76% of Purchase Decisions Happen In-Store — Is Your Label Pulling Its Weight?

Here’s a fun little plot twist for anyone who thinks marketing only happens on screens: 76% of purchase decisions are made in-store (POPAI/Shop! Association Shopper Engagement Study, 2014).

Not while scrolling. Not while watching a pre-roll ad. Right there, in the aisle, probably humming along to the store’s questionable playlist. 🎵

The Shelf: Where the Magic Happens

The original POPAI study in 1995 put in-store decisions at 70%. By 2014? Up to 76%. Unplanned purchases now account for roughly 62% of all supermarket shopping. The shelf moment isn’t fading — it’s having a moment.

And here’s the real kicker for beverage brands: only about 5% of shoppers walk in fully committed to a specific brand (POPAI, 2014). That means 95% of people cruising past your product are open to being wooed. They might have “grab a sparkling water” on the mental list — but which sparkling water? That love story starts at the shelf.

Kantar’s Shopperscape research backs it up — only 33% of shoppers make a list and stick to it. The rest? Delightfully persuadable.

Your Label Is Your Best Sales Rep

We’re not here to trash-talk digital. Brand awareness matters! But here’s where things get interesting: Nielsen found that shelf awareness is the #1 driver of trial for 64% of new CPG launches. Not TV ads. Not influencer collabs. The shelf.

Your label is the only marketing asset that’s physically present at the exact moment someone reaches for their wallet. That’s not an afterthought — that’s the headliner.

What a Hard-Working Label Looks Like

So what separates a wallflower label from one that’s out there charming shoppers? Glad you asked:

Visual contrast is your superpower. Products with high visual contrast against the shelf get noticed 2.6x more often (3M Visual Attention Software studies). If your label blends into the cooler like camouflage, you’re basically playing hide-and-seek. And winning. Which… isn’t what we want here.

First noticed = first in cart. Research from Clement et al. (Journal of Retailing) found that the first product a shopper notices has a 50% higher purchase probability. Being the belle of the beverage aisle pays off — literally.

Color does the heavy lifting from afar. Color is processed first (recognized from 5+ feet away), followed by shape, then text (Pantone Institute, Nielsen). If your color game isn’t on point, shoppers may never wander close enough to meet your clever tagline.

Print quality whispers “pick me.” Products with premium finishes — foil, embossing, soft-touch coatings — are perceived as 28% higher quality than flat-print alternatives (Sappi research). In a split-second shelf showdown, your finish is doing some seriously persuasive work.

Time for a Little Label Soul-Searching

Here’s a quick exercise: peek at your marketing budget. Now peek at what you’re investing in the physical assets that live at the point of purchase — labels, displays, packaging materials.

If that number is a sliver of your digital spend, you might be underinvesting in the channel where 76% of your customers actually make their decision.

This isn’t about printing more labels. It’s about printing labels that make people stop mid-stride and think, “Ooh, what’s that?” It’s about finishes, substrates, and design elements that turn your product into the head-turning, shelf-stealing showstopper it deserves to be.

Because the brands that win at retail? They treat their packaging not as a line item, but as their single most effective way to say: “Hey there. You’re going to love what’s inside.” 🍻

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At First in Print, we help beverage brands turn shelf presence into “add to cart” moments. From specialty finishes to display printing, we make sure your product shines when it matters most. Let’s chat about your next project!