Top

Why retailers should appreciate the PoP display power

May 16, 2016

The Point-of-Purchase (PoP display) definition translates as the in-store location where products are put on display for the purpose of increasing sales at first glance.

The physical display that enables this marketing technique has evolved over time from simple racks adapted to the available spaces to more sophisticated items that attract the buyers’ attention and stimulate the urge to acquire the products on display. The displays’ design is specially tailored for each brand and/or type of product, and some of them manage to become icons of that particular product. If we think back, each of us is perhaps capable of remembering at least one single PoP display that remained in our memory, linked to a particular product or to a line of products.

The concept of eye-catching, representative displays involves impulse purchases, push promotions and special offers. The better the design, the more efficient the results are in terms of sales.

*Apparently the distinction between PoP and PoS (Point of Sale) is a necessary one even for some retailers, as people can get easily confused between the two notions. Maybe you will notice in our following examples that some of them are identified as PoS by certain sources, while others consider the same examples as PoP. The extended definition of PoP includes the time at which all the elements of the sale come together and the consumer’s buying decision materializes itself.

Modern and innovative management for this particular marketing technique has developed over time, since PoP expenditures hold an increasing significance in retail that synchronizes with the upsurge in impulse buying – a reality that drives a large number of the online purchases, as well.

Remarkable PoP programs

The same HBR source quoted above mentioned a few remarkable moments in the history of PoP design and concept, out of which two stand out:

  • In 1982 Atari tailored ERIC (the Electronic Retail Information Center), an innovative system, in response to the fact that salespeople could not properly convey to the buyers all the computer systems’ characteristics, being either too technical or not knowledgeable enough; the company’s solution consisted of a brilliantly designed system that was placed in stores and that pleasantly greeted curious visitors and responded to a simple keystroke by giving a step-by-step tour of all the Atari computer capabilities available. The concept involved a demonstration host that explained the commands to the person willing to try this novelty PoP, but nevertheless is was way more efficient than the traditional version of salespeople verbally describing the product capabilities; customers’ inputs triggered instructional messages about the product via a digitized PoP;
  • The same year 1982 brought the Kodak’s Disk System, which became Topic A with just about each person that heard of it or approached it, drawing entire crowds; eliminating the need for salesperson assistance, the display unit was part of a program that included various sales training sessions, marketing materials and demo materials – a complete, rounded campaign that made the PoP centerpiece a total hit;

PoP guidelines

Artisan Complete summarized 12 main principles of PoP, the most important of which being the following seven:

  • Know all your retailer’s specifications before creating the PoP design (in-store strategies in general, as well as specifically for your products, dimensional limitations for the future displays, visual and physical in-store coordinates, like for example the way displays will be placed to the right or to the left of customers when lining up for paying for their purchases, in the case you will mount pre-exit PoPs, or whether the air conditioning is affecting in any way the area your displays will be placed, influencing the customer’s decision of stopping in that place or not);
  • Know your target audience (deriving from the previous principle, this one concerns the way you know the retailer’s customers, their possible needs and limitations, the way you perceive the idea of attracting new types of customers, and what they might react most positively to);
  • Act in a direct, understandable manner when transmitting your message: look for clarity, visual images that are illustrative and make your point in a way that does not require more than a few seconds to reach your customers;
  • Find your product unique value and work on it, in a way that will allow it to stand out in a crowd;
  • Build up on the previous guideline by offering a full experience for your audience (people like to have fun and to be surprised in pleasant ways, so employ creative techniques to connect with them);
  • Do your homework in what effective communication real estate is concerned (consider the shoppers eyesight level, the PoP display message visibility and density and consequently create and place your display for maximum efficiency;
  • Always try to put yourself in the buyers’ shoes before finalizing your concept and design – thus giving all ideas a final check.

The product/brand – PoP display synchronization

The PoP concept might have gone through major innovations, as we have seen in the examples above, but in most of the cases it kept its traditional aspect. Although probably the biggest impact characterizes revolutionary ideas, the most frequent displays are the classic ones up to our days.

Specialized providers offer custom solutions, from various types of racks made by various materials, to modern digitized displays. Interactive displays are more entertaining, of course, but the virtues of nice old-fashioned attractive displays, coming in nice colors and carrying an inspired message are always welcome.

See for example how a long lasting company presents its display offer here, while a brief summary of various PoP displays versions reminds us that the vendor shop is the most elaborate one, while signage is the most powerful form of PoP.

When choosing your version of PoP display, remember its marketing power and the fact that it should both enhance your product’s quality while attracting the customers’ attention in the same time.