There’s no denying a shopper’s path to purchase is considerably different today than it was a decade ago. With the advent of smartphones, shopping apps, mobile coupons, and a plethora of other innovations, how can it not be? Yet, when our Charlotte ad agency looks at the data from POPAI’s* series of long running shopper research, we see that in-store marketing still plays a critical role in the path to purchase.

Understanding the needs, purchasing behavior, and changing lifestyles of today’s shopper is critical in being able to deliver on their immediate and future needs. And while pundits love to trumpet the fact that a shopper’s decisions are no longer limited to in-store (and bricks & mortar will soon be OBSOLETE), this 2012 Shopper Engagement Study reveals that now more than ever shoppers are making an overwhelming number of their purchasing decisions in-store.

The study is based on solid primary metholodogy and sampling rates, and is also supported by secondary EEG (i.e., electrodes on the scalp) and eye-tracking data.

Here are few key takeways:

• The in-store decision rate has climbed from 70% in 1995 to 76% in 2012.
• In 1995, 47% of displays were placed in secondary locations. By 2012, this number rose to 60%, as retailers have embraced the notion of cross promoting items and locating displays away from the home aisle.
• More than 1 in 6 purchases are made when a display with that brand is present in store.

*POPAI is an international trade association for the marketing at retail industry. Founded in 1936, POPAI prepares to celebrate its 75th anniversary with over 1,700 member companies representing Fortune 500 brand manufacturers and retailers, as well as, marketing at retail producer companies and advertising agencies from six continents and over 45 countries from around the world.