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Importance of Point of Purchase Displays

July 10, 2020

Brick-and-mortar retail stores have been facing mounting competition over the years as eCommerce brands have grown exponentially. It’s been harder for small, local businesses to keep up and keep their doors open, and owners have been looking for tools and resources to help gain an edge.

One of these strategies includes optimizing point of purchase (POP) displays. POP displays are the foundation of retail merchandising, and one of the most important steps you can take to set your store apart and create a streamlined shopping experience. There’s a long list of advantages for implementing POP displays — below are just a few.

Showcasing Products

What your customers see when they first enter your store will leave a lasting impression that either draws them in further or pushes them out and to a competitor. POP displays can highlight products in ways that prompt shoppers to follow through with their purchase. When they’re created with intention, POP displays can act like a neon sign that says “BUY ME!”

Have a new product line you want to advertise? Are you carrying seasonal items that you know shoppers are looking for? Do you want to create convenience for the most sought-after inventory? Point of purchase displays can create a stage of sorts to let these items shine and increase the potential for a sale.

Cost Efficiency

Small businesses have notoriously small margins, and that’s especially true now more than ever as owners struggle to keep doors open amid constantly shifting reopening schedules and social distancing guidelines. There’s no shortage of investments you can make for your store, but point of purchase designs can offer a huge return on investment.

You have several point of purchase merchandising configurations to choose from, and working with a team of professionals can help you find the right option or create a custom solution that fits your layout, branding, and inventory needs. The right choice can create a stellar customer experience, but a one-size-fits-all approach could feel cold and depersonalized — something that could send shoppers running. Here are a few POP displays we can help your store create:

  • Gondola displays are two-sided, adjustable, customizable, and freestanding. Their durability is ideal for heavy-duty inventory.
  • Display racks offer as many options as there are colors in the rainbow, and sit directly on the sales floor to be moved around as often as needed.
  • End caps are placed in visible and high-traffic areas and serve as a great point of purchase display for impulse buys or your most popular items.
  • Dump bins are used in convenience and grocery stores for grab-and-go inventory. They can provide a way to house clearance items to make way for new products.
  • Merchandising coolers are perfect for beverages and impulse buys, and maximize refrigeration space for tight layouts or seasonal/limited products.
  • Fast lane displays are set up around the checkout area for inexpensive quick buys that shoppers frequently overlook during their trip inside your store.
  • Storage shelving can make your backroom easily navigable to keep employees safe during stocking and receiving processes.

Personalization and Creativity

Some of your customers know exactly what they want before stepping through your door. Other customers need a little nudge, and then there are some who shop solely based on impulse. When your point of purchase displays are properly designed with creativity in mind, you can help stores and products stand out.

Looking at sales metrics and data that outlines shopping behavior, you can easily understand which products fit into the above categories. You can design displays that entice shoppers to make a purchase, and directly target them with artful messages and cohesive branding that’s in line with inventory and store marketing messages.

Purchasing Decisions

When customers shop online, they have reviews, product videos, and other tools right at their fingertips — but they can’t pick up the products to see how it feels or looks in person, or examine any moving parts that simply can’t be experienced virtually. Optimized POP displays could provide all of the education that a Google search provides while offering a tangible, sensory purchase experience.

Point of purchase displays can also amplify important use instructions or even warnings. Additionally, POP displays can give brands an opportunity to cross-promote other items in the same product line. This has the added time-saving benefit of cutting back on training you may have to provide employees about new products; ultimately this saves your business money in the long run.

Ready to understand how point of purchase displays can help elevate your retail strategy during a time when business owners need it the most? We have helped Fortune 500 companies and small craft businesses to innovate their POP merchandising. Get in touch to find out how we can innovate yours too!

January 17, 2025
Point-of-purchase displays and merchandising solutions are not just functional tools; they are an extension of your brand’s identity.
December 26, 2024
Successful POS Design Pushes Traditional Marketing Strategies To Another Level. Point of Sale marketing in 2018 took traditional marketing methods – unique design, eye-catching presentation, effective branding with clear messaging, a clear tieback to existing consumer advertising, targeting emotional triggers, and an awareness of the shopper's journey – and pushed them to the limits of creativity. Studies in point-of-sale effectiveness showed that in 2016, properly leveraged marketing initiatives resulted in an average of 9.2% sales lift and that 40% of shoppers recalled the merchandising displays. As marketing has become more complex, these numbers have improved, and it’s been found that the most successful campaigns didn’t prioritize one method over any other but rather ensured each factor was leveraged to the fullest to maximize the impact of the overall strategy. Marketing is More than Matching Form to Function Across every industry and market segment, setting your brand apart from the competition is a fierce and driving force that informs every business decision. The process of marketing is no exception – companies everywhere have come to understand that customers can get whatever service you offer from a myriad of sources, so a successful marketing plan can usher consumers beyond any concerns of quality and focus their behavior on the one thing you can control: the journey they take in buying your product. Don’t Think Outside the Box, Leave the Box at Home Successful creative marketing approaches break down the boundaries around how consumers expect to consume and interact with your brand. Bold, compelling designs, larger-than-life displays, interactive or dynamic displays, and point-of-sale media that not only showcase the product but draw the user into the unique experience your brand has to offer. And don’t stick to only static floor installations. Explore shelf edging, ceiling-hung displays, or signage and displays for register counters. Approach your marketing without limitations on space and location, and open the door to all of the possible ways to engage consumers. Show and Tell with Clear Branding and Messaging While creativity is necessary, clarity is just as important. The last thing you want consumers to do is look at your POS branding and either not be able to tie your product to it, or worse, not understand the message you’re trying to get across. Your brand should be front and center, and the supporting messaging or call to action should cleverly play into your brand without straying too far afield. An energy drink display modeled after a refueling jet or a gas station is not only clever and engaging, but on-brand and appropriate. A display focused on your brand’s new chocolate bars combining imagery of clowns having a party on a yacht inviting consumers to dive in? Memorable, sure, but in none of the right ways. POS Displays are Breadcrumbs on the Trail Back to Your Brand A cohesive marketing campaign requires your point of sale materials to tie back to your overall brand image and message. As with the example above, great POS displays tell a story and paint a picture consistent with your brand presence across all mediums. Think about it from the perspective of the Apple aesthetic, where you can instantly recognize the sleek minimalistic design of an Apple product. Consumers should be able to see your branding anywhere – the store, online, on a billboard – and instantly recognize consistency in your messaging and presentation. Disrupt Routine with Emotion Let’s go back to the crucial element in marketing that successful campaigns take into account: the market is oversaturated, no matter the market niche to which you cater. All of the guidance discussed to this point is meaningless if you’re marketing department cannot embrace this one guiding principle: you’re not selling a product or service. You’re selling what it feels like to engage with your product or service. You’re honing in on the emotions and the place your product should hold in a consumer’s life. Your material must embody that aesthetic, that a lifestyle where your brand plays a role is the lifestyle they would prefer to anything else. Don’t Be Passive, Take Control of the Consumer Journey Building effective eye-catching, emotion-inducing POS displays for your product isn’t enough in the modern marketplace. Buying and shopping habits have shifted and more decision-making occurs before customers step foot into a brick-and-mortar retail space, requiring a marketing approach that places you squarely into the consumer journey. Engage digital throughout your marketing efforts – from targeted online advertisements that draw consumers to your brand to engaging and digital-savvy store installations that incorporate video and digital POS displays when consumers follow your advertising into the store and complete their journey to where your product is displayed. A Firm with a Successful Track Record in POS Design You want your product to stand out and make an emotional impact on consumers. You’ve created a solid branding and marketing plan, and need to find a solutions provider with a track record of success and the ability to bring your visions to life in ways that will draw consumers to your brand and maximize the return on your marketing initiative. Or maybe you’re a small business just starting and you could use some help in designing your marketing strategy to support your product. Whatever your needs might be, contact the award-winning team at Butler Merchandising Systems, LLC. today to collaborate on your next project.
By Butler MSI Team October 21, 2024
With online shopping growing rapidly, physical stores are under increasing pressure to stand out to the average consumer. Out of all the possible ways to differentiate yourself from your e-commerce competitors, visual merchandising is crucial in attracting foot traffic and driving sales.
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