A lot of shopper programs were once focused on shelf sets, end-aisle displays, promotional programs and the like. While many of these in-store marketing tools are still effective and being deployed in field, in recent years marketers have increasingly put more energy and money into understanding the how and why shoppers buy. To that end, they are employing a cadre of technologists and scientists to uncover shopper needs and emotional states. And one of the latest technologists in the shopper marketing space who is bridging the gap between traditional in-store marketing and technological innovation is ShopperGauge, a partnership between RockTenn Merchandising Displays and BVI Networks.

So what exactly sets ShopperGauge apart from the pac? Well for starters there are the state-of-the-art “learning labs” which are a set of real stores where the retailer and its suppliers can test designs, displays and promotions with shoppers, ultimately improving the in-store shopper experience. How exactly do they test such designs without any input bias from the shopper? Simple. They monitor and analyze shoppers behavior through video surveillance measuring key analytics such as store traffic, aisle traffic, shopper interaction at the shelf and with displays, dwell time, and conversion of sales.

The most recent retailer to add themselves to ShopperGauges client list was Family Dollar, which effectively became the largest learning lab in the nation as well.

“The 20-store testing environment is the first of its kind in the retail industry,” said John Kramer, Chief Marketing Officer of RockTenn during the 2012 SF POP Show in San Francisco. “The ShopperGauge in-store behavior monitoring system utilizes video and advanced analytics to automate the process of collecting and analyzing shopper behavior in real-time as shoppers move about the store, naturally interacting with brand messaging and displays.”

The goal of ShopperGauge’s system is to generate quantifiable metrics showing how many shoppers visited each location and which brands were most effective in engaging and converting them to purchase. The Learning Lab will provide instant access to shopper insights, allowing brands and retailers to incorporate the voice of the shopper into their in-store merchandise and marketing decisions.

Kramer believes that by quantifying key conversion growth and improving the in-store experience both brands and retailers will have a fact based selling proposition — an idea that bodes well for the industry at large.