Key Takeaways
Grocery shopping has come a long way. Not long ago, aisles were filled with paper flyers and static posters that rarely changed. Today, screens do the talking, showcasing real-time deals, recipe ideas, new products, and featured items as shoppers stroll by and make purchase decisions.
In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about grocery digital signage, from key benefits and creative ideas to setup steps and must-have software features. But before we explore how retail digital signage can work for your store, let’s start with the basics: what is grocery digital signage?
What exactly is grocery digital signage (and why it matters)
Grocery and supermarket digital signage is a smarter way for stores to communicate with customers. It replaces printed signs with digital screens that show real-time promotions, price updates, product highlights, announcements, and in-store directions.
💡Picture this: instead of paper posters and static shelf tags, bright digital screens showcase what’s fresh and what’s on sale. It is more engaging, isn’t it?
Behind the screens, everything is managed through an easy-to-use content management system that allows for instant and remote updates, saving both time and resources. The payoff is clear: streamlined operations, stronger sales, and a faster, more engaging shopping experience for customers.
And speed matters more than ever. According to JLL’s 2024 Grocery Report, today’s in-store shoppers spend just 23.4 minutes per visit, a steady decline from previous years. With customers making quicker decisions and browsing less, retailers now have only a few moments to capture attention and influence buying behavior.
That’s exactly where digital signage software makes all the difference. By delivering dynamic, real-time promotions and guiding shoppers to the products they need, it helps grocery retailers keep pace with modern shopping habits, turning speed into stronger sales.
Why grocery stores use digital signage to transform shopping
Grocery retail isn’t just about what’s on the shelves; it’s about how you connect with shoppers. Digital displays help you connect with shoppers, boost sales, save time, and deliver a smoother, more enjoyable visit from the moment they walk in.
Ready to see the impact? Let’s explore the top benefits.
Benefit 1: Increase purchases & boost sales for key products
Is it easier to buy something when you see it on a screen? Yodeck data says yes. Over 80% of brands using digital signage have boosted sales by up to 33%. Grocery digital signage turns every aisle into a sales opportunity, spotlighting high-margin, seasonal, or private-label items and helping basket sizes grow.
Benefit 2: Promote real-time offers & hot grocery deals
Timing is everything in grocery retail. Dynamic in-store screens adapt in real time, showcasing live promotions, flash sales, new prices, and limited-time offers that inspire customers to explore beyond their usual shopping lists.
Benefit 3: Improve customer engagement & shopping experience
Digital signs enhance every step of the shopping journey. On-screen recipes, nutritional tips, and product locations make the experience faster and more inspiring, turning a simple grocery run into something customers want to repeat.
Benefit 4: Streamline grocery operations & enhance employee efficiency
Digital displays streamline operations by automating updates. With instant changes and inventory-based adjustments, stores avoid promoting out-of-stock items and save valuable staff time.
Benefit 5: Build trust in brands and high-margin products
Every grocery display is a chance to build trust and boost profit by featuring high-margin products. Branded content (like behind-the-scenes clips, product stories, or customer testimonials) adds authenticity. When shoppers see familiar names and real stories on screen, trust grows and sales follow.
Benefit 6: Reduce printing and marketing costs
Traditional signage is costly and becomes outdated quickly. As promotions and prices change, printed materials can’t keep up. Grocery digital signage solves this challenge by replacing static signs with dynamic screens that can be updated instantly from one central platform.
Benefit 7: Improve store navigation and grocery shopper flow
Finding products shouldn’t be a challenge. With digital signage at entrances and key areas, shoppers can quickly access directions, maps, and real-time product updates. According to iVend Retail’s 2018 survey, 96% of shoppers have left stores empty-handed due to poor navigation or long lines, proof that clear navigation matters.
Benefit 8: Optimize marketing performance and insights
By leveraging data such as shopping habits, demographics, time of day, and inventory levels, digital signage delivers content that feels personal, timely, and aligned with your sales goals.
Benefit 9: Announce daily specials and time-sensitive offers effortlessly
Daily specials are a huge draw for grocery shoppers, but only if they notice them in time. With digital signage for grocery stores to announce daily specials, you can display fresh deals, chef’s picks, or limited-time discounts the moment they’re available
|💡 Explore more retail digital signage benefits in our in-depth guide to see how leading retailers drive engagement and sales.
7 smart ways to use digital displays in grocery stores
Now that we’ve explored why digital signage matters, let’s look at how it comes to life inside a grocery store.
1. Shelf-edge & in-store displays for real-time pricing and updates
Forget paper tags. Shelf-edge and in-store announcement screens deliver live prices, stock levels, offers, and important updates right where shoppers make their buying decisions.
2. Video walls for unique brand storytelling
Video walls do more than display grocery promotions: they tell stories about sustainability efforts, local producers, premium products, and key store zones.
3. POSM displays for bestsellers & promotions
Strategically placed POSM displays near checkouts or key aisles influence shoppers at the perfect moment. Featuring high-margin or trending products, these screens boost impulse purchases and overall sales.
4. Wayfinding displays for easier grocery store navigation
Getting lost in a grocery store or supermarket is frustrating. Wayfinding displays make navigation effortless with clear maps, real-time directions, and aisle pointers that help shoppers find products faster.
5. Digital menu boards for delis and ready-to-eat sections
In deli, café, or grab-and-go counters, digital menu boards showcase fresh dishes, daily deals, and seasonal favorites, always up to date and impossible to resist.
6. Interactive kiosks for quick self-service
Interactive kiosks that respond to touch allow shoppers to check product availability, use self-checkout, find product locations within the store and browse promotions without waiting in line. According to the WifiTalents Team, 55% of grocery stores plan to expand self-checkout technologies within the next two years.
7. Outdoor & storefront displays for more foot traffic
First impressions happen before shoppers walk in. Outdoor and storefront displays with product pictures or sales turn window space into an attention magnet.
Advantages of digital signage VS traditional grocery store displays
| Grocery Digital Signage | Grocery Traditional Signage |
|---|---|
| ✓ Fast price and promo updates across all stores | ✘ Paper tags and posters that quickly go out of date |
| ✓ Bright, dynamic screens that grab attention | ✘ Static visuals shoppers often overlook |
| ✓ Centralized control from one platform | ✘ Manual updates at each store |
| ✓ Real-time content adapting to stock, weather, or trends | ✘ Fixed messages that can’t adjust daily |
| ✓ Lower long-term marketing costs | ✘ Ongoing printing and installation expenses |
| ✓ Track engagement and sales impact | ✘ No data on what drives conversions |
| ✓ Engaging visuals with video and motion | ✘ Flat visuals that fail to inspire |
Ready to bring these ideas to life? Sign up or book a demo!
Smart placement tips (for better results)
- Outdoor & storefront displays: Draw people in before they even enter. Gitnux research reveals that 75% of shoppers step into a store after seeing a digital signage promotion (a clear win for eye-catching content).
- Entrance zones: Make your first impression count. Place bright, high-visibility screens near entrances or cart bays to greet shoppers the moment they walk in.
- Produce section: Place screens near produce stands where shoppers pause. It’s the perfect spot for cross-promotions like “Pair your berries with whipped cream — Aisle 5.”
- Grocery aisles: Install slim shelf-edge screens to show live prices, product info, nutritional facts, potential allergens, and bundle suggestions, helping shoppers choose with more confidence.
- End caps & promotional zones: Use vertical or double-sided screens at aisle ends to feature weekly specials, new arrivals, or high-margin items right where traffic peaks.
- Deli, bakery & grab-and-go counters: Place digital menu boards above counters to highlight ready-made meals, freshly baked goods, and chef’s specials.
- Checkout lanes: Add POP/POS displays near payment points. Show quick deals, loyalty reminders, or snack offers to lift basket size while customers wait. 👌
- Wayfinding zones: Position digital directories at key decision points to help shoppers navigate easily with digital maps and aisle pointers that improve flow.
- Exit areas: End the trip on a high note. Use narrow screens near doors or trolley returns to display thank-you messages, upcoming deals, or community announcements.
💡Bonus Tip: Best practice for using digital signage in a grocery store checkout area
Your checkout area is your last chance to make an impression. Position screens where lines naturally form, keep messages short with large, easy-to-read text, and add interactivity with QR codes that share coupons, recipes, or loyalty sign-ups right from the screen.
5 proven grocery digital signage ideas
1. Reduce wait times at checkout with interesting content
No one likes standing in line, but grocery digital signage makes it easier. Use screens near checkout lanes to entertain and inform shoppers with quick content like fun product facts, local news, weather updates or estimated wait times (“Just 5 minutes to go!”) to ease frustration. When customers feel their time is valued, they’re more likely to leave happy… and come back.
Yodeck team insight
Back in the 1950s, a clever landlord discovered that by installing mirrors near elevator banks, people spent the wait checking their reflection and the time felt shorter. The same principle applies today: give shoppers something to do or watch, and waiting suddenly becomes effortless.
2. Personalize the shopping experience with strategic messaging
When shopping feels personal, customers feel connected, and that’s when sales grow.
- Tailor by time of day: Show breakfast offers in the morning, lunch deals at noon, and dinner ideas in the evening. (Tip: Between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. is peak weekend shopping time: 20% of U.S. consumers shop then, based on Capital One Grocery Shopping Statistics.)
- Adapt to the season: Highlight summer snacks or winter treats. (Tip: Focus on December, the peak grocery season. Passby data shows that about 20% of annual sales occur then, and Yodeck data from retail clients confirms a similar 20% spike during the holiday season.)
- Localize content: What works in Miami might not work in Minneapolis. Customize promotions, like summer BBQ boxes in Miami or cozy stew packs in Minneapolis. (Tip: With Yodeck’s Workspaces, you can group screens and content by region or store and control exactly who has access to what. Local teams can be given permissions to update their own playlists and local promotions, while your central team manages global campaigns and templates to keep the brand consistent across every location.)
3. Integrate social media walls (Yes, You Can!)
Looking for fresh grocery advertising ideas? Here’s one that actually works. Your shoppers are already scrolling in line, picking tomatoes, or checking their grocery list. So why not bring that energy in-store? Use social media walls as part of your grocery store marketing strategy to stream live feeds directly to your digital signage displays. Share shopping tips, customer reviews, trending recipes, or even TikTok videos from your grocery account to engage and inspire shoppers in real time.
4. Lead Customers Straight to Specials, Deals 🔥 & Restock Alerts
Grocery shoppers love a good deal, but they shouldn’t have to hunt for it. Use grocery digital screens to showcase what’s new, trending, or freshly restocked. Highlight weekly promotions, limited-time discounts, or must-have categories like healthy snacks, vegan picks, or premium products. When value is easy to spot, shoppers buy more – and come back for more.
5. Use Interactive Touchscreens & QR Codes in Key Areas
Did you know it’s incredibly easy to create a QR code using grocery digital signage apps? It really is! Shoppers can scan integrated QR codes for almost anything, from bread-pairing ideas in the bakery and quick recipes in the seasonal section, to exclusive discounts. (Tip: Add a friendly message to invite people to scan. With Yodeck’s QR Code app, you can easily create and customise codes with names and short descriptions in seconds – for example, “Scan below for last-minute deals.”)
|💡Ready to get creative? Check out our top retail digital signage ideas to make any store more engaging and memorable.
Ready-to-use grocery digital signage templates that save time
Creating grocery digital signage content is easier than ever. With Yodeck’s free digital signage templates, grocery retailers can design, schedule, and update screens in minutes, no design skills required. Choose from templates for promotions, deli menus, loyalty programs, and seasonal offers to keep your branding consistent across every store.
6 key features to look for in grocery signage software
For independent grocery stores or franchises
Running a small grocery store or local franchise? Go for a solution that’s easy to use, budget-friendly, and offers free digital signage so you can get started without risk.
Key features you’ll need:
💡 Yodeck is perfect for grocery store owners who need professional-grade signage that’s easy to use, fast to launch, and hassle-free to set up.
For multi-location grocery chains
Managing several grocery stores? A unified grocery digital signage solution gives you total control across every store.
Key features you’ll need:
💡 Yodeck Enterprise gives grocery chains everything they need to scale: advanced security, granular access control, and free players for every screen with a 5-year extended warranty, starting from just $15 per screen/month on annual plans.
Whether you’re running a cozy corner store, managing hundreds of franchise locations, Yodeck’s all-in-one, cloud-based platform makes it easy to control every screen, everywhere, all from one simple dashboard.