Visibility is Vital
Leah Murchan, Marketing & Research Executive, PML Group NI
One year of Tesco Digiscreens
Twelve months on from launch, Tesco Digiscreens have become an established part of the Retail OOH landscape in Northern Ireland. During the first year of the network, more than £1 billion was spent in Tesco stores with Digiscreens, demonstrating the scale of opportunity for brands looking to influence shoppers close to the point of purchase.
The opportunity is particularly evident across frequently purchased categories:
• £45.3 million spent on soft drinks
• £13.2 million spent on bread
• £8.5 million spent on ice cream
Source: Dunnhumby 2026, based on sales from March 2025 to February 2026
Retail OOH continues to work well for advertisers as it offers brands access to consumers when they are in a shopping mindset. Tesco Digiscreens benefit from the precision of a retail environment, allowing brands to engage audiences at one of the most influential stages of the path to purchase.
In these categories of soft drinks, bread and ice cream, shoppers often enter the store with a range of options in mind rather than a fixed brand choice. Positioned at the store entrance, Tesco Digiscreens give advertisers a valuable opportunity to be one of the last brand messages shoppers see before they begin filling their basket, helping to influence consideration and keep brands front of mind.
Visibility is Vital
The weekly shop may be full of familiar products, but the thinking behind it is changing.
At a recent Worldpanel by Numerator Brand Footprint 2026 webinar, one theme came through clearly: shoppers are still choosing many of the brands they’ve always trusted, but every purchase is being considered more carefully than before. Bread, dairy, crisps, chocolate, biscuits and staple grocery brands continue to hold a firm place in Irish homes, proving that familiarity and trust still hold power in uncertain times. But while trust remains a powerful driver of choice, brands cannot afford to take that loyalty for granted.
This raises an important question: how do brands continue to earn attention when consumers are becoming more selective? Visibility remains a key part of the answer.
In Northern Ireland, Hovis tops the FMCG rankings, followed by local favourite, Denny. These are brands that have become embedded in everyday routines, earning their place in shopping baskets through consistency and quality, but also visibility.
These Brand Footprint findings suggest that consumers haven’t necessarily changed what they buy, but they are beginning to question why they buy it. Every product faces greater scrutiny before making it into the basket with shoppers asking:
• Is it needed?
• Is it trusted?
• Will it be used?
• Does it still feel worth paying for?
When shoppers are weighing up every purchase, brands need to stay front of mind throughout the consumer journey. OOH plays a critical role in building familiarity and mental availability long before consumers reach the store. Retail OOH provides an even stronger reach with the “last window of influence”, the opportunity to connect with consumers just as they approach the point of purchase. That final reminder can be the difference between being chosen or overlooked.
What the Brand Footprint rankings tell us
Some of the biggest movers in the Ireland Brand Footprint rankings offer an interesting lesson for brands.
Keelings climbed six places in the Total FMCG rankings, with penetration reaching 50% and spend increasing by more than 40%. At a time when value-conscious shoppers might be expected to cut back on fresh produce purchases, the brand recorded impressive growth. Keelings’ success highlights the role visibility can play in building trust and reassurance. Through its ‘Love that Keelings feeling’ campaign, the brand maintained a strong presence that reinforces perceptions of quality and reliability.
Consumers want confidence in where products come from, how they reach shelves and the quality they can expect. As shoppers become more selective, maintaining a visible presence close to the point of purchase can reinforce these positive associations. Retail OOH helps keep established brands top of mind, strengthening confidence and consideration at those decision making moments.
OOH is itself a highly trusted advertising medium, meaning brands can benefit not only from increased visibility but also from the credibility associated with the environment in which their message is seen.
Avonmore tells a similarly interesting story. Despite a slight decline in penetration, the brand saw increases in purchase frequency and shopper spend, suggesting that those who buy Avonmore are returning to the brand more often.
As the leading brand in the Dairy and Dairy Substitutes category, Avonmore has successfully balanced familiarity with innovation. While maintaining its established position in shoppers’ baskets, the brand has expanded into areas such as protein-enhanced products and functional nutrition, aligning with growing consumer interest in health and wellness.
The launch of products such as Avonmore Protein Coffee Milk demonstrates how established brands can extend into new categories. Retail OOH can help communicate what’s new while building on the familiarity shoppers already have with the brand. As a trusted advertising channel, Retail OOH provides a credible environment for introducing new products and encouraging trial close to the point of purchase.
These latest Brand Footprint rankings show that trust remains one of the most valuable assets a brand can build. But trust alone isn’t enough. In a market where consumers are carefully considering every purchase, brands must also remain visible, feel relevant and be easy to choose.
Whether it’s established household names or growing local brands, success depends on being present throughout the consumer journey from awareness and consideration through to the final purchase decision.
Ultimately, Retail OOH bridges the gap between brand awareness and purchase. Whether through Tesco Digiscreens or other retail networks, it connects brands with shoppers close to the point of sale, helping to turn consideration into action.
