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Mar 22, 2023 5 min read

The Psychology of the Grocery Store: Using Signs and Labels Effectively

As a retailer, your ultimate goal is to sell as much product as possible. So what determines whether a customer will move one product to their shopping cart over another? What determines whether they’ll move a product to their cart at all? The answer is simple—marketing.

But in order to market products effectively, understanding why and how customers shop is key. With these tips for creating and using signage and labels in ways that speak most clearly to consumers, you’ll be on your way to making the psychology of the grocery store work for you. 

Color Is a Powerful Marketing Tool

Though it may not be the first thing you think of when considering effective retail merchandising strategies for grocery stores, color psychology – the association our brains make with certain colors – is one key way of connecting with customers. Colors have the ability to speak to consumers. Color is used to stir up a range of emotions and convey a variety of ideas to shoppers.

Red is attention-grabbing and exciting, while blue connotes trust and responsibility. Black is elegant and sophisticated, while white gives off a feeling of purity. Purple is associated with luxury or royalty, while green is associated with nature, the environment and balance. Color has the ability to speak at least as loudly as words. That’s why selecting the colors you use on signage and labels should be a deliberate decision.

With The Merchandiser®, Shelf2Cart’s on-demand label and signage printing solution, you have the flexibility to use color to create labels and signage in a way that is both simple and cost-effective. That means that by using this solution, the sky is the limit when it comes to strategically using color in labels and signage.

Draw Attention to Impulse Purchases

A sense of urgency is something that few curious people can resist, and triggering that sense of urgency through limited-time promotions can make impulse buying much more compelling. A well-placed, clearly designed sign indicating a limited-time or exclusive opportunity is a great way to encourage customers to take a chance and try something new.

Similarly, shelf tags highlighting a BOGO offer attract attention to that particular product, but according to research from Shopify, they also encourage customers to look around the store for similar offers that may also appeal to them.

While limited time offers, and the signage and labels used to highlight them, can make a big impact, making your signage and labels work for you doesn’t have to add more to your team’s to-do lists. Tearaway labels can ease the labor burden associated with frequently adding, changing or removing labels. With these labels, store employees can easily see which labels need to be removed or replaced, and they can simply tear them away. There is no scraping. There’s no need to open signage holders, or to remove plastic chips first. Tearaway tags remove much of the labor associated with limited time offers and promotions. Simply tear off the promotional tag while eliminating the need to relabel that item.

And the List Goes On

At Shelf2Cart, we’ve seen a lot throughout our years in the grocery industry, and we are here to share that knowledge with you. We have the inside scoop on small changes that can make a big impact on your bottom line. As your retail merchandising partner, we are available to troubleshoot, brainstorm and talk through your individual retail merchandising needs.

Request More Information

Request a demo of The Merchandiser, or browse our website for more ideas to make the psychology of the grocery store work for your label and signage strategy. For more information on how we can help you move more product from shelf to cart, contact us at info@shelf2cartsolutions.com or 1.800.637.6628.

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