Why supermarkets are the most influential point of purchase

Most grocery shopping still happens in-store

Despite the growth of ecommerce and online Retail Media, the majority of grocery shopping continues to take place in physical stores. That matters because supermarkets are not passive environments - consumers are actively making decisions.

Research consistently shows that shoppers are more likely to switch brands, make impulse purchases, discover new products and deviate from shopping lists while shopping in-store.

Compared with online grocery shopping, in-store shoppers are:

• 40% less likely to have a shopping list
• 3× more likely to deviate from their shopping list
• 3× more likely to think they can find better deals
• 3× more likely to switch from their preferred brands
• 5× more likely to try new brands
• 3.5× more likely to make impulse purchases

(Source: Toluna Supermarket Study 2023, N=750.)

This creates opportunities for brands to influence behaviour that simply do not exist in the same way within many other media environments. Unlike traditional advertising channels, supermarket advertising places brands directly within the path to purchase.

Decisions begin before the shelf

When marketers think about point-of-purchase advertising, they often picture the shelf. But some of the most important moments happen before consumers ever reach a category aisle.

Shoppers enter supermarkets with varying levels of certainty - some know exactly what they want, others are still forming decisions as they move through the store. This is one of the reasons Front of Store advertising has become such an important part of modern Retail Media strategies.

The supermarket entrance provides brands with an opportunity to influence consideration before category decisions have been made. Rather than waiting until consumers arrive at the shelf, brands can begin shaping decisions much earlier in the shopping journey.

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Why Front of Store is so influential

Front of Store locations occupy a unique position within the supermarket environment. Unlike category-specific advertising, they reach every shopper regardless of what they plan to buy.

Research also shows that around 70% of visits from potential category buyers result in no spend within that category. Reaching shoppers before category journeys begin gives brands an opportunity to influence consideration before many purchase decisions have been narrowed.

(Source: i2c, 2018)

This creates three important advantages:

Reach
Every shopper passes through the same entrance.

Attention
Consumers are highly engaged as they begin their shopping trip.

Retail proximity
Advertising appears close to where purchasing decisions will ultimately happen.

Together, these characteristics make Front of Store one of the most influential touchpoints available within Retail Media.

Attention is stronger in-store

One of the reasons supermarket advertising performs so well is that physical retail environments command a different type of attention.

Online audiences often divide their attention across multiple tabs, platforms and devices. Supermarkets work differently: consumers are physically present, actively shopping, and already thinking about products, purchases and spending decisions. Advertising becomes part of the shopping environment rather than an interruption to it.

Independent supermarket research found that supermarket DOOH delivered a 14% faster time to first fixation, a 53% higher share of attention on shelf, and a 4.3 percentage point increase in brand choice

(Source: Shoppercentric Supermarket Research 2023).

This creates opportunities for brands to build familiarity and reinforce consideration at a highly relevant moment.

The environment supports decision making

Supermarkets are uniquely effective because the environment itself encourages commercial behaviour. Consumers enter stores expecting to:

• Discover products
• Compare options
• Respond to promotions
• Make purchasing decisions

Advertising therefore operates within an existing purchasing mindset rather than trying to create one. This is one of the reasons supermarket advertising can be so effective at influencing behaviour - messages appear in a context where consumers are already prepared to act.

The physical environment also helps connect broader Streets to Store campaigns. Consumers may have already encountered a brand through roadside OOH, retail environments or other touchpoints before entering the supermarket. Front of Store advertising then helps reinforce those messages at a critical moment in the shopper journey.

This combination of context, familiarity and retail proximity is what makes supermarkets such influential advertising environments.

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Building attention and intention

One of the biggest misconceptions about supermarket advertising is that it is purely a sales activation channel. In reality, it performs a dual role.

Building attention
Repeated exposure helps reinforce familiarity, strengthen memory structures and keep brands mentally available.

Influencing intention
Advertising close to purchase can reinforce consideration and influence future buying decisions.

Together, these two roles help connect long-term brand building with short-term commercial outcomes. This combination of attention and intention is one of the reasons supermarket DOOH has become such a valuable component of modern Retail Media strategies.

From Streets to Store

The supermarket is rarely the first place a shopper encounters a brand. Consumers move through multiple environments before entering a store. A shopper may:

• See a roadside campaign during their commute
• Encounter OOH near a retail destination
• Enter a supermarket later that day
• See a Front of Store digital screen
• Purchase the product during the same visit

Each touchpoint reinforces the next. This is why Streets to Store planning is becoming increasingly important. By connecting OOH and supermarket DOOH, brands can create more consistent customer journeys and stronger commercial outcomes.

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Why this matters for brands

For advertisers, supermarkets offer several important advantages.

High-intent audiences
Consumers are already shopping and preparing to make purchasing decisions.

Scale
Major UK supermarkets attract millions of shoppers every week.

Real-world attention
Advertising appears within a highly relevant environment rather than competing with multiple digital distractions.

Proximity to purchase
Messages are delivered close to where buying decisions happen.

Combined, these factors make supermarkets one of the most influential environments available to brands.

Retail Media beyond online

Retail Media is often discussed through an online lens. However, physical retail environments remain an essential part of the ecosystem.

Supermarkets combine audience scale, shopper attention and purchase intent in a way that few other channels can replicate. For brands looking to connect awareness with action, they remain one of the most influential point-of-purchase environments available.

Looking to influence shoppers closer to purchase?

Bauer Media Outdoor operates the UK's largest digital supermarket network across Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons.

Our supermarket DOOH screens help brands connect attention and intention at key moments throughout the shopper journey. Whether you're looking to support a Retail Media strategy, launch a new product or influence shoppers closer to purchase, we can help connect awareness with action.

Get in touch to learn more.

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