Ramping Up Shopper Marketing

Good overview article from Wharton which provides a statement of the direction of what we used to call merchandising:

" ... Shopper marketing is gaining popularity as stores and consumer goods manufacturers seek a way to capture the attention of a consumer whose spending is increasingly siphoned off by websites and other media. But while businesses believe the goal of shopper marketing is laudable, they do not agree on a definition: Is it characterized by in-store deals, out-of-store promotions, digital coupons or all of the above? Does it take into account what a consumer thinks before he or she starts shopping, or merely what he or she sees once inside the grocery store? A panel of experts from major consumer goods makers, a private label company and a market research firm reflected the industry's differing views on the matter when they spoke at the recent Wharton Marketing Conference ... "