There are more potential uses of POS displays in retail stores than you may have realised – so we thought this handy marketing tool deserved its own blog.
And because a considerable percentage of in-store purchases are actually impulse buys, POS, or point-of-sale displays, should form a key part of your retail marketing strategy.
What Exactly Are POS Displays?
POS displays are forms of printed promotional materials which retailers use at the points where customers buy goods. Eye-catching displays can maximise the use of an otherwise wasted space, and till points offer a unique opportunity to boost in-store spending in the moments ahead of a transaction. With a professional design and a strategic location, POS selling can make a significant difference to how much you customers spend per visit.
POS displays also dissuade people from leaving a store before completing a purchase if queues are long by keeping shoppers interested. You can also use this tool to showcase a new product range or a one-off promo.
Remember you need to change your displays regularly. Seasonal, hard-to-shift and smaller items such as confectionery do especially well as POS display products. Ideally, these items are the lower-cost goods that don’t take so long to decide to pick up. Equally, they may be items such as toothpaste, hand gels or batteries which we all need to buy, and which someone may have forgotten to pick up. Use this tool to highlight goods which might otherwise be hidden.
All in all, used properly, POS displays can be a superb branding and marketing tool. What’s more, you’ll find them in a great variety of retail stores, from fashion outlets supermarkets, gift and toy shops to homeware or electronic retailers.
Typically, POS displays will be branded to incorporate the store’s retail branding, design and colour scheme.
Is a POS display the same as a POP display?
There are many similarities between POS and Point of Purchase (POP) displays, since both are promotional tools used in retail settings.
But the former is, as its name suggests, placed at the point of sale to attract customers who are checking out and paying – i.e. the till point or the queue for the self-service machine.
Meanwhile, a POP display is placed in a store where a customer may consider buying a particular item or product type.
Top uses of POS displays
POS displays have a number of key roles to play in many varied areas of the retail sector, and so they are a great tool and wise investment if you’re looking to enhance customer spend:
#1 Marketing new (and old) products
POS displays are remarkably effective when it comes to marketing a new item or product line. They make things stand out, and so are useful at making customers aware of something which wasn’t previously in your range, enticing people to put it in their basket.
Alternatively, if you’re keen to sell off some older stock, think about having ‘bargain bins’ by the checkout – these can also hold larger items.
#2 ‘Upselling’ at checkout
Upselling is, of course, the art of getting the customers to buy more or more expensive goods. And, here again, POS displays can have considerable impact. For example, in fashion stores you can use them to persuade shoppers to pick up some accessories to go with a new outfit. In supermarkets, you will have noticed them urging customers to pop particular snacks and drinks in their baskets. (However, new laws mean treats high in sugar such as chocolate bars are now banned from high-profile spots by the checkout.)
#3 Encourage impulse buying
Customers in shops are a lot more likely to pick up products as impulse purchases while they are standing in a checkout queue with time on their hands than when browsing the rest of the store, making POS displays a great way of encouraging these buys by placing goods closer to shoppers.
#4 Enhancing the look of your till and/or self-checkout area
While you may not have considered this a reason for investing in them, in fact POS displays are a fantastic way of enhancing the aesthetics of your checkout area. Let’s face it, these spaces can otherwise look rather bare. What’s more, your displays can be as simple or as elaborate as you wish. However, while simple can also be effective, the more creative designs are probably more likely to get noticed and can therefore have greater impact. Stand out by striking the right contrast between bold and neutral colours.
#5 Advertise promotions and sale items
POS displays are ideal for highlighting and advertising promotional items and the special promos and discounts which are available in-store. Messaging should incorporate key points including any price reductions, competitions or product features. This also has to be very clear, so that people make decisions quickly.
#6 An excellent branding tool
These displays are a great way to incorporate your branding into your store’s retail graphics. Equally, if you have introduced a new brand to your product line, you can showcase it to customers via a POS display.
#7 Room for creativity
Finally, POS selling allows you to sell creatively, whether you’re maximising displays by using the senses of scent, touch and taste, adding a digital display to create a multimedia tool, or incorporating QR codes to heighten customer engagement and help people make purchasing decisions.
Talk to us about POS displays
At Watford-based Rocket Graphics, we specialise in retail signage and graphics, and we produce high-quality POS and POP displays. Indeed, we’ve worked on these projects for some very well-known names, including M&M’s World flagship store in London’s Leicester Square, as well as Showcase, River Island and Roxy at Selfridges.
We could do the same for you, too. Get in touch today for an informal, no-obligation chat about what you need.