New data from Co-op Media Network (CMN) has unveiled significant insights into the effectiveness of convenience store advertising, demonstrating that it can dramatically increase brand recall compared to larger retail environments. The study, conducted in partnership with Lumen Research, an expert in consumer attention and eye-tracking technologies, was released on Tuesday, 25th February 2025.

The groundbreaking research indicates that advertising within convenience stores offers twice the visibility, garners triple the attention, and achieves quadruple brand recall compared to advertising in larger stores. This enhanced performance is attributed to both the high frequency of shopper visits to convenience stores and the distinctive layout of these smaller retail spaces.

CMN hypothesised that the compact size of Co-op’s convenience stores, paired with the high shopper density and diverse mixed category aisles, enables consumers to encounter a broader spectrum of advertisement messages in close proximity. This unique environment leads to increased visibility of promotional material, thus enhancing brand recognition.

The methodology employed in the research involved participants undertaking a shopping mission focused on BBQ items within either small (2,106 square feet) or large (14,687 square feet) Co-op stores. Shoppers were equipped with unobtrusive eye-tracking glasses that tracked their visual engagement, providing nuanced data on what they were looking at, the duration of their gazes, and even their peripheral vision.

After their shopping experience, participants were subjected to brand recall tests and brand choice surveys to measure the effectiveness of the advertising they had encountered. The findings underscored that, while larger stores do facilitate brand engagement, the convenience store context significantly amplifies attention and recall metrics.

Furthermore, the study compared the effectiveness of retail media to traditional advertising channels such as out-of-home campaigns, online display, online video, and television. The results positioned retail media as the second most effective channel for brand recall, outpacing other traditional media avenues, and highlighting the potency of in-store advertisements.

Kenyatte Nelson, Chief Membership & Customer Officer at Co-op, remarked on the implications of the findings, stating, “Traditionally, in-store advertising has been viewed by media buyers as a pure sales activation tool that was great for last-minute promotions but not for brand-building. However, this groundbreaking evidence now spotlights retail media, especially in a convenience setting, as one of the most powerful brand recall tools.” He further noted that the study illustrates the dual purpose of in-store advertising, effectively driving both short-term sales and long-term brand growth.

Echoing this sentiment, Mike Follett, CEO of Lumen Research, commented, “Our research with Co-op confirms what we already knew – attention drives action. In small stores, shoppers revisit aisles multiple times and so encounter the same ads and messages multiple times, creating a higher frequency of exposure.” This repeated exposure is crucial in embedding advertising messages into shopper memory, fostering awareness, consideration, and intent regarding brands.

The results of this industry-first study provide valuable insights into how convenience store advertising can be leveraged as a powerful tool for both immediate sales boosts and enduring brand loyalty, reinforcing the transformative role of retail media in the ever-evolving landscape of consumer marketing.

Source: Noah Wire Services