Retail endcaps can be a very powerful tool for you and your retail partners, especially when you work together to figure out how to optimize the display strategy so the products, placement and timing are beneficial for all involved stakeholders. Offering solutions around cross-merchandising or bundling with the retailer’s own brand of products can further encourage them to dedicate a piece of their precious real estate for your brand.

As you consider developing endcaps as part of your overall retail marketing strategy, consider these tips to help maximize their effectiveness in the marketplace to help empower your consumers along their path-to-purchase journey.

1) Use your endcaps as brand destinations.
Location, location, location. Just like in real estate, location is key in endcap effectiveness. You work hard to sell-in your retail partner on dedicating a piece of their precious space to you. You even work with them to cross merchandise and/or bundle their own products with your own. But prime placement and full partner support isn’t always a guarantee for success. According to an article by the Shopper Technology Institute, shoppers’ endcap responses vary dramatically by location in the store quadrant. You have to make sure your endcaps are more than just stops along the way. Make them the destination to combat ever-shortening attention spans. Make them stand out in-store with different display materials, how-to videos, interactive demos and anything else that will empower your customer to learn about, interact with, and ultimately walk away with the product for purchase.

2) Make sure they are easily shoppable.
This one may sound obvious, but this tip cannot be taken for granted. The product mix of your endcap display should make sense for the shopper, and the price (along with any discounts or pairings) should be displayed in a way that is easy to understand. You also want to work closely with the display distribution and setup companies to make sure everyone is on the same page when it comes to assembly and product stocking. If the stores will be doing it directly, include detailed directions for store associates to follow. You put a lot of hours into the strategy behind this endcap; execution in the field is just as critical.

3) Use them to promote your entire suite of products.
Your endcap could be used as an introduction to all the incredible products your brand has to offer. Build that momentum with strong calls to action to move your consumer from the endcap (after they grab a product, of course) down to your main product aisle, where accessories and other ancillary products can be purchased as well.

Your consumers are already pretty smart. They come into the store educated and armed with lots of information, thanks to those powerful mini computers in the palms of their hands. So your retail displays need to confirm what they’ve already learned and engage them in ways they can’t experience online. Not only will this help convince them to buy, but it will also help build that brand relationship that can carry through at any touchpoint.

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