A modern supermarket is not just shelves with products, but a complex system of customer touchpoints. Competition is high, margins in many categories are minimal, so retailers are looking for tools that influence the average check specifically, not just traffic.

 

This is exactly where digital menus for stores stops being an image element and turns into a demand management mechanism. It can encourage an additional purchase, form a new need, or simplify choice. But only if its use is supported by scenario logic and analytics, rather than random content.

 

 

Screens are there — but there is no effect. Why does this happen?

 

Supermarkets have massively installed screens in the sales area, at the entrance, near the checkout counters. But after 3–6 months, there is a feeling that the system simply “plays videos,” while the impact on sales remains unclear.

 

The reason is almost always the same — screens are used as a media carrier, not as a tool for managing purchasing behavior.

 

To understand the real effect, data collection and analysis of customer behavior are required: how traffic moves, in which zones shoppers stop, which categories generate additional interest. Without this, even the highest-quality video content works intuitively rather than strategically.

 

Digital menus begins to influence the average check only when scenarios are built around it, not when content is simply uploaded.

 

 

Features of customer behavior in a supermarket

 

A shopper in the sales area makes dozens of micro-decisions within minutes. Some of them are planned, some are impulsive. A digital menus can influence the second type of decisions if it is integrated into the logic of the route.

 

It is important that software for screens allows content to be managed by zones, scenarios to be changed depending on the time of day, and different messages to be tested оперативно. Then the system becomes flexible and works not generally, but precisely.

 

Not all screens are equally useful. Below are the zones with the greatest contribution to increasing the average check.

 

 

Entrance area

 

This is where the “shopping context” is formed.

 

Effective elements include:

 

– current daily promotions;

 

– navigation to profitable categories;

 

– seasonal selections;

 

– ready-made solutions for a specific scenario (dinner, picnic, breakfast).

 

The mistake is to place image videos without connection to the current assortment. At the entrance, the shopper has not yet made final decisions, so the screen must set the direction of movement inside the store.

 

Passages between key categories

 

This is a cross-sell zone:

 

“with meat — sauce,”

 

“with pasta — cheese,”

 

“with coffee — dessert.”

 

Digital menus placed between categories often deliver a greater effect than those located directly above the shelves. The content should be short, practical, and understandable within 3–5 seconds.

 

Personalized content for customers, adapted to the time of day or store format, works effectively here. In the morning — breakfast sets, in the evening — quick dinners, on weekends — family shopping.

 

 

Cold zones (back rows)

 

In these parts of the store, traffic is traditionally lower. The screen becomes a “visual magnet.”

 

Effective elements include:

 

– highlighting promotions;

 

– reminders about everyday demand products;

 

– limited-time offers;

 

– clear visual accents.

 

Properly configured scenarios allow the redistribution of customer flow and activation of less-visited categories.

 

 

Queue and checkout area

 

One of the strongest points of influence on the average basket value.

 

Effective elements include:

 

– impulse goods;

 

– small add-on sales;

 

– delivery services;

 

– loyalty programs;

 

– quick offers with a minimal decision threshold.

 

Self-service kiosks can also be especially effective here, combining information with action — the customer can immediately check the price or add a product.

 

 

Which store zones work best for digital menus 

 

Not all screens are equally effective. The result depends not only on the content format but also on correct placement within the retail space. It is the zone that determines whether digital advertising on screens will simply be background or become a tool for influencing the average basket value.

 

Below are examples of store zones that systematically influence customer behavior and most often demonstrate real growth in the average basket value through the грамотне use of screens.

 

Entrance area: shaping the purchase scenario

 

The first 10–20 seconds after entering determine the customer’s further route. Here it is important not to overload the message, but to set a clear direction: daily promotions, seasonal offers, выгодные product bundles.

 

Integration with a store layout map or emphasis on high-margin categories works well. If the customer immediately sees the logic of product placement, they spend more time in the store and more often add additional items to the basket.

 

 

Central aisles: cross-sell and impulse decisions

 

In the aisles between key categories, most additional purchases are formed. Short messages with a clear benefit are effective here: additions to the main product, ready-made solutions, limited offers.

 

QR codes in advertising work especially well, leading to coupons, recipes, or loyalty programs. This combines the offline space with mobile interaction and extends contact with the brand even after leaving the store.

 

 

Cold zones: traffic stimulation

 

Back rows or less popular categories require additional attention. Here screens can act as a tool for redistributing customer flow.

 

Bright visual accents, short videos demonstrating the product, highlighting promotions — all this creates a sense of activity in the zone. If the system supports real-time price and menu updates, the store can promptly respond to stock levels or changes in demand, stimulating sales of specific items.

 

 

Navigation points: orientation without loss of interest

 

In large supermarkets, a customer often spends time searching for a product. The longer the search lasts, the higher the probability of losing interest.

 

This is where interactive navigation in the store becomes important. Touch panels or interactive stands allow customers to quickly find the required category, floor, or specific brand. Additionally, the system can suggest related products or promotional items along the route.

 

Such an approach not only saves the customer’s time but also creates new contact points for additional sales.

 

 

Checkout area: maximum concentration of attention

 

The queue is a moment of forced pause. It is here that the customer is most receptive to short and specific offers.

 

Checkout information displays that show add-on sales, bonus points, or personal offers are effective. Messages should be simple: “add at a special price,” “get a discount when buying two,” “activate a bonus.”

 

In this zone, decisions are made quickly, and even a small add-on item significantly affects the total receipt.

 

How to use “smart” broadcasting: time, weather, audience

 

Even without complex video analytics, digital menus can be made adaptive. Content should change depending on the context — time of day, temperature, traffic, or type of location. It is flexibility and speed of response that turn ordinary broadcasting into a strategic tool of influence.

 

For example:

 

– in the morning — breakfasts, coffee, fresh pastries;

 

– in the evening — ready-made meals, semi-finished products, quick dinner solutions;

 

– in the heat — drinks, ice cream, light snacks;

 

– in the cold — soups, hot beverages, seasonal categories.

 

Such scenarios are easy to implement if a content management system (CMS) is used, which allows setting display rules by schedule or triggers. Thanks to this, the same screen works differently depending on the circumstances, without requiring manual intervention from staff.

 

When scaling the network, remote content management becomes important. The central office can change messages simultaneously in dozens or hundreds of locations, synchronizing promotions with actual stock levels or the marketing calendar.

 

In the gastronomy and ready-meal segment, digital menus are especially effective, allowing quick changes of offers, highlighting high-margin items, and promptly responding to changes in demand.

 

An additional level of engagement is provided by augmented reality in stores: interactive elements can demonstrate how to use a product or create visual effects that attract attention to a specific zone.

 

As a result, the Digital menus solution begins to function as an adaptive system rather than a static broadcasting channel.

 

 

Which metrics to track in order to understand the effect

 

Without measurement, screens turn into a “nice television.” To assess the real impact, it is necessary to work with specific indicators and regularly analyze them in dynamics.

 

Basic metrics include sales uplift in a specific category after launching a scenario, changes in the average basket value, as well as the share of cross-sell items in the basket. It is also important to track the response to promotions before and after the launch of broadcasting in order to see the difference in customer behavior.

 

It is also worth analyzing effectiveness by zones and store formats. If advertising content synchronization is set up, it is possible to more accurately determine which scenario in which location delivers the best result and how sales dynamics change depending on time or context.

 

The key principle is to compare test stores with a control group, rather than simply “yesterday and today.” Such an approach makes it possible to exclude seasonal and external factors and obtain an objective picture of effectiveness.

 

How to build a content plan for networks with 100+ stores

 

The key mistake of large chains is identical content for all locations without considering format, traffic, or local specifics. As a result, the potential of digital menus is used only partially.

 

A working model looks like this:

 

– a unified brand framework (templates, style, visual standards);

 

– local windows for regional promotions;

 

– different scenarios for supermarkets, minimarkets, or convenience stores;

 

– centralized management and regular reporting.

 

The content plan should combine strategic campaigns with operational changes. That is why the technological base must support uninterrupted 24/7 operation and scaling without complicating processes.

 

When content is structured, analytics are transparent, and management is centralized, screens become part of the retail operating system rather than just a marketing tool.

 

 

Common mistakes that prevent screens from increasing the average basket value

 

Many supermarkets invest in digital menus but do not achieve the expected result. The problem is usually not in the equipment, but in the approach to its use. When the system operates without a clear strategy, even the obvious advantages of digital advertising remain unrealized.

 

One of the most common mistakes is broadcasting image videos without linking them to a specific shelf or category. The customer makes decisions directly near the product, so abstract brand content does not stimulate additional purchases. If the message does not help make a choice here and now, it does not affect the basket value.

 

Another problem is the lack of regular updates. When content does not change for months, customers stop paying attention to the digital menus. The “banner blindness” effect appears. Even a high-quality player for digital menus will not deliver results if scenarios are not updated according to seasonality, promotions, or changes in demand.

 

The third mistake is chaotic placement. Screens are installed where there is a technical possibility, not at decision-making points. As a result, they remain background instead of influencing choice in key zones — before a category, in cross-sell aisles, or near checkout.

 

The fourth critical point is the absence of measuring effect by categories. Without analytics, it is impossible to understand which scenario works and which does not. If indicators are not compared before and after launching broadcasting, screens are perceived as a decorative element rather than a sales tool.

 

It is also worth mentioning the underestimation of interactivity. Interactive kiosks are often installed only for informational functions, without integrating them into the store’s commercial logic. However, they can suggest related products, demonstrate promotions, or simplify search, which directly affects the average basket value.

 

When screens are used systematically, they contribute not only to sales but also create an improvement in customer service. Clear navigation, up-to-date offers, and quick access to information create a sense of convenience and modernity of the space.

 

In conclusion, the effectiveness of screens in a supermarket is determined not by their number or size, but by the logic of their use. When content is linked to the customer journey, updated regularly, and supported by analytics, the system begins to function as a full-fledged sales growth tool.

 

It is this approach that makes it possible to transform the store’s digital infrastructure from background broadcasting into a controlled mechanism for increasing the average basket value.


Advision is a content management system for remote control, media planning of video and audio content broadcasting, and a supply-side platform for monetising advertising time. We also implement a Wi-Fi tracking system to measure quantitative indicators of the advertising audience.

 

We help Digital Signage owners and DOOH advertising operators earn money from advertising, automate work processes, and build a reliable media infrastructure using AdTech and MarTech software solutions.

 

Contact us if you want to increase your profits and implement the latest technologies to solve your problems!