With economic uncertainty influencing how people shop, marketers and retailers have a prime opportunity to create in-store value. Today’s shoppers seek more than products—they want a shopping experience that delivers immediacy, control, and sensory engagement.

Here’s what retailers need to know about current consumer behavior in physical aisles.

1. Physical interaction drives store visits

Almost half (47%) of consumers say the main reason they shop in person is the ability to see and touch products, according to data from Path to Purchase Institute in partnership with Great Northern Instore.

• This is especially true for categories like groceries and home improvement, according to Dan Sabanosh, director of shopper marketing at Great Northern Instore,
• “Being able to engage with products is critical,” he said during a recent Path to Purchase webinar. “In grocery, people want to check out the meats, the vegetables, the produce. For home improvement, they want to see the fit and the finishes.”

2. Tech that adds value wins

Shoppers are quick to adopt tools that make the experience smoother—like tap-to-pay, which 51% of shoppers say improves the overall experience.

• “Tap-to-pay… makes the checkout experience faster, simpler,” said Sabanosh. “That’s the key thing to think about with all tech—how does it benefit the shopper?”
• But for innovations like smart carts or in-app store maps, many consumers remain unconvinced, per Path to Purchase data.

3. Visual storytelling matters

Over three quarters (77%) of shoppers say eye-catching visuals and displays throughout the store are at least somewhat important.

• “Everyone is super saturated with information,” said Sabanosh. “If you can connect with shoppers in a visual aspect—more than with copy and text—that’s what’s going to command attention.”
• Product displays at the end of the aisle (37%), temporary/seasonal displays (31%), and large displays of products set at the front of the store (30%) are most noticeable to shoppers.

4. Omnichannel messaging pays off

Shoppers notice when in-store marketing aligns with what they’ve seen online.

• In fact, 59% say they’ve recognized a brand’s in-store message after seeing a digital ad—a figure that’s even higher among Gen Z and millennials.
• “The brands that line all of that up successfully are the ones that drive the most ROI,” said Sabanosh. “The messaging doesn’t have to be identical… but it has to be connected.”

5. Promotions drive impulse purchases

Sales and limited-time offers remain the top triggers for impulse buys, with 43% of shoppers saying they’ve made a spontaneous in-store purchase because of a deal, according to Path to Purchase.

• “Spontaneous purchases happen most often in grocery, dollar [stores], and mass merchants,” said Charlie Menchaca, managing editor at the Path to Purchase Institute.
• This effect is pronounced among younger shoppers, who are more responsive to in-the-moment incentives across categories, said Menchaca.

This article was prepared with the assistance of generative AI tools to support content organization, summarization, and drafting. All AI-generated contributions have been reviewed, fact-checked, and verified for accuracy and originality by EMARKETER editors. Any recommendations reflect EMARKETER’s research and human judgment.

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