Point of purchase displays are basically the last step in the advertising process. At their essence, they catch customers' attention and make products displayed more appealing to them so that they're more likely to buy on the spur of the moment.
To accomplish this, point of purchase displays have to catch customers' attention and entice them to buy. Here are 10 tips for clever retail point of sale displays that will do just that:
Know your customers
Who are your customers? Why are they coming to your store, and what are they focused on buying? When you know your target audience, you can respond to their needs most effectively.
Make messages short, sweet, to the point – and bold
Make textual messages short, sweet, to the point – and bold. In a few simple words, communicate the benefits that customers get by buying a product. For example, promoting fiber bars you might say: "High fiber, great taste AND good for you!" . In a nutshell, how will buying this product benefit customers?
Use a call to action
Your message should include a call to action that will entice the customer to buy NOW. "Today only, half price – stock up!" In many cases, the "call to action" can simply be implied, in that if the previous sign says, "Today only, half price!" the implication is, of course, that the customer must take action now or miss out.
Use bright, eye-catching colors
You can strategically set up point of purchase displays throughout the store with bright, eye-catching colors that stand out from the more mundane palette used in the rest of the store. Avoid placing multiple displays close together because the effect will be overwhelming and will in fact discourage sales, but do place them strategically throughout the store (such as in the requisite departments) to encourage customers to buy.
Display signs at eye level
Although you have flexibility in how you actually stock the products in displays (from eye to about knee level), the actual signage should always be at eye level.
Make products accessible
The display structure and the products within should be easy for customers to access at will.
The displays should showcase the products, not cover them up
Point of purchase displays should hold products so that they're visible and easily accessible to customers, but it should not cover them up. Most manufacturers have gone to great lengths to extol product benefits right on the packaging, so let the packaging tell the story. Bold signage will entice the customer to come to the display – and then the product should speak for itself.
The display should encourage customers' positive feelings
If a display creates good feelings in customers, they're much more likely to buy. Great brands already do that, and point of purchase displays can simply enhance that. If a product is not well-known, your display can introduce customers to it and again, help them feel good so that they're much more likely to buy.
Remember the brand
Point of purchase displays should never overwhelm a brand, most especially if that brand is well-known. Instead, they should enhance the brand so that it stands on its own; get customers to notice the product, and they'll buy.
Change things up often
Displays for seasonal items or specials will automatically be new and fresh so that they'll catch customers' attention, since they're not there all the time. However, if you regularly use point of purchase displays for best sellers or high-volume items, change things up often. Even the best display will become invisible to regular customers if it's the same all the time.
