McCormick & Co.
Using AI to Spice Up Grocery Endcaps for Seasoning-Challenged Shoppers
Project Summary
Conducted research to inform design decisions for a grocery store endcap.
Collected user responses via SurveyMonkey, gathered data from MRI Simmons, and created journey maps for the target user.
Deliverables
See the full project breakdown below. ⬇️
My Role
Researcher
Claire Snyder, Experience Designer
My Team
SurveyMonkey and MRI Simmons
My Research Tools
Grocery store endcaps have evolved from only selling product into tools for a brand to engage with consumers. In the United States, inflation has largely affected shoppers’ finances in 2024, causing three in four consumers to think grocers can do more to lower prices.
Grocery store endcaps have also been making inroads with these inflation-stressed consumers by incorporating more digital experiences. This follows trends in the success of endcaps. For example, moving products to such promotional displays results in substantial sales increases, such as a 27% bump in beer sales, even without price discounts (Paketal. 2020).
Now, brands use endcaps to psychologically engage with users, using digital displays and projections to enhance what now lies at the end of grocery store aisles.
This allows McCormick & Co. to reconnect with their audience by revitalizing their previously utilized endcaps. Before their packaging redesign overhaul in 2023, McCormick had endcaps and sidecap displays which focused on showing the variety of their seasonings and spices,
Following the redesign, there is an opportunity for the brand to reintroduce elements of this display design, with a stronger emphasis on highlighting the consumers who would benefit from having access to a wide range of seasonings.
The Context
Graphic Showing How Endcaps Engage Users from ScienceDirect
Graphic Displaying the Variability in Technology Integration on Endcaps from ScienceDirect
A selection of McCormick brand spices in a supermarket in New York on Monday, September 28, 2015 on Alamy
How can we design an endcap that effectively engages McCormick users in a more targeted manner?
The Ask
Insight One ➡️ Younger Users Lack the Seasoning Knowledge of Previous Generations
Survey results showed that knowledge of how seasonings and spices influence the taste of food tends to be less certain among younger users, particularly those in the Gen Z age group.
Data gathered through a SurveyMonkey survey conducted in Fall 2024 confirmed this insight. Out of a pool of users who were all between the ages of 18 - 24, 43% of users rated themselves as ‘not at all confident’ or ‘not so confident’ in their own cooking abilities and that they ‘sometimes’ or ‘never remember to buy needed spices.’
How confident are you in your own cooking abilities?
Insight Two ➡️ Younger Users Can Still Be Led Towards McCormick
Survey results also showed that younger users’ remembering to buy the spices they need to cook was polarized - they either usually remembered or forgot to entirely.
Data gathered through a SurveyMonkey survey conducted in Fall 2024 confirmed this insight. Out of a pool of users who were all between the ages of 18 - 24, 43% of users usually remembered to buy the spices they need and 28.57 never remembered to buy the spices they need.
How often do you remember to buy the spices you need for culinary activities?
Which spices/herbs do you use the most often for cooking and/or on prepared meals?
Which brand do you prefer to purchase herbs and spices from?
Insight Three ➡️ For McCormick Users Specifically, Seasoning Is Still A Challenge
For actual McCormick users, MRI Simmons provided helpful insights. Users aged 25-54 use McCormick slightly more than users aged 18-34. Despite younger users (18-34) residing in regions with high spice usage, only 38% are classified as 'heavy' users of McCormick Seasonings & Spices.
This indicates that younger users may have less culinary and seasoning expertise compared to older generations.
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Dunn, K. (2023, July 6). McCormick spices bottles get a fresh redesign. The Takeout.
Mintel. (2024). Grocery retailing – US – 2024. Mintel Group Ltd.
Schweiger, E. B., Ahlbom, C.-P., Nordfält, J., Roggeveen, A. L., & Grewal, D. (2023). In-store endcap projections and their effect on sales. King's Business School, King's College London; University of Bath; Babson College. Available online 11 July 2022.
Important User Experience & Product Considerations
The research uncovered key opportunities for McCormick to engage younger users with less culinary experience.
There is an opportunity to highlight the value of seasonings and spices by providing knowledge about them.
The endcap experience can be designed to evoke a sense of peaceful nostalgia for younger shoppers.
There's an opportunity to engage younger users who are new to cooking independently and no longer have easy access to their family's culinary expertise.
Aligned with our new strategy, 'A Well-Seasoned Home,' we redesigned the McCormick endcap as a standalone feature positioned away from the aisle for better visibility to grocery shoppers.
The endcap is shaped like a small house, creating a warm, homey feel that reminds shoppers of their childhood homes.
Solution
Endcap designed by Claire Snyder
McCormick Endcap: A Closer Look Inside
Our enhanced McCormick endcap features three key touchpoints for users:
The ability to fill provided containers with their choice of seasonings
The option to print custom seasoning labels that include cooking tips from McCormick
A convenient take-away option with carry-out packages designed to help users organize products by type
Inside of endcap designed by Claire Snyder
A standalone physical endcap, designed like a cottage-like house and placed away from the seasoning aisle, helps McCormick attract in-store shoppers, especially Gen Z consumers who may be less experienced with seasoning food.
Inside, the display maintains McCormick’s extensive product range, offering a hands-on experience for users to explore and find their preferred seasonings and spices - with the added benefit of accessing cooking tips on labels to place on the seasoning containers.
Our professor highlighted how effectively my presentation showcased the MRI Simmons data, reinforcing the strength of our idea.
Impact 💥
I appreciated how the research directly validated our endcap design concept.
This was one of the few opportunities I had to incorporate MRI Simmons into a project, and I’m glad it effectively reinforced our strategy.
Project Reflection
Check out my other projects below. ⬇️
