A Guide to Point of Purchase (POP) Displays
January 14, 2022
Merchandising your retail store is perhaps one of the most important business strategies you’ll develop. So, it’s crucial to understand your options when showcasing your products and solidifying your brand in shoppers’ minds.
Beginning with the right layout is always important. But once you figure out the footprint, it’s time to turn your attention to merchandising display options. The right displays can make a business, but the wrong choices can stop customers from coming back.
“We buy with our eyes.” There’s a reason this adage has been shared for years. In the age of growing eCommerce options, brick-and-mortar retailers need to remember this important psychological tip, especially regarding point of purchase (POP) displays.
What’s the Difference Between POS and POP?
POP displays are placed at different locations in a retail store, with the entrance and checkout area being two of the most popular. Many large retailers meticulously plan product placement for their stores and see an increase in sales simply by using large displays in prominent locations. In-store promotions like this typically have an impact on consumer behavior. In fact, in a 2017 survey , 42.4% of respondents said that promotions influenced their decision about what groceries to buy.
Point of sale (POS) systems are used to accept payments from customers. While some retailers may still prefer cash registers, many small and large retailers use sophisticated point of sale systems, which consist of hardware and software components that are often designed to fit the requirements of the business sector or retailer. Typical POS hardware components include a cash drawer, credit card reader, barcode reader, printer, and screens (standard or touch-screen).
Why Use POP Merchandising?
One of the reasons that retail POP displays are so wildly successful is that they appeal to shoppers’ quick in and out preference. Considering that more and more significant purchases are made online, many people only visit physical stores when they need something fast.
This means that they’re not lingering around, so it’s crucial to not only provide them with options but also convey your brand at the one place you know for sure they’re going to be – the point of purchase area.
Items on point of purchase displays are easy to find and when they’re optimally merchandised for the core consumer, the products on them essentially sell themselves while leaving the customer with the impression that your retail location quickly provided them with exactly what they wanted.
Maximizing POP Displays
To create effective POP displays, use the 4Cs of in-store activation:
- Command Attention – The goal here is to make your presence felt. To do so, select suitable colors, sizes, textures, and shapes for the display. Incorporate movement, if required.
- Connect with Shoppers – Use brand messages, packaging elements, and marketing themes to connect with customers instantly.
- Convey the Message – Tell a compelling yet easily understood story about the product so that customers can visualize its benefits.
- Close the Sale – Deliver a call to action that removes any doubt customers may have about purchasing the product.
Take into consideration the timely relevance of your point of purchase displays. Are you using POP to push last season’s merchandise or move underperforming merchandise out the door? These tactics typically fail for retail POP displays. Instead, keep the focus on merchandise with timely relevance for your customers. Also, don’t let a display linger too long without changing it out – your regular customers will thank you by making last-minute add-on purchases.
One final way of ensuring the success of your POP displays is to invest in quality display fixtures designed to enhance the point of purchase area of your retail location. We’re here to supply you with the retail display solutions you need. Contact us today to learn more about our pre-built and custom retail display fixtures.
