2025-10-22
Your brand doesn’t live just on a pack anymore. It lives in pixels
On-shelf packaging is now fighting for attention against retail media banners, product detail page thumbnails, and algorithmic noise. Across the Nordics*, digital retail media is scaling fast and what performs isn’t guesswork. Brands are winning (or losing) at 3 metres in-store and 80 pixels online.
If your packaging fails in either environment, it won’t convert - no matter how clever your brand book is.
Shelf-to-Screen tactics that actually move KPIs
- Type first, trim later. Prioritise brand line and product name readability. Ultra-thin weights break down at small sizes, especially on mobile thumbnails and shelf media screens.
- Contrast that converts. Low-contrast design might look “premium” but won’t survive at 80 px. Build in high contrast and ensure a monochrome fallback for platforms with auto-invert or dark mode.
- Packshot kit = omnichannel reach. Deliver four angles: front, 30°, 45°, and top - with consistent lighting and no shadows. Works cleanly across product detail page, search, ads, and retailer banners.
- Design thumbnails first. Start with 1:1 format, then adapt to 4:5, 9:16, and 16:9. Always apply an 8–10% safe margin. Don’t scale down - design for digital first.
- QR = conversion tool. Use GS1 Digital Link-compatible QR codes with a quiet zone. Drive consumers directly to recipes, recycling info, or limited-time campaigns - track it all.
Make it measurable
Define performance before launch:
- CTR (Click-Through Rate) in retail media
- Add-to-Cart on product detail page
- Product detail page conversion rate
- Share of search
Run a 14-day A/B test on thumbnail angle, type weight, and contrast. Expect:
- +10–20% CTR (Click-Through Rate)
- +5–8% A2C (Add-to-Cart) …on your top SKUs if you're doing it right.
Production specs that don’t break operations
- Format: PNG, WebP, AVIF in 1x/2x/3x
- Safe zones + naming (GTIN-first)
- Alt-text for accessibility + SEO
- Dark mode contrast & minimum x-height
- QR = future-proofing for Digital Product Passport (coming EU-wide)
Operations: scale without chaos
Use a Single Source of Truth. Build a lightweight Shelf-to-Screen Design System so local teams can adapt assets, without compromising recognition or blowing up your timeline.
Where to start (Today, not someday)
Choose your top 2 SKUs. Test thumbnail contrast, type weight, and pack angle in a 14-day A/B run. Your targets:
- +10–20% CTR (Click-Through Rate) on retail media
- +5–8% Add-to-Cart on product detail page
Want to shortcut the learning curve before Black Week or Christmas? Book a 30-min Shelf-to-Screen review. We’ll highlight 3 fast wins - no fluff, no pitch deck, just execution.
PS. If your packaging system still treats screen as an afterthought, it's already behind. Catch up before Black Week does it for you.
Sources
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Delfi, 2025