You probably don’t have shopping carts in your store. Even so, you use the trusty indoor vehicles when you go to the supermarket. So you know that the cart’s track record as a marketing vehicle is less than stellar.

That may change soon, according to this article on Forbes.com. The space between your hands on the cart handle could be the most valuable in-store marketing real estate yet. The Home Depot is using that space to send text messages about products and prices to a screen literally at shoppers’ fingertips.

The article points out that more than 70% of purchase decisions are made in-store. But only 6% of advertising budgets is devoted to in-store marketing. Makes you want to think about reallocating your in-store marketing budget, doesn’t it?

Have you installed any video screens with customized messaging to attract customers? It’s a growing trend, but not the most effective way to reach customers, Forbes says: “Mass merchandise and supermarket consumers go shopping to shop, not to stop and be entertained. They are conditioned to move through stores, not to stop, look and listen.”

Your store is likely much smaller than those the article discusses. But the story contains some good lessons: In-store marketing seems to work better than anything for getting customers to buy. So keep those “Sale” and “2-for-1″ signs and tags handy. Got hand baskets? Stick quickie fliers and in-store coupons in them. And keep those basket handles in good shape. The way things are going, you could be sending text messages to them in the near future, using Wi-Fi and your computer. One can only hope.