Digital Signage and A/V Trends Revitalizing In-Person Retail

With the rise of e-commerce and an increasingly digital society, brick-and-mortar stores are looking to technology to revitalize their offerings and, most importantly, their presence and recognition. Digital signage plays a key role in revamping retail, creating new revenue streams, memorable consumer experiences, and personalization that takes loyalty to a new level. In fact, it's reported that 80 percent of brands that use digital signage record an increase in sales, up to 33 percent.

The Convergence of In-Person Shopping and Advertising

Differing revenue streams are important in business, especially retail, as it compensates for lost product revenue due to slower shopping periods or weather that keeps people indoors for extended durations. Strategically placed signage can attract advertisers, providing a canvas for real-time promos, seasonal sales, and trending products.

This is useful for larger retailers that carry hundreds of brands and cater to diverse demographics as signage becomes a bridge for brands to tap into those audiences. Consumer attention is finite — and every touchpoint presents an opportunity to engage and win shoppers over. Even if a product isn’t being advertised via signage, it serves as an opportunity to run brand content that cements recognition and association throughout a busy and crowded store.

Retail media networks are the driving force behind this convergence, and it's critically important that retailers lean into the business of signage. The need for digital engagement is non-negotiable as retailers compete in a highly fragmented market. Retailers that aren’t thinking about digital signage as a monetization strategy are leaving opportunities on the table.

Technology to Build Loyalty

Loyalty is crucial for businesses looking for longevity. It also creates room for companies to be creative and experimental with the security of having loyal fans and consumers to support those endeavors.

With many companies having customer loyalty programs, signage can enhance those initiatives with impressive results. For example, having interactive kiosks at the front of a retail store allows shoppers to sign in and find products that match their interests based on recent shopping history, or access exclusive loyalty promotions, providing a white-glove experience.

Digital signage technology can transform a store mirror into an interactive display that lets shoppers try on products not available in-store or desired products in unavailable sizes. Strategically placed signage also allows brands to run store- and region-specific content that gives shoppers something unique, providing value that ultimately builds loyalty. 

Experiential Retail as a Key Differentiator

Many consumers are seeking more than just a product when it comes to making purchasing decisions. They want to create lasting memories, bring the brand or product to life, and capture a unique moment in time. By offering this experience, the value of products extends well beyond the item. Experiential is proving to be a key differentiator in a crowded retail industry.

Signage is an excellent medium to achieve successful experiential activations. Modern digital media players and associated audio-visual technology allow for expansive video walls that capture attention from a distance and create shopper immersion, or displays that react based on consumer behavior (e.g., picking up an item). Actions can trigger content to share product information, provide excerpts on brand history, or run specialized visuals to match the activation theme. Audio is another sensory element that can be included in signage activations, syncing sounds to movement captured on a display. By integrating Internet of Things (IoT) into digital signage applications, retail becomes interactive.

Looking ahead, more attention is being given to artificial intelligence as a means to smarter engagements, adaptable content, and actionable insights. And, more importantly for retailers that need to work with speed, making sure that intelligence can take place on the edge without cumbersome integrations and overly complex technology builds.

What Does This Mean for Retail at Large

Data shows that in-store retail, despite the rise in e-commerce, is still popular amongst consumers as the primary method of shopping.

However, in-store retail needs to compete with the growing convenience of e-commerce, and it can do so by offering technology-driven experiences, loyalty through value-added shopping, and inviting advertisers to get involved to reach core audiences.

The companies that lean into technology position themselves well in a crowded and transforming space.

Misty Chalk is vice president of sales, Americas at BrightSign, the global leader in digital signage players.