A South African study of the influence of shelf-edge labelling on urban consumers' grocery shopping behaviour

Abstract

All consumers engage in some form of grocery shopping in order to satisfy their most basic needs. During grocery shopping consumers tend to make their final decision about grocery purchases within the store. This increases the importance of the availability of in-store information. Shelf-edge labels can be viewed as informative point-of-purchase promotional material providing information, such as price. Since the implementation of bar-coded shelf-edge labels, the practice of individually pricing items declined, leaving the shelf-edge label often to be the only source indicating price and similar in-store information. The provision of in-store promotional and informational material can be associated with high costs and therefore needs to be optimised to its fullest potential. However, the use of shelf-edge labels by South African consumers is a question on the minds of retailers as well as consumer scientists, since an empirical research regarding this topic has been neglected in the past. Therefore, neither retailers, nor scientists know the extent to which consumers use shelf-edge labels during grocery shopping. Consumers' reasons for certain responses to or expectations of shelf-edge labels have not yet been properly investigated. This research aimed to answer these questions. The results of the study answered the study's objectives in a descriptive and exploratory manner, which led to the development of a conceptual frame. This conceptual frame provides a content specific decision-making model which indicates the use of shelf-edge labelling during grocery shopping. Retailers can use this model, as well as other results drawn from the study, to implement shelf-edge labels as informational material to its fullest potential. The study is furthermore beneficial to science in its ability to assist in the understanding of consumer behaviour.