POS Signage

POS Signage, or Point of Sale Signage, is a service offered by many print-focused firms that allows you to set up some sort of display, sign, or other form of advertisement for your product at the point of sale.  The Point of Sale is the moment that the customer buys your product, and as such, it is the most important interaction your customer has with your company.  The moment when they are looking at the variety of products offered at a retail chain, there needs to be something that makes your product stand out, pop from the rest of the products being offered at the store. 

This Point of Sale Signage can be the difference between selling your product and not selling it. Think, for example, of batteries.  Energizer and Duracell both do excellent point of sale displays which set their products apart from the generics or the competitors offered in the store, and are often full displays offered near the impulse shelf, where they are likely to be more effective than in the aisles.

One of the best ways to get your products bought is to have them displayed by the impulse shelves, which is what grocers and retail stores call the counter right up next to the register.  When a customer buys something from the impulse shelves, they're doing it on a whim.  They didn't come to the store looking for bubble gum or a tabloid on Tiger Woods' latest girlfriend, but they see it, are intrigued, and decide to buy it.  You, of course, have to base this on the product you're selling.  No one really buys socks at an impulse rack.  But in the case of the batteries, it's a place that people are likely to decide to buy the products.  And if there are a bunch of products, what makes your product stand out? The Point of Sale displays.

There are a number of different types of point of sale displays, and they change from product to product. If you're selling Orange Juice, there won't likely be a full display for your orange juice, so your product will likely be the only display you have at the point of sale.  So you have to make it work.

Types of POS Signage

We'll start with the biggest and work our way down.  First, there's the large display, such as the Energizer cardboard stands we were talking about.  These are stands that designed to hold your product and your product alone.  They are freestanding and are set aside from the usual counters and racks, which are where most of the other products stand.  There are certain strategies you have to follow when using displays like this.  First, you need to make them conspicuous.  If you have a logo that the public will recognize, display it prominently.  Otherwise, if the display is obscure and out of the way, they're likely to go to the generics in the main aisle with the other products rather than seeking out yours.  So you should try and have a large sign at the front of the store.  If the customer came to the store specifically looking for your product, they'll see it in the front and not even bother looking at the other brands.  These displays need to stand out, but not be so bulky that the retailer you're working with it doesn't want to display them at all.  They also need to be relatively cheap to produce en masse, and that's where the POS signage company can help you.  Chances are, point of sale displays of this size are going to be mostly cardboard, maybe some plastic, if you're okay with spending a bit more money, and a lot of printing.  The best printing companies - i.e., any that can handle your POS displays needs - will be able to print on plastic or cardboard and set up the display completely.  They'll be able to integrate both your products and logos in ways that make sure that the customer gets the picture, and immediately makes a decision about whether to buy your product or not.

There are, of course, other types of POS signage that you can get for relatively cheap prices, and ones that may not force you to set up an entirely separate display.  There are counter signs, which make it clear to the customer what the product is, and what it can offer you.  If it's a food, you can write about some great health benefits, or, if your product has no health value whatsoever, it can tell you how delicious or cheap it is.  If your product is on sale, it can say that on the tag.  If the product is on sale, you can even have a coupon laid out right there for the buyer of the product, letting them know that they can save money right now on your product.

This is a service that isn't only offered to companies that are trying to sell individual products, of course.  It's absolutely essential for retailers to have a ton of POS signage as well.  Think of the major chain bookstores like Borders or Barnes & Noble.  Each of these chains has the employees at their store do little testimonials as to what the staff of the store currently recommends that the customer read.  These are very effective, because if a customer is coming in just to browse, they'll give direction and tell the customer, hey, this is something you can invest your time in and have it be worth it. 

Then there are for sale signs and POS displays that make the store look pleasing to the eye and easy to navigate.  If you put up a Christmas tree cardboard display, people are going to wander over that way when looking for Christmas accoutrements.  If there are signs that say 50% off right next to the product, chances are, the customers are going to give it a second look for the simple reason that they don't mind spending 50% of what they'd usually shell out.  A customer will actually pay you for a product they don't need if they think they are saving money by buying it.  Even though they aren't.  Such is the power of Point of Sale signs and displays.

Ultimately, you want a few things to make sure your POS signage works effectively.  First, you want to draw attention to your product in a way that differentiates it from the other products on display.  You want it to sell your product and your product alone. 

You also want to try and display whatever benefits the customer may receive from buying your product.  A healthy food says how it's healthy (Cheerios protect from heart disease!), a computer tells how it's superior (Macs don't get viruses!), and a cheap product tells how it's cheaper (50% less than regular leading brand!), and so on.  All of these little elements persuade the customer which product to buy at the point of sale, and they are what makes the customers final decision.  They all involve the packaging of the product, which you, as a product salesman or a retailer, want to sell as quickly and as many as possible.

To do this, you need someone to help you develop your POS signage.  If you're interested in finding a good POS Signage firm, for information and suggestions.