How to make your point-of-sale design pop

Point-of-sale displays are placed near the checkouts in retail stores to feature products, with a view to getting people to buy on impulse.

Although most people are convinced that supermarket/retail psychologists have been using point-of-sale displays and other sneaky techniques to get us to buy things we don’t really want for decades, the science is in fact only a few years old. That’s because until recently, researchers simply haven’t have the technology to really understand what’s going on in the mind of the consumer as they shop.

The newest research suggests that 50% – 80% of all fast moving consumer goods sales are either unplanned or made on impulse. And a study from OgilvyAction showed that a massive 24% of shoppers are influenced by point-of-sale displays while only 17% are influenced by price. Breaking it down a little further, freestanding displays and dump bins (at 51%) proved much more effective than end caps (35%) and power wings (3%).

“Consumers are probably more influenced by your point-of-sale and point-of-purchase displays than any other form of marketing you do.”

The obvious conclusion is that consumers are more influenced by your point-of-sale and point-of-purchase displays than any other form of marketing you do – surprisingly, even more than offering discounts. So how do make sure your displays are really effective? Here’s an Oxygen guide to making your point-of-sale design pop.

Point-of-sale design tip #1 – be bold

Research by POPAI shows that the focus many retailers put on achieving a uniformity of display actually decreases sales. Point-of-purchase displays need to stand out to attract attention. So be bold both with colour, theme and fonts. Use contrasting colours. Make your display hard to ignore. Consider personalising product types (such as different flavours) with colour, and with personalised copy.

Point-of-sale design tip #2 – highlight benefits

Point-of-sale displays are just the same as any other form of marketing in this respect. So make sure the benefits of using your product are highlighted, together with a call to action, such as ‘Buy now!’.

Point-of-sale design tip #3 – show the product in use

It’s a good idea to get people visualising using the product. You can either show visuals of your target market using the product or include infographics on how to use it. Alternatively, you can include a video as part of your display with further information on the product and its benefits plus a demonstration of how well it works.

Point-of-sale design tip #4 – provide incentives to purchase

Include tear-off coupons featuring a discount to encourage consumers to purchase immediately. If your product works with other products, try including a coupon for those.

Point-of-sale design tip #5 – up-sell

Alternatively, include all those additional products on the display as well, so that the customer is encouraged to buy them all at once.

Point-of-sale design tip #6 – be interactive

QR codes are a great way to convey extra information. They can take the consumer to a FAQ page or even a video with a sales pitch. A touch screen is a good way to draw customers in, with a quiz to help them decide on which product in the range to buy.

Point-of-sale design tip #7 – include a takeaway

If purchasing the product requires some thought, include print brochures or flyers with additional information that the customer can take away and share with others.

If you need help with eye-catching point-of-sale or point-of-purchase displays, why not give our award-winning design team a call today on 0845 2606 255.