CHICAGO -- The retail landscape continues to change and the places where people make purchases are more varied than ever before. Wrigley and Mars Chocolate, two business units of Mars Inc., have a joint vision of better meeting shoppers’ needs at all the places they check out, whether the front end, pharmacy or online.
The companies are bringing their decades shopper insights to partner with retailers to implement merchandising recommendations, improve the shopping experience and drive growth.
Wrigley and Mars Chocolate are taking a fresh look at where shoppers purchase goods and services, calling them, collectively, “transaction zones.” The front end remains critical and the largest impulse area of the store, but shoppers are also checking out via other transaction zones, including the pharmacy, café, on their mobile phones and via “buy online, pick-up in store” models.
As shopping continues to evolve, retailers and manufacturers must increase conversion of impulse items across all transaction zones, they said, regardless of channel.
The companies are collaborating with retailers to optimize merchandising at the front end in ways that can be applied across transaction zones. They have updated their merchandising recommendations to include new variables that are transaction-zone agnostic, like macro trends such as the increase in snacking, size and growth of category and new research around shopper need states.
“It’s no secret that people don’t shop like they used to, and the traditional mix of impulse items in transaction zones needs to better meet consumer needs,” said Kurt Laufer, vice president of U.S. sales for Wrigley.
Wrigley and Mars Chocolate have conducted extensive global research into the emotional journey people make during their shopping experience and have identified a consistent element: checkout is the emotional low point of the shopping journey, no matter where or how you pay.
Retailers can help shoppers overcome this low point and capture more impulse purchases by merchandising to better satisfy three key shopper mindsets or need states:
- Refresh: Shopping can be stressful and tiring, so shoppers look to refresh or recharge themselves once the job is done. Items fulfilling the Refresh need state, like gum, mints, beverages and snacks, should occupy 51% of total space.
- Reward: Shoppers often seek a treat or reward, like chocolate and non-chocolate candy, after the “chore” of shopping. Items fulfilling the Reward need state should occupy 39% of total space.
- Remind: It is helpful for shoppers to find items they forgot to add to their lists, like batteries and lip balm, in the transaction zone. Items fulfilling the Remind need should occupy about 10% of total space.
These guidelines are based on national averages across channels, and Wrigley and Mars Chocolate said they are working with retailers on customized solutions.
“We’ve found that satisfying these three distinct shopper mindsets is key to promoting conversion for categories like chocolate, gum, mints and candy,” said Tim LeBel, vice president of sales for Mars Chocolate North America. “Mars Chocolate and Wrigley are working with retailers across channels to ensure current and future checkout choices satisfy their shoppers’ needs during checkout and drive impulse purchases.”
Mars Chocolate North America, a unit of Mars Inc., is based in Hackettstown, N.J. Mars Inc., McLean, Va., has net sales of more than $33 billion and six business segments: Petcare, Chocolate, Wrigley, Food, Drinks, Symbioscience.
Brands include Petcare (Pedigree, Royal Canin, Whiskas, Kitekat, Banfield Pet Hospital, Cesar, Sheba, Dreamies and Nutro); Chocolate (M&M's, Snickers, Dove, Galaxy, Mars, Milky Way and Twix); Wrigley (Doublemint, Extra, Orbit and 5 chewing gums; Skittles and Starburst candies; and Altoids and Lifesavers mints); Food (Uncle Ben's, Dolmio, Ebly, Masterfoods, Seeds of Change and Royco); Drinks (Alterra Coffee Roasters, The Bright Tea Co., Klix and Flavia); and Symbioscience (Cocoavia and Wisdom Panel).
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