Merchandising in Action: Corrugated Oreo Display Gets My Milk Money

In an effort to bring you the most current updates from the world of product merchandising, we have decided to report back to POP Fuel whenever we find ourselves influenced by real world retail displays.

This past weekend I went to Vons Supermarket with 2 items on my shopping list: milk and eggs. As I entered the store I opted to grab a hand basket rather than a cart because I thought my store visit would be quick and simple. I only needed a few missing ingredients to bake a fresh loaf of Zucchini Bread back at home, so, with promotional blinders on, I tried to make my way to the back of the store where the milk and eggs rest in their chilled displays.

I proudly walked past offers of 20% savings on the new line of summer merchandise. The store’s signage efforts were futile against a clever marketer like myself, I had thought. As I marched down aisle 7, there were shelf edge sign holders boasting huge savings on cereal, but I stayed strong and pushed forward, edging closer and closer to my desired items.

Finally, with empty basket in hand, I made it to the back of the store. Once in my shopping list’s target zone, my peripheral vision began to expand as I started reading all of the store signs and shelf talkers. Suddenly, I noticed that my eyes were working overtime and they became susceptible to a majority of the signage. This was because I needed information. I had questions that needed answering. Where are the eggs? Are they cage-free? Are they organic? How much do they cost? Are there any discounts?

Looking back at my supermarket experience I realize that once my brain entered ‘shopping mode’ I became very vulnerable to the store’s promotional messages and signage. Despite all of my planning and readiness for a quick, low-cost visit I would still need to make a few detail oriented decisions regarding selection and savings. I was able to tune out most of the product merchandising efforts until I got to my area of interest. Then it happened.

As I made my way past the eggs and over toward the milk displays I must have let my guard down. After spotting a carton of milk that would complete my shopping list, I thought I was done, but was I really?

I opened the chilly refrigerator door and reached into the bright fluorescent abyss. The world inside the refrigerator was cold and frosty. Once I had reached the milk carton I thought I was safe. But I was a fool.

I emerged from the wintry tundra and closed the display case doors. Despite having logged extensive cold-produce-shopping hours throughout my life, I wasn’t ready for what happened next.

Was it frostbite? No. It was a corrugated cardboard display that overwhelmed me with delicious thoughts and warm memories of dunking cookies when I was young. Just beside the milk refrigerator I discovered an Oreo Cookie display featuring a giant glass of milk and an Oreo, mid-dunk.

So, there I was, milk in hand, staring down a giant cookie. As I read the sign, “Let’s dunk this!” it occurred to me that I didn’t need the entire gallon of milk for the recipe on hand. In fact, I felt like I might actually end up wasting some of my newly acquired, fresh milk if I didn’t have cookies to dunk in it.

Did I buy some Oreos? You bet.

This POP display did a great job wrapping up nostalgia (dunking cookies as kids) as well as placement (right next to the milk) and timing (waiting for people with milk in hand) along with a fun, engaging design that speaks for itself. The visual merchandising was very effective as the product display earned my business in 3 simple words, “Let’s dunk this!”

…Well played Oreo, well played!

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