Experts Weigh In On Winning End Cap Design: Part Two

Part two of a three-part Q&A with experts James Fraser and Jason Katz on how to make the most of your end cap displays.

If you missed part one, click here to read. 

TLR: Jason, what is your latest thinking about endcaps - for instance, including technology that stops shoppers, shows their response to displays; new design elements (materials/colors/shapes, etc.)

Jason Katz: Digital integration with displays will gain momentum as brands and retailers look to create points of difference and better shopping experiences in stores among Millennial shoppers.  According to our latest Shoppergraphics^TM study, there has been a significant uptick in shoppers using their mobile devices in stores to compare prices, create shopping lists and scan codes to get ideas and information.  In addition, digital screens (video, touchscreen, IP) have come down in cost and have better functionality and longer battery, life making them more appealing for marketers to test.  These are just two ways we will see more strategies focused on connecting digital and physical worlds to drive shopper influence. 

TLR: Where are the three best places in the supermarket for endcaps to perform?

James Fraser: This depends largely on the product and the relevance of placement within the shopper’s store journey. For example, end caps are less effective when the share of requirements for the product have already been met. Simply, if the end cap occurs too late in the journey, the product featured is already in the cart and the end cap is less relevant. 

In very general terms, we have found that velocity of rear of store end caps tends to be better than front of store, though there are, of course, exceptions. We believe that a large part of the rationale for this might be due to many of our observations occurring at high velocity times within the store. Simply the front end caps are just harder to reach due to cart traffic as shoppers try to check out.

Stay tuned for part three of this series. James Fraser will discuss the sales lift end caps can offer and what categories perform best. 

About the experts:  

James Fraser, SVP Retail Strategy, Hunter Straker North America
James Fraser has been a strong presence in the retail and shopper marketing space for over 17 years. Leveraging his intimate knowledge of the retail environment, Fraser pioneered a unique process that yields a proprietary output called Purchase DesignÔ. 

Fraser writes a monthly Shopper Insights column in Canadian Grocer magazine and is a sought after speaker throughout North America on a variety of shopper related topics ranging from sales strategy to retail communication. He has also recently authored the Retail Communication chapter of the POPAI publication “Marketing at Retail 4^th Edition”.

Well known for his “keep it simple” approach to retail marketing, Fraser believes that true shopper insights are actually come from the shopper and as such he can often be found in his second office – the store. Prior to joining Hunter Straker, he was a Partner and Managing Director of Retail at Capital C Communications. 

Jason Katz, SVP Hunter Straker Digital North America 
As SVP Hunter Straker North America, Jason Katz helps clients effectively capitalize on new media by developing best-in-class, insights-driven, accountable digital solutions that influence purchase.

With more than 25 years experience, Jason boasts a unique combination of retail and digital expertise, ranging across major consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers and retailers both in the U.S. and internationally. A pioneer in the evolution of shopper marketing, Jason launched and trademarked Digital Shopper Marketing™ and founded Etailing Solutions, the first 100% dedicated sales and marketing agency for CPG Ecommerce. 

Jason specializes in driving business impact from integrated digital initiatives including digital shopper marketing, social local mobile “SoLoMo”, loyalty programs and ecommerce/etailing. Jason’s list of client experiences include Starbucks, Clorox, Georgia Pacific, GSK, Kraft, Mars (Petcare and Confections), Nestle, Dannon, Barilla, Campbell Soup Co, Colgate-Palmolive, Intel, Intuit, Citibank, Unilever, Subway, Outback Steak, Dollar General, Peapod, Gerber and Johnson & Johnson.