Promotional in-store messaging involves using your speakers to share key information with customers while they shop. While this tactic has the potential to improve your revenue, planning is important. 

Share the right messages at the right time, and customers will buy more. Bombard them with the wrong messages, and they may leave without buying anything. 

At Pandora CloudCover, we have extensive experience in helping brands maximize their in-store messaging to drive brand awareness, sales, and employee productivity.

The Benefits of In-Store Messaging 

Researchers say 82% of purchase decisions happen when people are inside the store. By sharing key messages while people are shopping, you have an opportunity to influence them when they are most vulnerable. 

Creating in-store overhead messages that work is critical. And if you do it right, you can tap into the following benefits:

1. Encourage Additional Purchases 

Your customers may come into your store looking for something specific. What if you could encourage them to add something else to the cart? Promotional messages make this possible. 

Studies suggest 16% of unplanned purchases are driven by in-store promotions like this. It’s clear this is a method with a lot of power. 

Use this approach to highlight buy-one-get-one-half-off sales. People planning to purchase just one item might be thrilled to add another to the cart. 

2. Promote Sales & Events 

A 2015 study showed that in-store signage and audio messaging influence up to 60% of shoppers' decisions on where to focus attention. By sharing the right message, you could steer your customers to a sale that’s critical to your business. 

Share messages about special pricing that’s only available in the store right now. A sense of urgency could entice customers to grab the deal before it’s gone. 

You could also discuss today’s special events happening inside the store to generate buzz. For example, if your garden center is potting plants (instead of selling them in gardening pots), sharing that information could encourage people to stop what they’re doing and start gardening with your team right now.

3. Reinforce Your Branding

Your shop’s brand is key to repeat sales. It’s critical to ensure that all of your customers recognize what your shop looks, sounds, and feels like. Messaging can help. 

Researchers say there’s a strong connection between a connection to a brand and a customer’s intent to purchase something. The more customers know and understand a brand, the more likely they are to buy from it. 

Use your promotional messaging to reinforce your name, your tagline, and your approach to your customers. This subtle reinforcement could help people remember your brand and feel compelled to support it. 

4. Save Marketing Money 

A study showed that in-store messaging was cheaper and more effective than other marketing methods. In-store messaging costs 50% less per impression than traditional ads, with a 20% higher conversion rate.

Studies like this demonstrate how effective in-store messages can be in changing consumer behavior. If you want customers to spend money while they’re inside your store, messaging is a good option. 

5. Enhance Customer Engagement 

In-store messaging can also keep your customers engaged with your environment instead of being lost in their thoughts or engaged with their phones. For example, 64% of companies that use digital signs say increased customer engagement is the main benefit. 

Engaging signs and messages keep your customers focused on what they’re doing inside your store right now. That could lead to higher sales, improved brand recall, and more. 

Additional Benefits to Consider 

We’ve covered some of the top perks associated with using in-store messaging, but there are so many others you should know about. These are a few of them:

Guide Customer Behavior 

Research suggests most consumers spend 30 minutes or less inside a store. It’s crucial for business owners to make every minute count. 

Your in-store messages can encourage people to visit parts of the store associated with the greatest profit margins. You can also highlight new sections of your shop that customers may never have seen before. 

Drive Online Sales 

About 60% of consumers start a purchase journey by browsing online stores. Your in-store messaging could entice some of these shoppers to return to your online store when they’re done with an in-person visit. 

For example, one store in your franchise could be out of an item your customer wants. Your messaging could remind the customer that the item is available (and ready to ship now) from your online store. 

When used properly, this method can help smooth over supply chain issues and result in happy and satisfied shoppers. 

Introduce New Inventory 

Industry experts say retailers are reducing their inventory and focusing on leaner backstock. This approach also means many shop owners are rolling out new products and services as permitted by their supply chains. 

Your in-store messages could tell customers about the new products, why they’re worthwhile, and how much they cost. You could drive sales while highlighting how you’re innovating and changing to serve your community.

Motivate Your Employees

Almost 8 in 10 retail employees are satisfied with their jobs. However, even the happiest of staffers can have a bad day. In-store messaging can help. 

Your messages can remind your staff of your promotions and sales, so they understand where to direct customers with questions. Reinforcing your brand can also help your staff feel proud of the work they do and the organization they work for. 

How to Measure the Effectiveness of In-Store Messaging 

Tracking metrics can help you understand how well your promotional messaging is working. You may need to be a little creative with data gathering, but the results can be very worthwhile.

Track your effectiveness with some of these models:

• Change in sales: Track how much you sold before the promotion started and identify how much you sold when it ended.
• Customer engagement: Use tools like heat mapping to determine how long people stand in front of your digital signs. Or tap into the logins for your interactive kiosks to determine how many people used them.
• Customer feedback: Conduct focus group meetings or surveys to learn more about how your customers feel about the promotions.

Some companies build custom tools to track the effectiveness of their promotions across their advertising landscape. They can launch a deal both in the store and online, and they can then determine if their promotions resulted in a boost in sales.

Smaller companies can use simpler tools like sales receipts and surveys to get an approximation of value they can share with their stakeholders.

Let Pandora CloudCover Help With In-Store Messaging

When you blend messages with music for business, you’re in complete control of the experience, directly connecting with customers and guiding their behaviors. It can be an incredibly effective way to boost your bottom line while also improving the overall experience for everyone who enters your store.

At Pandora CloudCover, we have experience with businesses of all sizes — from single-location corner shops to multi-location enterprises. All of our plans are built to help maximize in-store messaging. 

Let us help you meld in-store promotional messaging with good background music you can legally play in your business. Get started today with a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. Terms and conditions apply.

References

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The Impact of Effective Signage on Customer Engagement. (November 2024). AZ Big Media.

Visual Merchandising Impact on Impulse Buying Behavior. (December 2015). Procedia—Social and Behavioral Sciences. 

Influence of Sensory Stimuli on Brand Experience, Brand Equity, and Purchase Intention. (January 2017). Journal of Business Economics and Management. 

The State of Impulse Buying (Statistics & Trends 2025). Invesp. 

100 Proven ROI-Driven Digital Signage Statistics 2022. (January 2023). Digital Signage Today. 

Grocery Foot Traffic Data: 2022 Insights to Consider in 2023 and Beyond. Grocery TV. 

Consumers Tend to Start Their Shopping Online, Finish It In-Store. (May 2024). Marketing Charts. 

By the Numbers: How Retailers Stack Up on Inventory. (October 2023). Supply Chain Dive. 

Retail Reality: Mythbusting Worker Safety and Job Satisfaction. (April 2024). National Retail Federation.