Make or break for FMCG: How to win at in-store activation in a disrupted market

The FMCG sector is under major pressure. Slow growth, cost-of-living crises, changing consumer behaviour, and disruption from factors like GLP-1 weight loss drugs are reducing the demand for groceries. Success and growth can be hard for FMCG brands to find.

But such turbulence can often give rise to phoenix businesses. Just take Deliveroo, HelloFresh, and Beyond Meat, for example. Companies that seize new opportunities and evolve with changing consumer behaviour, technical and cultural environments. 

So, is the disrupted FMCG market on the brink of a similar growth revolution, or will growth be more gradual as brands get smarter with how they innovate and sell? Let’s discuss…

The new realities of FMCG 

It’s no secret that FMCGs aren’t growing as fast or delivering strong returns as they once were. Rising costs, macroeconomic slowdowns, and consumer fragmentation are hindering their progress.

One particularly noisy challenge is GLP-1s. The Type 2 diabetes medication has swept the globe, with potentially billions across the world using it privately as a weight loss drug. The Grocer reports that in the US, the average household with at least one person using GLP-1s is spending 5.5% less on groceries. They also indicated a noticeable reduction in spending on snacks and beverages, and out-of-home foods, including coffee shops and bakeries.

Semaglutide, the base of medications including Ozempic and Wegovy, is due to come off patent in 2026 in huge global markets such as India, China, Brazil, and Canada. As prices are expected to drop, and usage is likely to uptick in these major markets, the space creates a significant opportunity for FMCGs to innovate.

Innovation isn’t enough. Activation matters more than ever.

Data from Euromonitor estimates 97,000 new FMCG product launches a year globally. While FMCG product releases are plentiful, many fail without strong in-store execution. Innovation alone isn’t enough. As well as long-term brand building, brands must grab consumer attention and turn it into action through short-term sales activation.

In-store is an important, inspirational, and enjoyable place for product discovery. A Bauer Media Outdoor report shows that 9 out of 10 shoppers aren’t fixed on what they’re going to buy before shopping — they make decisions in 4-20 seconds in-store and at the point of purchase. These critical decision-making moments are quick, emotionally driven, and post-rationalised, deeming the shelf the ‘make or break’ battleground.

Many FMCGs believe they hand over control to the consumer at the moment their product hits the shelf. Visibility on consumer reception is limited, and word-of-mouth reactions don’t give the level of detail that brands can learn from. FMCGs need actionable analysis into why they are, or aren’t, making it into consumers’ baskets and how to pull the most effective levers to influence consumer decision making and behaviour.

Introducing ‘Make or Break’

Make or Break by is our new cutting-edge service helping brands analyse in-store consumer decision making and optimise critical sales activations. We combine technology with strategic thinking to give brands the insight for successful growth.

Collecting observations from hundreds of consumers in-store, at shelf, and at the point of decision making, Make or Break gives brands fast and robust directional insight. We provide in-depth analysis of unfiltered thoughts and behaviour in response to products, as they experience them.

We go one step further. We combine soft and quantitative data into the category and competitors, adding greater contextual depth and tangible ‘thought starter’ suggestions for client businesses. Equipped with these real-life consumer experiences and perspectives, brands can adapt, innovate, and activate successfully. 

Win customers in-store with Make or Break today 

Make or Break closes the ‘Say-do-Gap’ to help FMCG brands overcome the pitfalls of a disrupted and evolving environment. As behavioural economist and decision-making expert Dan Ariely says, “Most people don’t know what they want unless they see it in context.”

Discover how Make or Break can help you understand what really drives shopper decisions, and how to win them in-store. Get in touch to start the conversation today.