In-store media has been deployed in retail venues for several years. When the technology was in its infancy, store owners were uncertain regarding what to expect. Since then, prices have declined dramatically and a growing number of retailers have invested in full deployments. Venue owners now appreciate that digital signage, if used properly, can not only influence shopper behavior, but can also lift in-store sales. That's the reason most retailing giants have positioned the plasma screens across their floors.

Retailers have discovered another place to position their DOOH displays: at the checkout aisle. As customers line up to purchase items, the screens loop content segments that either inform or entertain them. Below, I'll explain why a growing number of retailers - small and large - are positioning the flat panels near the register.

Relieving Wait-Time Tension

Few people enjoy waiting in line to buy products. At my local grocery store (before they installed signage monitors at the checkout lines), you could expect to hear shoppers grumbling after a minute or two. Retailers have realized that digital media screens can relieve the wait-time tension. As long as the content is compelling at some level, shoppers will happily watch it (or, at least, stop grumbling).

One of the problems is that network owners are often emboldened to use sound throughout the segments. Using audio is dangerous. If the programmed loop is annoying to shoppers waiting in line, their tension level will rise instead of decline.

Pushing The Impulse Buy

Retailers have also begun to deploy in-store media at the checkout line to trigger impulse purchases. This is a dangerous area to tread because advertisements can increase the tension consumers feel as they're waiting. If too many ads are shown within a loop, shoppers may begin to resent having to wait in line and be force-fed promotions.

That's not to suggest that your content loops should not contain ads. Rather, it's important to balance the volume of advertisements with the volume of informative or entertaining segments. The trap with using digital signage at the checkout aisle to lift impulse buys is that many network owners attempt to hide their promotions within "entertaining" content. Shoppers are not dumb. They can often identify ads quickly, and if they think you're being disingenuous, they'll tune out.

Entertainment Versus Advertising

So, how can you strike the proper balance between segments that are entertaining (or informative) and those that are designed to advertise products? One option is to split the screen real estate. As ads loop on one portion of the monitor (perhaps within a ticker), entertaining content could loop on another. As you might expect, doing this successfully requires finesse. If you're not careful, you might distract viewers from your ad while increasing their tension level in the process.

Ultimately, finding the right balance will require testing and monitoring response rates. You should also consider doing exit interviews with shoppers so they can share their thoughts about the experience.

Does Digital Signage Work In Self-Checkout Aisles?

The popularity of self-checkout counters poses another challenge for digital signage. Shoppers who choose to run their items through the scanner are doing so because they're unwilling to wait in line in the first place. You might be thinking, "If shoppers are in such a hurry, what can possibly be accomplished by putting screens at the self-checkout line?" Don't underestimate in-store media content and consumers' willingness to watch it. I have witnessed shoppers racing off back into the store to buy items advertised on the displays. Plus, keep in mind that the self-checkout aisle can develop lines, too. That means shoppers' tension levels may be rising.

Consumers are growing more accustomed to seeing digital signage screens at the checkout lines. For the right venue, and with the right content, the potential is substantial.