What Is POP in Retail & How Is It Different from POS
What Is POP in Retail & How Is It Different from POS
In any retail or marketing situation, the avenues through which a client or customer interacts with the business are critical components. Without accessibility, customers can’t browse or purchase a company’s products or services.
If you’re new to marketing or a retail strategy, you may be confused about what these systems of retailer-to-customer interaction are, how they work, or how they interact. For example, you may have heard of point of purchase or point of sale systems but may feel unclear about the differences in these systems. Or you may not know how to use these systems to benefit your company and client interactions.
At KDM, we believe in empowering our clients to grow their sales, expand brand awareness, and take advantage of multiple facets of retail marketing. This blog discusses what POP displays and POS stands are, the benefits of each, and some best practices for using these tools in retail ventures.
For more information about POP display and POS displays, KDM POP services, and more, feel free to reach out to us by email, phone, or chat today.
What Is POP in Retail
POP stands for point of purchase. Marketing strategies use this term to refer to the physical location where clients browse and make purchase decisions. In some businesses, this can be an office building, website, or app. But what does POP stand for in retail?
In general, POP displays in retail include facings for store shelves, standing displays, promotional material, dump bins, and more. Point of purchase displays are standalone displays that help companies increase brand familiarity and presence within given stores.
The Role of POP Displays in a Sales Strategy
Point of purchase displays and promotional material are great ways to raise awareness of services or consumer goods in the retail industry. Retailers can use POP displays to improve awareness of sales or promotions, boost merchandise sales, and so much more.
POP Display Strengths
A good marketing strategy uses tools such as the POP display to boost sales and improve business-client interaction. By increasing facings outside of the traditional aisle shelf using POP material, POP displays, and bins, businesses give themselves an edge over their competitors.
Some of the primary strengths of POP displays include:
- More product volume on location
- Increased exposure for everyday items on consumer shopping lists
- Promoting different packaging, item size, or product applications
- Improving brand awareness throughout one or more retail locations
- Movable advertising and access for customer convenience and impulse buys
- Increase consumer awareness of temporary promotions or flash sales
- Strategic product placement incentivizes customers
To learn more about the different types of POP material such as promotional ads, signage, point of purchase displays, and more, keep reading or reach out to KDM POP with your questions today.
POS Systems
Now that you’ve learned about POP displays and other point of purchase material, you may be left with some questions. If you’re familiar with point of sale (POS) systems or displays, you may be wondering what the difference is between POP and POS. With names like point of purchase and point of sale, it’s not surprising that these terms seem interchangeable. However, point of purchase and point of sale refer to two completely different marketing tools.
POS refers directly to the area in which a customer completes the purchase of a product. In-store locations such as the grocery store, these interactions typically take place at or near the cash register. In a mobile store or online shopping, the POS is the cart or the checkout page.
As a note, POS may also refer to the POS system, which includes the technology and software through which purchases are made. Most displays need no operating software or technology to boost sales.
The Role of POS Displays in a Sales Strategy
POS displays are a way for retailers to remind consumers of last-minute wants or needs as they approach the point of sale region of a store. Think of the candy shelves or magazine stands commonly located at cash registers. These POS displays are designed to inspire in store impulse purchases.
Because of their location, cash register product displays have some limitations. Some items may only have a single product display or placement in a given store, decreasing the potential for brand exposure. For this reason, marketing industry experts target customers with last-minute items like sunglasses, lip balm, and drinks instead of things like laundry detergent or face creams.
POP Display Strengths
Stores and brands alike have a lot to gain from a well-placed product display in a checkout line. A strong display will:
- Promote popular and emerging brands
- Take advantage of the inherent value of certain items
- Provide convenient advertising space for smaller products
- Boost awareness of temporary sales and promotion
- Promote the sale of single-package or single-use items
- And more
POP and POS Best Practices
Based on the information above, we’ve listed a few best practices for those using either display in their store marketing strategy. We recommend:
- Utilizing displays of both types to draw awareness to select products and brands
- Using displays as both primary and secondary product facings when possible
- Making the best use of spaces such as cash registers or endcaps for item displays
- Keeping all displays neat, tidy, and relevant
When to Use POP? When to Use POS?
POP displays are best used in-aisle, at endcaps, in the middle of wide enough aisles, and in empty floor space. Use these displays for secondary product facings, seasonal items, and more.
POS displays are great for underneath checkout counters, beside cash registers, and other checkout spaces. Use these fixtures for items like candy, soft drinks, sunglasses, and more.
To learn more about marketing strategies, continue browsing our blog or reach out to KDM with your questions today.
