Point-of-purchase (POP) displays are a quick and easy way to add visual excitement to a store. They’re a good communication tool for reacting to trends, testing new products and promoting seasonal items. They grab the consumer’s attention and quickly identify products.
But too much of a good thing can distract and confuse the consumer and dilute your store’s image.
When merchandising is evaluated out of context from the overall retail presentation, the result can be a chaotic mix of messages competing for attention. A few simple rules can give you a strategy for sorting out the clutter and managing displays that truly enhance your store image and product offering.
POP displays must fit your image
Before you commit or agree to put a display in your store, determine if the product and physical display fits with your brand image. Fixture materials, product-display methods and graphics should all work together in your store to create a single message.
For example, pine boxes, cut-cases, dump bins and hand-lettered signs are great for a discount image. Wood and laminate finishes, careful stacking and pegging and professionally printed signs in holders communicate a higher-end look. You have control. Don’t be afraid to ask vendors to create displays that fit your specifications.
All that glitters isn’t gold
Displays may include glitzy graphics, product samples, lights, animation, sound or high-tech touch screens. But just because they’re shiny and pretty doesn’t mean they’ll sell product. To be effective, a display should focus on telling one story. Regardless of its form, a POP display should promote a single product or a few tightly related ones (different colors or styles of the same thing). Communication should be simple, direct and easy to understand. The POP design should allow customers to easily pick up and examine the merchandise.
Displays shouldn’t be costly to maintain. They should come preassembled or be very easy to put together. Stocking them shouldn’t feel like rocket science either. Also, check to see if displays are sturdy enough to withstand normal store traffic and stable enough to stand without support.
Integrated graphics are essential
Graphics must work with the product, fixtures and other elements as a whole. They should clearly identify the product, brand and function. Without blocking product or overlapping other signs, it is essential that they fit into the fixtures at the right height for comfortable reading. And, to respect the cultural diversity of your customer base, bilingual signs may be necessary.
Understand the consequences
Temporary displays are usually made of cardboard and/or plastic. They’re made to last only a few weeks before they’re discarded. These inexpensive displays are ideal for introducing new products or promoting existing items.
Permanent displays, on the other hand, are more elaborate and often present the vendor’s product in the most attractive way. But you’ll have to live with these displays for three to five years. Be sure they won’t be dated after only a few months.
Set limits for your store
Carefully consider the number and size of the displays in your store. Give each enough space to make a strong impact in its surroundings. Don’t put too many too close together and never allow displays to protrude into or block aisles.
Put displays in the right places
Certain focal areas are best for featuring POP displays. The entrance, main aisle and near the checkout lines are strategic places for freestanding displays. Main aisles also present the best opportunity for feature endcaps. For products showcased on these displays, be sure they complement adjacent categories and refresh or replace them often.
Checkouts and service counters are good for small POP displays, but are also magnets for clutter. Keep it under control by only featuring what’s necessary. Always leave space for customers to stack purchases and complete their transactions.
Practice good housekeeping
Because displays get so much attention, they need to constantly change, be well stocked and stay in order to maintain customer interest. Collaborate with vendors to establish a calendar for presenting new displays in focal areas. Keep displays fully and neatly stocked. Make sure that graphics and time-sensitive signs are accurate and up-to-date. Promptly dispose of signs and displays as promotions end. When displays are damaged, be sure to repair or replace them immediately, as you don’t want eyesores in your store.
It’s not getting any easier to reach customers through traditional media (broadcast, print or online), so POP displays will continue to be emphasized at the retail level.
As budgets for POP increase and new POP display offers are pushed, it’s easy to end up with a retail space that feels like a three-ring circus. If you stick to these simple rules, you’ll do a better job at selecting the right displays, getting the best performance from them and setting your store’s brand apart from competitors.
