In the fast-paced world of retail, category resets are a high-stakes game. They require significant time and resources, but what if nearly 40% of those resets fail to deliver results? A retail analytics case study by VideoMining with a national U.S. grocery chain reveals how leveraging behavioral science in retail turned this challenge into a $150M success story—and why "shoppability" is the metric every brand needs to prioritize. VideoMining shared this case study during a recent Category Management Association webinar, which offered a detailed perspective on how behavioral science can transform each stage of the category strategy process.
The Problem: Why Traditional Category Resets Fall Short
Retailers and CPG category management teams have long relied on historical sales data and gut instinct to design store layout optimization plans. But as shopper behaviors evolve—driven by shrinking attention spans and rising e-commerce expectations—these methods often miss the mark. Sales data alone can’t answer critical questions: Why are shoppers abandoning categories? Where are they getting stuck? How can category reset strategies align with their natural navigation patterns?
The grocery chain in this study faced these exact challenges. Despite continuous hefty investing in category resets, many underperformed, leaving them unable to pinpoint root causes like poor signage, confusing layouts, or ineffective shelf flow.
The Solution: Behavioral Science Meets Shopper Insights
Partnering with VideoMining, the retailer adopted a data-driven approach to quantify "shoppability"—the ease with which shoppers navigate, locate products, and complete purchases. Using AI-powered heat mapping, dwell time analysis, and closure rate tracking, VideoMining uncovered actionable insights, including:
- Shopper navigation patterns: Identified common paths to purchase and aisle traffic activity, including detailed analysis into U-turns, long dwell time, and points of friction.
- Behavioral micro-moments: Measured time spent searching, browsing, reading product labels, and so on, diagnosing clear indicators of confusion vs. engagement.
- Closure rates: Revealed that low conversion often stemmed from shoppers experiencing resets that had poor shoppability scoring.
By creating a Behavioral Scorecard, the team established benchmarks for success, transforming subjective guesses into measurable metrics and showcasing the shoppability ROI that comes from scientific insights.
Key Findings: The ROI of Shoppability
- 39% of resets were ineffective, hurting sales velocity and conversions.
- 150M in growth was achieved post-optimization by addressing poor shoppability.
- 18% sales lift in one category after redesigning shelf flow and signage.
The study proved that shoppability isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a revenue driver. Resets optimized with behavioral science in retail saw improved store layout optimization, reduced search time, and higher basket sizes.
The Takeaway: Future-Proof Your Category Strategy
Shoppability metrics offer a blueprint for retailers and CPGs to:
- Diagnose underperforming categories with granular behavioral data.
- Optimize layouts based on real-time shopper movement.
- Track progress with standardized benchmarks.
In an era where every second counts, understanding the "why" behind shopper decisions is no longer optional. As this retail analytics case study shows, the brands that win are those who turn behavioral science into actionable category reset strategies.
Discover the hidden friction that is preventing your category resets from reaching peak success. Reach out today to learn how your category is benchmarked against total channel for shoppability!
