The Effect Custom Point of Purchase Displays Have on Sales

October 30, 2017

When used strategically, custom point-of-purchase displays can have a tremendous impact on how consumers behave. Various studies have shown that in-store marketing strategies of this ilk can actually influence a number of shoppers, as consumer trends support making last-minute purchase decisions in-store or at a point of sale.

In fact, a shopper engagement study released by POPAI revealed that in recent years, in-store decision rates at grocery stores, in particular, have reached 76 percent, the highest rate ever recorded. This supports the impact POP displays can have on the sales process. It also reinforces that consumers in some segments are spending less time on planning. Instead, many of them are deciding to buy something on the spot – thanks to POP displays and signage that is created especially to capture their interest and compel them to buy.

According to experts, there are three reasons why POP displays have become an increasingly more popular marketing method throughout the years. First, POP marketing is more cost-effective than advertising and spending money on promotional events. Second, the decline in sales support at the store level is encouraging retailers to get involved with manufacturers’ POP programs. And third, changes in consumers’ buying behaviors and expectations, in addition to shoppers’ predilection for impulse buying, indicates that a store’s point-of-purchase layout is affecting buyers’ decision-making process more than ever before.

When you factor in the ability of POP displays to be customized to better meet the needs of a company’s products or better capture the attention of buyers, it is indeed safe to say that POP marketing has a huge impact on the decision-making and sales process.

Here are five things to think about when considering your in-store marketing program and best determining how custom POP displays can impact sales:

True, you cannot use POP displays and signage as a substitute for traditional advertising. However, displays have the ability to reinforce and further strengthen the advertising messages consumers receive prior to entering a store or retail environment. Custom POP displays remind consumers to buy a particular product in a sales-driven environment at a fraction of the cost of traditional advertising and marketing campaigns.

Unlike traditional marketing methods, POP marketing is dual-purpose. It focuses on the consumer and at the same time it also contributes to the sales process. Since in-store marketing programs help move products off the shelves and into the hands of consumers, this method of marketing is often more productive and cost-effective and can be geared to a very specific market segment based on retailer, region, and consumer-buying habits. This makes in-store marketing programs and custom POP displays worthwhile, particularly when determining the potential ROI of an in-store marketing strategy.

As mentioned above, custom POP displays can be easily designed or modified to better suit the needs of consumers according to their age, location, gender, and other key factors. They can also accurately target particular consumer segments, which is something that can be hard to achieve with traditional marketing and advertising methods. Collaborating with the right point-of-purchase display manufacturer is integral to this process. The POP company needs to come to the table with the creative strategies, vision and design capabilities to execute a custom display that will motivate your target market to buy.

As with any marketing strategy, it’s important to measure the results of your POP marketing efforts to determine whether you are using the right display, color combination, materials application or message, among other display elements. This way, you can verify if the POP display is effective. An advantage of POP displays is that they are easy to assess and evaluate. In fact, you can run and test alternative POP programs at different stores to see which of them is more effective without spending a significant amount of money. The result is a measured investment that can yield a higher sales return.

With POP displays, retailers and manufacturers don’t have to rely on additional sales support in order to better promote products and on-site purchases. While signage and product displays cannot replace in-store personnel who can speak to the intricacies of a specific product, they still have the power to help convince shoppers to buy specific products and even make last-minute impulse purchases. Besides augmenting sales staff, POP displays give consumers the power, time and consideration to make the decision to buy something on their terms without feeling rushed or pressured by on-site personnel.

According to industry studies, many consumers want to do their shopping quickly and efficiently. However, at the same time, the more time they spend inside a retail store, the more likely they are to buy. The beauty of POP displays is that they work well with both scenarios. They allow shoppers to educate themselves on a particular product and, at the same time, they help influence shoppers who make last-minute and or impulse purchases. Either way, it’s a win-win for manufacturers and retailers because, at the end of the day, custom POP displays ultimately help boost sales.

Interested in learning more about a custom point-of-purchase display program? Contact the Metaline team here to start the conversation.

Metaline is a leading point-of-purchase display company specializing in the design, production, warehousing, and distribution of custom POP displays. Recognized as one of the top 50 display companies in the United States, we create captivating, cost-effective, in-store displays from concept to completion. At the forefront of innovation, we combine cutting edge equipment with a team of seasoned engineers and designers to develop eye-catching, cost-effective displays and packaging. We work with a wide range of materials including wire, metal, plastic, wood, corrugate, and more. Beyond design and production, we also boast OEM capabilities and provide warehousing, distribution, and graphic design services - making Metaline a truly turnkey solution to all your custom point-of-purchase display and promotional packaging needs. Our creativity, commitment to quality, and customer service have made Metaline stand out from the competition since 1923.