5 Ultimate In Store Marketing Strategies Experts Don't Want You To Know

In store marketing is so much more than putting on a for-sale poster at the front door. Marketing decisions can determine a customer’s view of the brand. This also influences the quality of their products and their loyalty to customers.

The great thing about in store marketing is that it doesn’t have to break the bank or start from scratch! 

So here are some simple things to know, based on strategies done by well-known brands everyone loves:

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Make Every Store Location Feel Different

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Primark is an example of a brand whose success relies on its in store marketing strategies.

For context, Primark is a fashion retailer that expanded to stores in the US and other parts of Europe. Unlike many other competitors, such as H&M and Zara, they do not have an online platform. 

Instead, customers can only place orders for pickup at the closest store near them.

With online shopping being more common, this might seem like the wrong move for this business. Yet, many people want to explore different Primark locations. 

Each store has its own unique personality tailored to a specific audience.

The world's biggest Primark in London stands out much more than the rest. There aren't many flashy clothes shown at the window. 

Rather, they focus on their competitive prices. This is because there is so much more in the store than clothes.

When you enter, customers can find two different cafes. One of which is Disney-themed, and the other is a Greggs coffee shop. There's a hair salon inside, too!

This idea introduces a whole new experience in the fashion industry. 

Kids will enjoy the Disney Cafe. Others browse partnership-branded clothes to kill time. Then another customer segment will get a haircut at the salon before they browse the Y2K section. There’s something for everyone.

Another store location takes in store marketing to the next level. This store is none other than Primark's Harry Potter-themed store.

Like TjMaxx, Primark focuses on creating a customer experience that is so much more than clothes shopping. It’s exploring for the next big item in a luxurious fashion.

Make Purchasing Products Easy

Another brand that prospered from excellent in store marketing is Lush.

 An article by Econsultancy writes this in more detail. In short, they discuss how Lush grew from an unknown niche brand to a well-known beauty company.

Some of the main points to their success include easy contactless payment. 

Each employee has a tablet with them for customer checkout, regardless of where they are in the store.

On top of that, employees go through a heavy amount of training to know exactly how to speak to their target consumers in a personalized way.

These two strategies alone make shopping at Lush feel like an innovative experience.

The layout of Lush’s stores is another well-thought-out in store marketing strategy.

The items in Lush are colorful and have strong scents, making them enticing to try out in store.

Their packaging has cool descriptions and photos of the real creators of the product. Reading the descriptions about the creator and how they use the product makes Lush appear more human rather than a corporation.

The bathtub-looking sink makes trying their soaps so much more fun than washing hands at home, even though it's the same process.

People often forget that in store marketing strategies can hit two birds with one stone.

Lush is able to be really creative with their store layout, while at the same time, make the customer shopping experience more efficient.

Share Your Personal Story

Nike recently opened an innovation store in New York City.

What’s an innovation store? Nike’s newly developed in store marketing strategy.

Nike’s innovation store focuses on a more interactive customer experience rather than trying to sell someone a product. This experience tells Nike’s personal brand story and values at a personal level.

Every person has their own personal values. Nike shows where they stand in that area. 

By being transparent like this, they become the voice of the people behind the company, making them far more relatable.

In store strategies, such as the innovation store, is a great example to remind loyal consumers why they began and should continue to shop at Nike.

Use Cross-Merchandising As An Affordable Interactive Tool

Cross merchandising is the process of strategically displaying products next to one another that are commonly used at the same time.

A specific in store marketing decision that needs to be emphasized is Ikea’s cross-merchandising strategy.

It is very difficult to make looking at furniture fun. It can be stressful, time-consuming, and research-heavy. IKEA is one of those stores that makes the whole furniture-buying experience fun and less frustrating.

IKEA uses “room displays” that use only their products for inspiration.

The company provides rulers at the entrance of the store to ensure that the products being viewed by customers can fit in their homes.

The interactive layout helps people get an exact feeling for the quality of furniture. The competitive price point mitigates the fear of investing their money into expensive furniture.

The whole cross-merchandising layout is very well thought out. 

Through some self-run customer insights, customers tend to view Ikea as a big scheduled event. 

The lunch and dinner options make it easy for consumers to be able to stay in the store longer. This unique furniture shopping experience forces competitors to keep up with Ikea's in-store marketing.

Apply Sensory Marketing Effectively 

Would an ice cream fanatic believe that there’s an ice cream shop that sells an iconic perfume that many people love? 

In this context, many might say no (how does ice cream and dessert = perfume and beauty products?), but Salt and Straw, a very popular ice cream shop, did exactly that using sensory marketing.

Salt and Straw is recognizable by its high-quality in-store smell of freshly made waffle cones, a smell so nostalgic that it entices customers passing by to impulsively buy delicious ice cream.

This in store marketing technique influences the subconscious mind: when an individual thinks of ice cream, they may think of the smell of sweet waffle cones, and what smells like sweet waffle cones? Salt and Straw! Now that’s great marketing.

The popular ice cream shop grows to further success as it expands its products by releasing a signature perfume.

Salt and Straw know their consumers recall them by smell, and so they decided to take their in store marketing strategy to the next level by offering consumers the chance to smell as great as their ice cream tastes.

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Take It One Step At A Time

​Successful businesses use in store marketing to their advantage by suiting their brand needs.

Primark really focuses on the customer experience for every customer segmentation. 

Lush’s strong employee training and efficient operations make shopping in their stores a fun and exciting experience.

Nike uses their innovative store as a fun and interactive way to engage their audience and be able to tell their brand story.

Ikea is able to use cross-marketing in their stores to mitigate buyer’s risk and help their consumers get creative with their furniture purchases.

And finally, Salt and Straw uses their original waffle cone smell in every store location to subconsciously remind consumers about the delicious taste of ice cream.

None of these successful companies listed above made in store marketing decisions and implementations overnight. It’s important to take time to plan out every decision, and note that some things may work for one brand better than another.

Part of being a marketer is lots of trial and error, and learning from those results.

​So dear marketing girly out there:

Whether you want to open up your own business, go into a new marketing industry, or have a deep desire to work in in store marketing, note that you have everything it takes to succeed. 

You got this!

✍️ Written by Shirin Huzejrovic