The absence of numbered aisles at Whole Foods is a deliberate customer experience strategy, not an oversight. It forces shoppers to ask employees for help, who are then trained to personally walk them to the item. This design choice engineers personal conversations and embeds a high-touch service model directly into the store's physical layout.

Best Buy is leveraging its massive physical retail footprint as a unique advertising channel. This "in-store takeover" capability allows brands to create immersive experiences using window displays, digital walls, and interactive screens, reaching customers at the crucial point of purchase.

A classic study found placing beer next to diapers boosted sales of both by targeting men on a specific chore. This 'mission-based' merchandising is more effective than rigid category management (e.g., all drinks together), but internal store politics and siloed departments often prevent these shopper-friendly groupings.

Best Buy Ads offers "in-store takeovers," allowing brands to use its physical stores for immersive, measurable campaigns. This transforms window displays, digital walls, and checkout counters into a powerful advertising medium that engages customers at the point of purchase.

Shoppers often approach indulgent categories with "healthy goggles," initially seeking better-for-you items. By leading with low-fat or healthy options at the front of an aisle, retailers can increase engagement and foot traffic. Once in the aisle, a significant number of these shoppers then "trade up" to the full-fat versions they originally planned to avoid.

For grocers, the primary value of in-store media isn't just selling ads to brands. It's a strategic lever for inventory management. By using targeted digital messages to accelerate the sale of slow-moving products, grocers can improve inventory turnover, which in turn strengthens their negotiating position with CPG suppliers.

To drive sell-through for a new CPG product in retail, run hyper-local video ads featuring the founders telling their story. Directly address shoppers in a small (e.g., 5-mile) radius of each specific store, calling out the city by name. This personal, targeted approach creates an emotional connection and drives immediate foot traffic.

For CPG brands, a physical retail presence, even with lower margins, should be viewed as a customer acquisition strategy. It provides crucial visibility and trial, driving customers to your higher-margin direct-to-consumer website for subsequent purchases and retention.

Coterie treats its physical retail presence not just as a sales channel, but as a marketing tool. A well-placed product block acts like a billboard, driving discovery and funneling 10-12% of new customers back to their primary D2C subscription business.