Convenience stores are the lifelines in meeting all the needs for daily essentials of consumers. With so many products to offer, these general stores must leverage the power of digital signage.

Digital signage offers a brilliant platform to display high-definition content to engage customers, promote high-value products, convey tailored and targeted messages, increase revenue, and enhance the customers’ overall experience.

Modern signage software applications offer features such as remote content management, content scheduling, and quick content design tools, making it easier for the convenience store staff to seamlessly feature product promos, stock availability, and more in near real-time accuracy.

This blog will discuss some salient strategies to exploit convenience store digital signage to its maximum potential.

6 Best strategies to make the most of convenience store digital signage

Let us discuss a few strategies that can come in handy to highlight the products and raise sales in convenience stores.

1. Placing the digital signs tactically

The positioning of the digital signs in your convenience store can make a huge impact. If signs are placed at the entrance and near the checkout counters, then they will grab attention.

For example, a customer is waiting in a queue to pay for their purchase. If they see attractive promotions and product recommendations displayed near the checkout counter, they might indulge in some impromptu buying.For example, a digital sign at the entrance could welcome customers with a store map and highlight daily specials, while another at the checkout could promote loyalty program benefits.

Placing display boards at eye level, over the shelves, and at both ends of the aisles ensures excellent visibility. This strategic placement guides customers through the store, highlights new or seasonal products, and encourages impulse buys.

2. Get local

What makes convenience stores useful is their relevance to the daily life of the local people. So naturally, a customer will stop and watch your in-store TVs if you show them relevant and real-time content, such as the local news, weather updates, sports highlights, etc.

As a convenience store brand, you would like to become a household name. And for that it is also important to keep the local language in mind.

Let’s say your convenience store is situated in a Spanish-speaking neighborhood in the United States. So, in order to become relevant to your local customers, you should consider showing your digital signage content in both English and Spanish.

Local time targeting is highly effective. By utilizing geo-targeting, stores can push time-sensitive offers, such as discounts on fresh bakery items in the morning or last-minute dinner ingredients in the evening. This approach increases the relevance and effectiveness of promotions. Additionally, the localization of digital content is an excellent way to expand the customer base, and it consistently delivers results.

3. Add interactive elements

Convenience stores can make their digital signages interactive to offer self-service. This significantly reduces queue lengths and the estimated wait time for checkout.

Besides, deploying interactive digital kiosks can make the product browsing experience seamless. For example, customers can gain product information, compare similar products and brands, browse loyalty programs & benefits, learn about upcoming product launches and more. You can also add QR Codes on screens to make any non-touch TV display or LED signboard interactive.

Further, these interactive convenience store displays can collect valuable customer feedback to improve the service.

To minimize perceived wait times, stores can utilize interactive digital kiosks that allow customers to engage with fun, informative content while they wait. For example, integrating mini-games, trivia, or interactive product demonstrations on the screens can keep customers entertained and distracted from the wait. Additionally, displaying live queue updates or estimated wait times can manage customer expectations and improve overall satisfaction.

4. Wayfinding & store navigation

In recent years, many retailers have realized the harm that poor navigation can do to customer experience.

Convenience store digital signage can be easily turned into digital wayfinders to help customers find their way through the store and locate their desired products. These maps can give directions to different sections of the store.

Interactive wayfinding kiosks can also help in guided store navigation. It could be of great help to elderly and first-time customers.

5. Side revenue from ad space renting

Convenience stores house massive number of brands, many of which are local brands devoid of any prominent platform to advertise themselves.

This is a great opportunity for convenience stores to generate additional revenue. You can rent your in-store digital signage TVs to non-competing companies like restaurants, theaters, or product suppliers to promote their products and services.

This scheme is advantageous for both parties as the suppliers and other businesses gain visibility, and the convenience stores can earn additional income.

6. Digital signage as a virtual salesperson

Convenience store digital signage can be used to recommend products based on customers’ purchase history and preferences or the ongoing trend. This enables upselling.Leveraging advanced data analytics, digital signage can offer highly personalized product recommendations and real-time offers tailored to individual customer preferences. For instance, a customer who frequently buys organic products could be shown special deals on new organic arrivals as they enter the store.

Various information like pricing, ingredients, nutritional values, limited-time offers and so on can be displayed.

Videos showing how to operate, assemble, or cook certain products can be displayed. This results in informed purchases and overall satisfaction of customers.

4 Content ideas for convenience store digital signage

Here are a few creative yet simple ideas to grab the eyeballs of potential customers and tempt them into making purchases.

1. Digital product catalogs

Digital signages can be used for presenting digital product catalogs describing the products in detail, including pricing, ingredients, health benefits, if any, and other features.

These digital catalogs can be updated easily by the store owners in case a product is out of stock or if there are new arrivals.

You can check out Pickcel’s digital product catalog solution for retail stores.

2. Customer reviews & social walls

Positive reviews of satisfied customers and social media feeds on product surveys are a must-have content for your convenience store displays.

These reviews could be strategically placed above the shelves where the concerned products are lined up. These reviews help in building confidence among the buyers and definitely result in increased sales.

This also encourages customers to provide positive feedback because seeing one’s name displayed along with their words can be fun.

You can also display different hashtag contests and posts from your brand’s Instagram, Facebook & Twitter accounts using a social media wall.

3. Recipes and food combos

Simple step-by-step cooking videos using ingredients available in the convenience store can be a great idea to inspire seasoned as well as amateur home chefs to purchase the showcased products. A well-garnished dish can tempt anyone!

Also, different food pairings can be suggested through attractive graphics and videos. For example, coffee, cookies, or pastries could be paired, or various dips or salad dressings with different salad-worthy veggies and greens could be shown via mouth-watering displays.

A digital menu board solution can be a perfect fit for this purpose. You can also run replays of popular cooking shows and challenges to excite the gastronomes.

4. Trends of the season

Your convenience store digital signage can be customized to display seasonal themes to create an apt ambiance for the customers.

For example, during summer focus could be on videos pouring iced tea or any other cool drinks from fancy glasses.

Likewise, the Christmas season could be highlighted by various gift ideas.

Step into the future of convenience store digital signage

Are you looking to improve your convenience store experience? Pickcel can offer a powerful digital signage solution to drive your in-store marketing communications. With 60+ apps that bring fresh and highly relevant media onto your screens, your convenience store will be all set to be busy at the counter.

Start a free trial or schedule a demo with our experts today!