Using Psychology in Retail Marketing

Understanding why consumers behave in certain ways and how they react to different stimuli in the retail setting is an essential component of creating a retail space conducive to making sales. How can retailers leverage the psychology of shopping for more effective marketing? Here are a few things every retailer should know. Attraction versus Threat Psychologically speaking, our brains are trained to respond differently to different stimuli. These reactions have been honed through generations of learning and survival. For example, colors have a marked impact on our reaction and mood. People tend to find natural colors like green and blue soothing, while a color like yellow is said to stimulate appetite (which is probably why it's so common in food packaging). Red, of course, catches our immediate attention. Retailers can capitalize on color stimuli to create specific reactions and behaviors with in-store advertising, but they also need to realize that the human mind can see threats where none actually exist. One example of this is sharp edges. If asked, consumers would like say they have no fear of shelves with straight edges, and yet, our minds can subconsciously perceive them as threats. Retailers need to consider how every element of their in-store design could affect the psychology of shoppers. Understand Repetition Blindness In marketing, repeated information helps consumers to remember a core message, but repetition in the retail setting isn't always ideal. When confronted with a wall of similar products, shoppers may experience repetition blindness that impedes their ability to effectively and efficiently make shopping decisions. The result could be feelings like confusion or annoyance, and ultimately, shoppers may make a purchase, but feel unsatisfied, or worse, walk away without making a purchase at all. How can retailers combat this psychological phenomenon? It's easy enough when you strive to differentiate products. This doesn't necessarily mean providing dozens of the same product in different colors, either. It means finding ways to limit choices so shoppers don't become overwhelmed, as well as varying displays enough so that each item stands out somehow. For example, retailers could stagger displays by stacking items to different heights or positioning them at different depths on shelves. Items with similar packaging should not be placed next to each other. These forms of visual trickery will force shoppers to remain psychologically vigilant and help them to more easily categorize what they are seeing. Don't forget, people also respond to human faces more than other graphic imagery, and using happy, smiling faces as focal points can not only grab attention, but also create positive associations with products. Psychological Surveillance Effective retail marketing helps customers to navigate your store and find what they're looking for. A good example is using bold, red signs over sale displays to quickly move shoppers to the best deals in the store. Retailers can also use modern surveillance technologies, however, to learn more. Cameras that include features like heat maps and eye movement tracking can help retailers to better understand how customers move through a store and what their eyes linger on, or simply pass over. Any way retailers can find to better understand the psychology of shopping only helps them to create a more satisfying and positive shopping experience for customers, and increase retail success along the way.