retail trends

♫ Might as well admit it I’m addicted to…RATINGS & REVIEWS! ♬ Aren’t you?  If so, you are among the vast majority of consumers (99.75%) who consult Ratings and Reviews when shopping online or pre-planning shopping trips before purchasing a product. (I need to meet the 0.25% who don’t use reviews! 😊)

How important are Ratings and Reviews?

Consumers rank Ratings & Reviews as the #1 key consideration when making purchase decisions (90%) ahead of family/friend recommendations (74%), search engine ranking (56%), Facebook and Instagram (28% & 26%) and brand influencer endorsements (17%).

BUT RATINGS AND REVIEWS ARE NOT JUST FOR ONLINE PURCHASES AND PRE-SHOP PLANNING!

More and more shoppers are using their mobile devices IN-STORE to research products by comparing and looking at product reviews.

A recent survey shows 84% of consumers use smartphones to look at Ratings and Reviews when considering IN-STORE purchases.

Just the other day I found myself in @Shoppers Drug Mart checking out reviews on @Google and @Amazon looking for consumer insights on an after-shave brand I had not purchased before. Focus group of one, but I purchased the product so … REVIEWS DO DRIVE SALES CONVERSION!

So, how can retailers and brands bring the power of Ratings & Reviews IN-STORE?

Recently, when exploring in-store photos on Shelfgram I came across a shelf media execution by Native deodorant that included a call-to-action of “50,000+ 5-star reviews”.

Also, Walmart Canada is testing digital shelf signage (see video below) that includes product and price information while integrating Ratings and Reviews. This is a splendid example of omnichannel marketing, as Walmart is making Ratings & Reviews accessible to shoppers online at Walmart.ca and in-store.

So how do you make Ratings & Reviews more easily available in-store while we wait for retailers to integrate digital signage?

Simple.

Integrate a QR code into your shelf media, POS, displays and packaging with a call-to-action to check out Ratings & Reviews. For brands already using QR codes to drive shoppers to receipt validation contest pages, recipe sites and brand pages this tactic is a no-brainer. While you’re at it, add a QR code linking to Ratings & Reviews in your flyer ads too!

Plus, if you want to gain insights into shopper engagement with QR codes check out Tapscan, which offers a platform featuring real-time reporting on shopper engagements by retailer, time day/week, language, location and more.

Finally, there are a lot of companies that offer Ratings & Reviews services in Canada to help brands drive consideration and sales conversion. Caddle, Field Agent, Samplesource and Shopper Army just to name a few.

Therefore, if you want to engage a leading Shopper Marketing Consultant to help navigate the Ratings & Reviews world, check out my contact information on my website or LinkedIn profile and let’s start a conversation.

Sources: Power Reviews, Uniqode

Native deodorant photo courtesy of Shelfgram and Field Agent Canada.