Study of of 223,000+ shopper engagements reported on social media from a randomized, controlled sample finds demos, kiosks and smart store layout are doing the selling, and shoppers barely mention sales staff at all

 

NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / October 22, 2026 / Shoppers are no longer being sold to in stores, they are being sold by the store itself. A new askpolly study of online conversation about what makes people buy more in physical stores finds that self-serve product demos, kiosks and well-designed store layouts are doing the persuading, while sales staff barely register.

When askpolly tested “Expert advice from knowledgeable staff” as a message, it generated no conversation at all. Product demonstrations, by contrast, were a clear winner: once off-topic news coverage was removed, every US shopper conversation about in-store demos was positive, led by excitement over Nintendo Switch 2 demo kiosks and memories of Meijer’s in-store play area.

“Shoppers won’t tell you a salesperson talked them into anything, but they will tell you a demo kiosk did,” said Erin Kelly, CEO, askpolly. “We’re entering the era of product-led sales in-store. The product does the pitching, the layout and ambiance bring people in, and the salesperson becomes optional.”

Why layout is the conversation retailers can’t ignore

Store layout was the third most-discussed message among US shoppers (9.5% of conversation). Shoppers said that when products are easy to find and strategically placed, they explore more and buy more. Even critics, who argued stores don’t need AI to design their aisles, were debating layout, showing how much it matters. Globally, 61% of layout conversation called it persuasive, versus 51% in the US, where shoppers lean more on product comparisons and information to make up their minds.

Key findings

  • Product-led beats people-led: Every US shopper conversation about in-store demos was positive; staff advice drew no conversation.
  • BOGO works, even when people complain: Buy one get one free was the most-discussed message in the US (35% of conversation) and 76% persuasive. One in five US conversations (21%) called it a scam that makes people buy more than they need, yet shoppers admitted giving in anyway: “I promised myself not to purchase this style again, yet the buy one get one free offer…tempted me.”
  • Inflation is shaping the deal-hunt: Shoppers framed BOGO as a way to stock up on essentials “with rising prices,” and the loyalty conversation was dominated by grocery shoppers signing up for store cards.
  • Free gifts drive spikes, not steady demand: Gift with purchase was 85% persuasive and a quarter of US conversation, but it was spiky, seasonal and driven by high profile beauty promotions. A small group of shoppers said they would rather have a straight discount.
  • Members-only pricing is friction without enough reward: It scored lowest in the US (46% persuasive vs. 59% globally). The top complaint was having to use an app on top of a store loyalty card to unlock deals.
  • Price matching is a hidden risk: Many shoppers don’t know stores offer price matching, and those who do increasingly price-match from the retailer’s own app, which can cut into margins once awareness grows.
  • Scarcity still bites: “Only a few left in stock” produced the clearest admission of pressure working: “I can’t resist the thought of missing out.”

What this means for retailers

  • Replace sales-floor pressure with demo zones: Shoppers respond to trying products themselves.
  • Design for findability: Clear, easy-to-navigate layouts encourage exploration and bigger baskets.
  • Put comparisons at the shelf: US shoppers want information to decide on their own.
  • Remove friction from deals: No app gates or extra hoops between shoppers and the price.
  • Use BOGO on staples shoppers want to stock up on, and save gifts with purchase for event-driven traffic.

“The lesson for retailers is to make the space work as hard as a salesperson would, without the pressure,” said Kelly. “Let shoppers try, compare and find things easily, and keep deals simple.”

Methodology

askpolly analyzed public online conversation about what messages would make people buy more when shopping in a store, from October 2025 to October 2026. The global study covered 223,394 engagements; the US study covered 125,820. Messages were measured for conversation share, persuasion (share of conversation calling a message persuasive) and lift (sharing promotions with friends).

About askpolly

askpolly is the first market research platform able to derive statistically valid market research from organic social media conversations because of its unique sampling algorithm that creates panels that match census data and removes influencers and other bias.

Media contact: Lauren Gill, MAG PR at Lauren@mooringadvisorygroup.com

SOURCE: askpolly

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

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