As print and POS specialists, we’re ideally placed to answer your questions about point-of-sale marketing. Over the past five decades, we’ve worked with graphic designers, visual merchandisers, store managers, business owners and more, so there aren’t many questions that we haven’t heard. If you’re just getting started with POS, or you’re unsure of the terminology, here is a selection of commonly asked questions. 

What is POS? What does POS mean?

POS is short for ‘Point of Sale’.

What is ‘point of sale’?

A POS definition can be found in the Collins English Dictionary: ‘POS is the place in a shop where a product is passed from the seller to the customer.’

Quite simply, ‘point of sale’ refers to anywhere a transaction takes place. It’s important to highlight that the definition reaches beyond retail environments; other types of business have points of sale too. For instance, garages and forecourts, bars, cafes, leisure centres, tourist attractions, salons and spas are all likely to have tills and checkouts. 

If you search Google for the phrase ‘POS marketing definition’, the answers can summed up as: ‘marketing activity that targets customers at the till point.’

What is POS material?

Given the answer above, ‘POS material’ can be defined as marketing materials used at the cash register.

These are often referred to as ‘POS marketing’ or ‘point of sale advertising’ materials. The aim is to increase the value of each sale by encouraging the customer to buy additional items when they are parting with their money.

Why? Because it can be highly effective. Consider the marketing sales funnel for a second. The customer knows who you are, has engaged and is ready to buy. As such, they are ‘warm’ customers and are likely to be receptive to buying additional items.

By adding a counter display, a poster or a leaflet stand at the checkout, brands can attract customer attention to additional products without sales attendants engaging in a hard sell. That said, promotional materials can act as great conversation starters!

It’s important to note that ‘POS display’ may also be used interchangeably with ‘in-store promotions’. These include displays on the shop floor. For instance, retail dump bins and free-standing display units are often referred to as POS displays even though they may not be positioned near the till.

Point-of-Sale Materials: Where do they come from?

POS marketing materials may come from several parties. They may be created by an outlet to encourage sales, or, they might be created by brands for use by stockists. An ice-cream manufacturer might distribute POS materials to newsagents, for instance, to encourage impulse purchases at the till.

Read more: What is POS Design?

Can all businesses use POS marketing?

Absolutely! POS marketing is a powerful tool for supercharging your profitability and it doesn’t need to cost a fortune. 

You could invest in some posters highlighting discounts that sit at strategic points throughout the store. Or perhaps a customised FSDU could be used to highlight an attractive new product. 

What are the benefits of point-of-sale marketing?

There are many benefits of engaging in point-of-sale marketing. For starters, you can take multiple approaches and get creative. Look for opportunities where marketing messages could be best used. 

  • Could you use some space on the counter for a display?
  • Could you position a display in the queuing area? 
  • Could you add something in the aisles to attract attention? 
  • Could you create a human-sized replica of your product? 

Ultimately, point-of-sale marketing is designed to increase purchase value by creating up-selling and cross-selling opportunities. 

But that’s not to say that’s all they do. 

Promotions can also be used to encourage loyalty. By including website URLs, social media profiles and incentives for newsletter sign-ups, you can build your audience, giving you the chance to encourage future transactions.

Read more: Product Launch: Ice-Cream Cone Carrier

How can I use POS marketing?

As highlighted above, there are lots of different ways to engage in POS marketing. From A-boards, posters and shelf-talkers to FSDUs, counter-top displays and retail dump bins, there are lots of types of POS material.

However, as with all marketing activity, be clear about your objectives before developing a campaign. Identifying what you want to achieve and your target audience should guide your POS marketing.

From there, consider:

  • Which materials are likely to help you achieve your aims? 
  • What’s likely to attract your audience’s attention and encourage a sale? 
    • Is it a discount, or an aspirational image of the product in use? 
    • Do you have low-value items attractively displayed at the till to encourage an impulse purchase?
    • It’s important to make sure your POS campaign aligns with your wider marketing strategy and plan.

It ensures that you don’t have too many, potentially conflicting, marketing messages that may leave customers feeling confused or overwhelmed.

Who can design point-of-sale materials?

Technically any graphic designer can create POS materials. However, we’d recommend working with a company that has experience in this area. 

The main reason is that many POS displays are 3D. As such, an understanding of 3D modelling is invaluable. It ensures that the artwork is correct first time and suitable for the display you have in mind. 

If you’re unable to find a suitable designer, POS design guidelines may be available from the manufacturer. Your designer can use these to create artwork to the right specifications. 

We can help you choose the right POS materials to meet your objectives, develop concepts and prototypes and deliver the finished products to the location of your choice.

Get in touch to find out how we can support your POS marketing activities today.