US/UK— Shopper research agency SheridanGlobal Group will test in-store marketing materials on both sides of the Atlantic this year on behalf of Point of Purchase Advertising International (POPAI), an association focused on improving in-store retail marketing.

POPAI’s Marketing at Retail Initiative (MARI) will test the effectiveness of displays, shelf layouts and in-store marketing at shops ranging from convenience stores to major retailers.

Planning for the MARI project began five years ago. Shoppers will be asked to wear glasses equipped with video cameras to record their movement, field of vision, product interaction and purchases.

These videos will then be overlaid with interviews with the consumers, display audits and other information to create four ratios for each in-store display – impact, engagement, effectiveness and conversion.

Names that have signed up to the project include 7-Eleven, Pepsi-Cola North America, supermarket chain Ahold and crisp manufacturer Frito-Lay North America.

POPAI president and CEO Dick Blatt said: “The MARI project will help leverage shopper insights obtained at retail by delivering unprecedented qualitative findings regarding what displays are most effective and more importantly why, in virtually any category, among display type and in-aisle location. If it’s at retail, we can measure its impact.”

The research will be carried out in spring and the results delivered later this year.

Author: James Verrinder