GoPro Identifies $40+ MM Revenue Opportunity With Improved Retail Execution

Background

GoPro, a global leader in consumer electronics and maker of world-class cameras, relies on specialized in-store displays to connect with consumers and drive sales. These displays are critical in showcasing their innovative products and engaging customers. However, inconsistent compliance across thousands of retail locations was jeopardizing their impact.

To address this challenge, GoPro partnered with Wiser and the NPD Group to gain actionable insights into display performance and identify the revenue opportunities tied to improved compliance. Together, they uncovered a $40+ million potential revenue increase through optimized in-store execution.

Challenge

GoPro’s specialized in-store displays are a cornerstone of their marketing strategy, designed to showcase their world-class cameras and create a compelling shopping experience. These displays include key elements such as acrylic security boxes for product organization, television monitors streaming branded content, and lights to draw attention to the displays. However, GoPro’s brand team discovered that these displays were not consistently maintained, leading to a diminished shopping experience and missed sales opportunities.

The issues were widespread:

• Missing Acrylic Boxes: Without these security boxes, displays appeared disorganized, making it harder for consumers to engage with the products. This also increased the risk of product theft or misplacement.
• Broken or Non-Functional Monitors: Television monitors, essential for streaming promotional videos and engaging shoppers, were often broken or turned off, failing to deliver GoPro’s intended messaging.
• Turned-Off Lighting: Display lights, critical for catching shoppers' attention and highlighting products, were frequently non-functional or overlooked by store staff.

Despite raising these issues with retail partners, GoPro struggled to generate the necessary buy-in to prioritize display maintenance. Retailers often viewed these issues as minor operational inconveniences rather than significant contributors to sales performance. GoPro needed concrete data to tie compliance directly to sales impact and demonstrate the financial consequences of incomplete or poorly maintained displays.

Solution

To tackle these challenges, GoPro partnered with Wiser and the NPD Group to develop a systematic, data-driven approach to measure and address display compliance issues. The solution included:

• Crowdsourced Audits: Wiser deployed its network of mystery shoppers to visit GoPro displays across key retail channels, including mass merchandise, electronics, mobile, and sports retailers. These shoppers captured photos and recorded data about the condition and functionality of the displays, providing a comprehensive view of compliance levels.
• POS Data Integration: The NPD Group collected and analyzed point-of-sale (POS) data from the same stores where Wiser conducted audits. By comparing compliant and non-compliant stores, they identified the impact of specific display elements—such as acrylic boxes, TV monitors, and lighting—on sales performance.
• Decision Tree Analysis: The analysis mapped out direct comparisons between stores with and without compliant display elements, isolating the impact of each variable while controlling for other factors. For example:
  • Stores with acrylic boxes saw an increase in sales compared to those without.
  • Broken or missing monitors significantly reduced the effectiveness of displays.
  • Non-functional lights were linked to lower shopper engagement and conversion rates.

This combined approach enabled GoPro to quantify the financial impact of non-compliance and prioritize corrective actions.

“GoPro displays with security boxes performed 121% better than those without it.”

GoPro

Results

The collaboration between GoPro, Wiser, and the NPD Group yielded measurable, actionable insights that empowered the brand to improve its in-store execution strategy:

• 121% Sales Lift from Acrylic Boxes: Stores with fully functional acrylic security boxes experienced a dramatic improvement in sales performance compared to those without, highlighting the critical role these elements play in driving shopper engagement.
• $40+ Million Revenue Opportunity: The analysis identified the mass merchandise channel as the biggest opportunity for improvement, with more than $40 million in potential revenue tied to enhanced compliance.
• Retailer Buy-In: Armed with data linking compliance directly to sales, GoPro’s team could present a compelling case to retailers. By demonstrating the financial upside of maintaining compliant displays, they secured stronger commitments from retail partners to address issues and invest in upkeep.
• Optimized Future Displays: The findings informed GoPro’s future in-store marketing strategies, enabling the team to design displays tailored to the needs and challenges of specific retailers. They now focus on prioritizing display elements with the greatest impact on sales.
• Efficient Resource Allocation: With detailed compliance data in hand, GoPro could target resources more effectively, focusing on high-impact fixes rather than broad, unfocused efforts.

This initiative not only helped GoPro recover lost sales but also provided a blueprint for improving in-store execution across their retail network.

Conclusion

GoPro’s collaboration with Wiser and the NPD Group highlights the transformative impact of data-driven insights on retail execution. Armed with actionable data, GoPro not only identified significant revenue opportunities but also developed strategies to optimize future display designs and retailer engagement.

By tying compliance to measurable sales impact, GoPro empowered its brand team to make informed decisions, maximize in-store marketing investments, and enhance the effectiveness of its retail partnerships. This initiative sets a benchmark for how brands can leverage retail intelligence to drive both compliance and profitability.