Hershey Identifies How Convenience Retailers Can Win at the Shelf

New study reveals impulse strategy opportunities across format, occasion, and placement

The Hershey Company has released new insights into how convenience retailers can optimize front-of-store displays to drive more impulse sales. The study, led by Hershey’s shopper insights team, revealed that four out of five shoppers make impulse purchases, and the key to capturing that behavior lies in understanding format preferences, trip occasions, and strategic placement.

Some of the highlights include:

• Format matters: Shoppers gravitate toward immediate consumption products like king-size or share packs in convenience channels.

• Trip drivers vary: Whether shoppers are grabbing gas, a beverage, or lunch, their impulse triggers shift — and Hershey recommends tailoring assortments accordingly.

• Placement is powerful: Beyond checkout lanes, opportunities include the cooler door, foodservice zones, and even vertical shelving adjacent to beverages.

• 
  

Hershey also emphasized that “front end” doesn’t just mean the register anymore — especially in convenience environments where shoppers move quickly and make decisions in seconds. Modular fixtures and mobile displays that rotate with seasonal or promotional cues were highlighted as effective tools.

corpbrief insight:

While much of the retail media spotlight is on digital right now, Hershey’s findings are a timely reminder that physical shelf strategies still move volume — especially in high-velocity channels like c-stores. The brands that win aren’t just placing products — they’re engineering micro-moments of conversion.