When designed and printed right, Point of sale displays are a very effective marketing tool. If you’re a retail store manager you’ll be tasked with making the most out of the space available and driving extra sales.

If you’re a frequent retail shopper you will have seen quite a few designs in your time. You may have even added the odd product to your basket before reaching the checkout as a result.

That’s the name of the game, and it works.

According to a survey by CreditCards.com. “Eighty-four percent of poll respondents say they’ve made an impulse purchase at some time, and 77% in the past three months.”

What’s more, nearly 80% of respondents made an impulsive purchase in-store.

What’s driving these impulse purchases? Great point of sale designs!

Why Point of Sale Marketing Works

Point of sale works for three main reasons. First of all, retailers are targeting an audience that has made the decision to buy something. They may even be in the queue when they see the POS ad. Their brain is ready to spend money, so what’s an extra £5?

Secondly, relevant “add-on” items can serve as a reminder to customers and trigger their impulse to buy.

Finally, nobody really likes waiting in line, so why not make it as pleasant as possible?

You can essentially turn a shopping nuisance into an helpful extension of the shopping experience.

So instead of shoppers being bored in line, you can create a POS display that helps reinforce their decision to buy a product, and highlight other useful options.

This will help keep them engaged and interested while they wait.  Chances are they will add that item to their cart.

If it’s done well, the customer may actually be thankful, as the display reminded them to buy something they had forgot! Think travel shower gels at airports.

So how can you make yours as impactful as you can? We’ve collated our top 9 tips for making this happen.

1. MAKE SURE YOUR MESSAGE IS CLEAR

It’s vital to ensure the message you want to get across is a clear and concise as possible.

Whether you’re promoting a special offer, or a product’s features and benefits, ensure that you display it in a way that is quick and easy to digest.

2. ADD VALUE

Make sure that your Point of Sale display adds value to the shopper.

You can even include a tear-off coupon on the POS that can be used straight away at checkout. This could be a buy one get one free offer for example.

Alternatively, you could cross sell. For example, if you’re selling electronics, offer coupons for warranty.

3. BE BOLD

Point of sale designs need to catch and hold the eye, so be bold.

Use bright colours and a bold design to grab attention, even from a distance. Consider light and sound to further attract attention.

Avoid using lots of text, as you don’t want to clutter you display. Keep things simple and remember tip 1!

4. INCLUDE A CALL TO ACTION

You want to be clear about what action the customer is being pointed towards.

Do you want them to buy a product, take a free sample, collect a coupon, sign up for a competition etc?

Make sure you have a large, clear call to action on your display to avoid any confusion.

5. MAKE YOUR DISPLAY INTERACTIVE

Technology is changing in every industry. Print is no different.

Stand out from the crowd and make your point of sale display interactive. The easiest way will is to use QR codes or touch-screens to further engage with your customers.  For example, print a QR code on your point-of-sale display that takes customers to a video that offers more information and a better sales pitch.

Have you also considered augmented reality?

Using AR can bring out animated versions of the product in use, or even show the product on the customer themselves.

6. INCLUDE COMPARISONS

Consider including charts or graphs that show your product vs competitors. Use these to highlight why your product is the best choice.

7. PRINT TAKEAWAYS

If the product your promoting at your point of sale is a more considered purchase, give shoppers something they can take away.

They may need more information and time to process the purchase decision so having leaflets or flyers that can be taken away can help with this.

8. INCLUDE ADD-ONS

Is your product part of a set or product line? Include them for potential upsells. For example, if you’re selling laptops, or games consoles add controllers or headphones. You can even include a voucher as part of a combo deal.

9. SHOW YOUR PRODUCT IN USE

Promoting your product being used by happy customers through video or imagery is another great way to interact and persuade potential purchasers.

Make sure any models in the videos use fit your target customer demographic. If you can’t use actual footage consider using illustrations to show how your product can be used. Any form of visual can help create desire.

Final Thoughts

If you think your marketing efforts are complete when a customer walks through your door, think again. You POS display are your final chance to make some extra revenue with some last minute marketing.

By strategically taking advantage of all the POS opportunities available, you can optimise your entire retail spare. At the same time, you will be offering the customer some genuinely useful and relevant products.

You’ll be adding value to their overall shopping experience, making them aware of additional deals they may have missed. Which helps you both!

This helps build brand loyalty — and adds to your bottom line.

At Dornans, our expert craftsmen can print high quality point of sale material that hits the mark. Check out our work and get in touch!