The 75% Rule: How In-Store Moments Shape Purchase Decisions in Indonesia

When marketing teams sit down to plan growth, the conversation often starts with media spend, reach, and digital performance. But for many brands operating in Indonesia’s FMCG and retail space, the most decisive moment does not happen online.

It happens in the store.

More and more research points to the same conclusion. A large share of purchase decisions in Indonesia are made after shoppers step inside the store, not before. This simple insight changes how brands should think about influence, investment, and conversion.

This is what we call The 75% Rule.

How Indonesian Shoppers Really Decide

Many people assume shoppers arrive with a clear plan and simply execute it. In reality, Indonesian shopping behavior is far more fluid.

Local research suggests that around 75% of shoppers finalize their purchase decisions inside the store, while only about 25% stick closely to a pre-planned list (ShopComm Indonesia, 2023). In other words, most shoppers walk in with intent, but leave with decisions shaped by what they see on the shelf.

This behavior is amplified by Indonesia’s retail environment:

• Dense stores with wide product choices

• Strong price awareness and promo-driven habits

• Frequent product launches and SKU changes

• A very familiar “lihat-lihat dulu” mindset

  
  

Globally, this pattern is not unique. Expert Market Research (2024) reports that 68% of consumers have made unplanned purchases triggered by in-store displays or promotions. Other retail studies show that only a small fraction of shoppers follow their list exactly, leaving most open to influence at the shelf.

Put simply, the store is not just a place to buy. It is where decisions take shape.

Why the Shelf Matters More Than Ever

Those final steps of the shopper journey aisles, shelves, gondola ends, and checkout areas are where brands either win or disappear.

This is the last mile of influence. It is where brand promises turn into real choices.

In Indonesia, this moment is especially powerful because:

• Shoppers compare visually, often very quickly

• Price cues and promotions are judged in seconds

• Trust signals like familiarity, clarity, and halal markers matter

• Decisions are emotional, situational, and fast

  
  

At this stage, good POSM does not feel like advertising.It feels like guidance.

It helps shoppers notice, understand, and feel confident about choosing one product over another.

POSM Is Not Decoration. It Is a Conversion Tool.

Despite its impact, POSM is still often treated as a production checklist item. Print it, ship it, install it.

That mindset leaves a lot of value on the table.

At Element Branding, we see POSM as part of a conversion system inside physical retail. When done right, it works because it:

• Breaks passive browsing habits

• Makes decisions easier at the shelf

• Builds perceived value without relying on discounts

• Translates campaign ideas into physical cues

  
  

In Indonesian stores, formats that consistently perform include:

• Eye-level shelf dividers that highlight hero or new SKUs

• End-of-aisle gondola displays with clear, local calls-to-action

• Price-focused wobblers and talkers that signal value instantly

• Checkout counter units designed for impulse categories

  
  

Even small details matter. Color contrast, font hierarchy, and simple wording can change how quickly a shopper notices and reacts.

Designing POSM for the Indonesian Context

What works in one market does not always work here. Indonesia needs local understanding, not imported templates.

Effective in-store execution requires:

• Knowing the difference between modern trade and general trade

• Choosing materials that survive humidity and heavy traffic

• Balancing premium brand cues with price sensitivity

• Designing for easy rollout and maintenance at scale

  
  

This is where data and experience come together. POSM should not just look good in a presentation. It should perform in real stores, under real conditions, across hundreds or thousands of outlets.

Turning Browsers Into Buyers

If most decisions happen in-store, then in-store presence is not a support function. It is a growth driver.

Brands that win at shelf are usually the ones that:

• Design POSM with a clear purpose

• Treat physical touchpoints as sales assets

• Align creative ideas with production reality

• Invest in clarity, durability, and smart placement

  
  

In a crowded aisle, attention is limited. POSM is how brands earn it.

From Insight to Action

The 75% Rule is more than a statistic. It is a reminder.

A reminder that influence does not stop at awareness.A reminder that physical space still matters.A reminder that the shelf is where brands compete most directly.

At Element Branding, we help brands design, produce, and deploy POSM that is built for impulse moments, real shoppers, and real Indonesian stores.

Ready to Capture the 75%?

If you are rethinking how your brand shows up at the shelf, or wondering whether your current POSM is truly doing its job, let’s have a conversation.

Get your personalized POSM and in-store design tailored to your brand, your shoppers, and your retail reality.

Talk to one of our representative in Element Branding and start turning in-store moments into real purchase decisions.

Because in Indonesia, the store is not the end of the journey.It is where the decision actually begins.