digital display hanging over grocery store aisle

Digital Signage for Grocery Stores and Supermarkets

Thanks to meal kits and instant delivery, it’s easier than ever to get dinner ready without going to the grocery store. And yet, supermarket aisles remain busy. In fact, although the number of customers doing grocery shopping online has nearly doubled over the past three years, brick-and-mortar grocery sales remain steady.

Today’s shoppers demand a lot from stores: value, efficiency, personalized experiences and more. The key to getting shoppers not just in the door, but also into the checkout line, is to meet these needs. As grocers adapt for omnichannel retail, digital signage software has become the smart way to create seamless in-store experiences.

Digital sign on refrigerator case in grocery
Direct supermarket shoppers to your special promotions.

So how can grocers and food manufacturers use visual communications to capture the attention of busy visitors? Here are some of the ways we’ve seen our supermarket customers get more from their screens.

7 Ideas to Engage In-Store Grocery Shoppers

1. Inspire on-the-fence shoppers with recipe ideas and special deals.

Not everyone goes into a shop with a well-planned grocery list. Take advantage of hungry browsers by sharing easy and inspiring recipes throughout your store. Use scheduling or dynamic content features like Enplug’s Custom Triggers to update recipes by time or day of the week. Try quick dinner ideas during evening rush hour and meatless options for Mondays. You can even include aisle numbers to make it easy for customers to find each ingredient.

Digital sign with recipe in grocery aisle
Share recipes in the grocery aisle to inspire shoppers to buy more.

2. Increase sales of new or unfamiliar ethnic and special-diet foods through consumer education.

Research shows that in-store shoppers are more adventurous in their product choice than their ecommerce peers, but they still need a nudge in the right direction. Share origin and nutritional information as well as ideas on how to prepare unfamiliar foods. Your customers will be more likely to experiment with new brands and products.

3. Build trust in brands and products with social and user-generated content.

Grocery shoppers are increasingly concerned with wellness, sustainability and where their food comes from. Social media is a powerful way to build trust in the safety and freshness of your products. Digital signage for grocery stores brings the power of user generated content directly to the supermarket floor. Even better, options like Enplug’s smart content filtering and approval features make it easy to ensure that social posts are brand-safe.

Digital sign with social content by supermarket entrance
Feature social content to build trust in your brand.

4. Share time-sensitive information with shoppers more quickly.

Digital signage for grocery stores makes it easy to deploy new promotions, provide stock and aisle updates or share alerts across multiple locations. Moreover, you can manage the content remotely and update it in an instant. The sooner your customers know about special deals, instant savings and even rainchecks, the more satisfied they’ll be with their store experience.

5. Get more conversions from in-store cooking demos with a call-to-action.

Cooking demonstrations and food samples are a proven method of increasing total shopping basket value. Provide a clear and attention-grabbing call-to-action on a screen placed above or near the food presenter. You can even have the sign update automatically according to the demo schedule. Nobody likes smudged chalk on a signboard anyway.

Deli and bakery counter digital sign
Provide a call-to-action to promote daily specials and food demos.

6. Make your high margin products stand out.

Take advantage of digital screens by providing wayfinding that directs your customers to areas with high margin products. After that, use videos, social posts and other content to keep them engaged and browsing when they reach the aisle.

7. Improve the experience of customers waiting in the checkout line.

With digital signage shown to reduce perceived wait time by 35%, it’s a must-have for the checkout line. Take the opportunity to remind customers to apply for or renew their loyalty cards. You can also feature upsell opportunities, like vacation packages or insurance services, available at the customer service desk.