A consortium of major marketers is behind a 10-store test of infrared-sensor technology that measures the traffic in front of supermarket-aisle promotional displays. Consumer-products companies are
using increasingly sophisticated displays to capture shoppers' attention right before they decide which product to buy. Figuring out the return on investment of these dollars isn't easy. Retailers
have long counted the number of shoppers who enter and exit their stores, and they can use product bar-code data to track which items were purchased. But for consumer-products companies to analyze how
well their in-store marketing campaigns worked, they need to know how many people walked past their promotional display but weren't persuaded to buy. Participants in the study hope the new measurement
can also help to predict which aisles in particular stores get the most traffic. Members of the consortium include Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola, 3M, Kellogg, Miller Brewing and Wal-Mart Stores. Before
the system can be rolled out broadly, the group has to bring in a market-research firm to expand the study and determine how to apply the measurement to a bigger group of stores. Study organizers say
the method won't invade shoppers' privacy, but say they'll proceed cautiously.
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