How to Keep a Digital Shelf Strategy from Going Stale

By Randy Mercer, Chief Product Officer, 1WorldSync

In-store-only brand experiences rarely exist. Consumers rely on digital touchpoints to engage with food and beverage brands and seek out, research, and purchase products, even when browsing aisles in a physical store. In fact, 90% of consumers use their smartphones while shopping in person to:

• Read customer reviews
• Find more detailed product descriptions
• Look up nutritional information
• Compare prices

To capitalize on the ever-expanding digital space, brands must maintain an accurate, up-to-date data source and ensure shoppers can discover their products on the digital shelf. Discoverability allows brands to interact with customers at every stage of a purchasing journey. By creating, optimizing, and continuously evaluating their digital shelf strategy to keep it from going stale, food and beverage brands are more likely to stand out among their competitors.

Digital shelf ingredients 

Successful digital shelf strategies rely heavily on product content. Over 80% of consumers prioritize the quality of the product content over brand recognition and would even switch to a brand providing more in-depth information than its competition. 

Unlike traditional retail settings, the digital shelf stays open 24/7, ready to provide shoppers with the information they need (and often demand) before making a purchase. Components of a digital shelf should include: 

• Product detail pages (PDPs) with detailed descriptions, ratings, reviews, ingredients and nutritional information 
• Product prices and promotions
• Rich content, like augmented reality (AR), 360-degree spin imagery and 3D-rendered product imagery
• E-retail media advertising on retailer websites, like carousels or banners

A digital shelf also helps food and beverage brands manage product inventory and identify — and resolve — gaps across different channels.

Strengthening a digital shelf strategy

Brands that successfully generate the most online traffic and revenue prioritize their digital shelf strategies. To develop a carefully curated and executed strategy — and make shoppers aware of their products — brands should follow these four steps:

1. Create a central source of data

Shoppers expect consistency wherever they interact with a brand. A single source of truth, like a product information management (PIM) system, makes it easier for brands to present the same product details, brand voice, and imagery wherever they have an online presence. Brands can seamlessly edit product content across all channels to keep each listing updated and accurate.

2. Produce quality content

Content sells products. Brands must craft detailed, innovative, quality content to rise above the competition and meet (or exceed) consumers’ expectations. Most consumers abandon their carts because they don’t see enough quality content to justify their purchase decision.

3. Leverage market intelligence

Brands should pinpoint the phrases and words most associated with their products and incorporate them into their SEO (search engine optimization) strategy. Product feedback, ratings and reviews provide an excellent resource for collecting, analyzing and gathering insights. Brands can use that data to adjust content and multimedia experiences to engage shoppers.

4. Grow into new markets

Brands should consider expanding to other retailers and markets after experiencing market growth. A PIM system helps brands distribute content to new trading partners and reach customers everywhere. When they enter new markets, brands must meet trading partners’ diverse regulations and guidelines. Brands need PIM software aligned with GS1 standards.

To reach customers and stand out in today’s market, brands must have a digital shelf strategy. A digital shelf strategy is the recipe for maintaining momentum, retaining sales growth and generating customer loyalty by providing better customer experiences. 

Randy is an omnichannel product content expert with over 15 years of industry experience. He leads 1WorldSync’s global product management and solution architecture teams, aligning the company’s portfolio with current customer needs and emerging market trends. A frequent commentator for national and trade media outlets covering retail and e-commerce news, Randy leverages his extensive background in item data and content alignment, e-commerce application development and solution design to guide 1WorldSync’s strategic product roadmap and vision.