Three MUST DO's for Your Next In-Store Visit

The new year is upon us and I am excited to kick off the first issue of On-Shelf in 2025. 

I had a great holiday with family and friends, but I am eager to dedicate more time and attention to this newsletter this year. 

I am going to structure On-Shelf a bit differently this year and try to interject more real world examples and things that have caught my attention instead of a 1000+ word stream of consciousness. 

With that, let’s kick off issue #1 of 2025! 

Today we are diving into the three must-do’s for your next in-store visit.

Whether you're doing a demo or a merchandising visit, you want to have this check list in mind to maximize your visit. There is nothing worse than stopping into a bunch of stores or executing a handful of demos and not being able to measure the ROI of those in-store visits after. 

1. Print QR Code Surveys 

If you're going to be in the stores in 2025 and your goal is to boost your physical presence, then you need to prioritize qualitative data. One of the interesting things I find in my conversations with the big data providers is the importance of qualitative data vs quantitative data even to a company of that size. 

SPINS and Nielsen process millions of receipts and extract thousands of data points, but will still admit that the power of a well structured survey can outweigh those countless quantitative data points. 

If you're going to be in your retail partners more this year then you have to have a way to capture those customer conversations especially if you’re demoing the product. 

An easy three question survey that you ask customers to fill out post-demo allows you to capture that customer's contact information while ensuring you correctly capture their thoughts and feedback on the product. 

It’s very easy to get into a predictable loop of customer conversations and demos that simply reinforce your feelings on the product and provide nothing constructive. 

The survey results are also great to show to the retailer with the sales lift that it provided and will set you apart from the other brand conversations they are having. 

Having a printed QR code that links to a survey along with an in-store rebate and coupon will also allow you to strike up a conversation with store employees and shoppers, get them to try the product, and then collect that feedback in a scalable way. 

Remember, every conversation with a consumer should trigger an acquisition event to get that consumer's information, feedback, and then place them into your marketing funnels. 

2. Bring Swag & Samples 

Does anyone remember Whole Foods employees circa 2006?

They used to be a walking billboard for brands and they loved chatting it up with shoppers about those brands. 

Although that dynamic has changed over time and that level of championing inside the stores happens less today, it’s still important to nurture those retail employee relationships. 

You want to make sure that the staff inside your department has tried your product, been trained to answer questions, and feels appreciated through company swag. 

The retail staff is an extension of your sales team and you need to be equipped with plenty of swag and samples on your visits to ensure they feel supported so that they can support you and your brand when you're not there. 

3. Eye Secondary Placement  

Your store visits should be focused on getting more space and coverage for your brand. It’s because of this that the biggest item on your check list should be securing secondary placement. 

You shouldn’t just be fixing your set on your visit, but instead scouring the store for places that make sense to merchandise your brand. 

Taking a few units over to the cafe to put out by the register or bringing a clip strip to hang up in the aisle are low cost high impact ways to increase velocities inside the store. 

Most independent and small chain stores appreciate this extra placement and if you're going to be consistently inside their stores showing support, they will want to support you back with more placement. 

Cross merchandising and securing multiple placements in-store is the best way to boost sales when you're not on promotion. 

Executing this at retailers where you have more freedom to operate will help you when you start approaching larger stores. Maybe your going to present a custom shipper that goes in the bakery department or a clip strip that is placed at the register as ways you plan to support that bigger account based on the results you have seen while testing in the field. 

These are ways outside of promotions that show support to your retail buyer while also guaranteeing you get more eyes on your product.

These three things are key for my in-store visits and ensuring that I am maximizing customer interactions, supporting the retail account, and making the staff feel appreciated and empowered to sell our product.

How are you tackling your in-store visits in 2025?