These days, shoppers are visiting fewer stores and making repeat purchases at those that they perceive as offering the best value for money. That said, the shopper journey is not always so straight forward. Why do people buy what they buy, and are there any specific factors to keep in mind when understanding the shopper journey? We dive into this interesting topic to give you a better understanding of the buying decision process.

The consumer journey starts when a need or a want is triggered. First, the audience becomes aware of a brand, product or service. Then, they consider it as an eventual future purchase. And finally, the consumer embarks on their shopper journey and makes the purchase decision.

The route that the consumer takes to engage with brands is increasingly non-linear, complex and unpredictable. Although many consumers embark with a plan or shopping list, it is likely they wander, making unplanned purchase decisions.

With consumers sometimes behaving erratically and impulsively, the shopper journey is not always the same. There are numerous factors which play a role in determining the outcome of consumers decisions – activations being one of them.

While other shoppers decide what they need or want, based on research, word of mouth and product placement, never underestimate the impact of a good brand activation – they play a huge role in shaping the relevance and future of a brand.

Retailers need to remember that consumers can be swayed, especially when there is something ‘new’ or something on ‘special’.

These initial impulse purchases may lead to repeated purchases, as activations not only help increase brand knowledge, they educate the consumer about a brand or product they may not have been aware of.

Once consumers become aware of your brand, they’ll want to learn more about it. When brand awareness is established, brand love follows, along with brand loyalty.

At Smollan, we act as an extension of our clients’ brands, implementing promotions and proactively seeking merchandising opportunities to increase the visibility and the profile of our clients’ brands. By means of creative activations, we are able to make more consumers aware about the brands we already love. We Inform, we persuade, and we watch the consumers buy…

Do you think clever activation’s can help sway even the savviest shopper?