. You want to catch their eye as they pass, and you want to encourage them to pick up your product for a closer look. But, what makes a product stand out among a shelf of similar and competing products? A bold brand. And, using the real estate on your packaging in a creative way.

Highlight price and help consumers choose the best value with these simple tips:

Include the price per ounce or the price per count on your signage and labeling so consumers can quickly determine what size package or what brand best meets their needs
Utilize signs that tell customers how much they’re saving by choosing a store brand or a sale item
Incorporate compare and save signs and tags into your merchandising to educate consumers on both price and the similarities between store brands and national brands
Create a sense of urgency by labeling products as a “Manager’s Special,” which indicates that it is both a good value and a product or sale that is unique to the store

Signage and labels are your chance to speak directly to customers, and in today’s retail environment, implementing new strategies that highlight price and value will be well received and much appreciated. Without signs and labels in place to tell the story you want to tell – whether it’s price, savings or quality – you’re missing a valuable opportunity to influence customers and their buying decisions.