Getting premium placement on the retail shelf is often the difference between roaring success and total failure. No matter how good your product is — how useful, innovative or inexpensive — if shoppers don’t see it, they won’t buy it.
As the resource explains, there are two basic aspects of earning a top spot on the shelf: packaging design and marketing. If the product’s package doesn’t grab the shopper’s attention, it’s probably not going to sell well no matter where it’s positioned. If the product has the most eye-grabbing package in the world but the retailer isn’t sold on showcasing it, sales will similarly disappoint. Of course, these two aspects of placement — design and marketing — don’t necessarily play in that sequence. Especially for new products, the pitch to retailers may have been fine-tuned and presented well ahead of the actual packaging design. The sequence doesn’t really matter; the important thing is to make sure both are executed skillfully.
Having a persuasive story is certainly the surest route to earning an excellent shelf position, but there are other strategies that go along with it to get results more quickly. For instance, the resource covers co-branding and shelf rental, both of which are commonly used, especially when highly competitive conditions exist. For more insights about retail product placement, please continue reading.