Retailers face numerous challenges – declining margins, stiff competition, rising staff costs, increasing rents, knowing what to stock and when, shrinkage, getting the pricing right, on-line issues, dealing with multi-channels, escalating consumer demands … the list goes on and on.
And once all these issues have been solved – or at least grappled with – retailers are still left with the age-old question of how to attract consumers into stores and get them to buy things!
Store design is a surprisingly complex area, with the big supermarkets in particular using sophisticated algorithms to decide where to position goods in which aisles. It’s considerably more scientific than placing the milk and bread right at the back so that everybody has to walk past other items before they can buy their essential goods.
The design of the store front – the “shop window” – is critical too. Customers have to be attracted into the store in the first place before they can be guided to buy this or that product. After all, it’s no use having perfect products ideally placed and beautifully presented if no-one comes in! This is where your point of sale collateral comes in … and once you’ve enticed people inside it really comes into its own.
Get it wrong, and you can add a new challenge to the list – losing market share, or, worse, losing customers altogether! Doesn’t bear thinking about, does it? So let’s not!
What do we mean by “right” anyway?
Well, there isn’t an easy answer to this – and you could argue that the proof of the pudding is in the eating – but here’s a short list for starters:
- straightforward, simple message that consumers can “get” instantly
- appealing
- an invitation to buy
- on brand
Clearly how we ensure that the point of sale material is “right” depends on where it is situated – in the shop window, at or near the checkout, close to certain product lines and so on.
What are the different types of point of sale collateral?
There’s a whole plethora, but here are some of the most common examples:
- posters
- promotional literature (e.g. leaflets and flyers)
- retail displays
- leaflet dispensers
- free-standing display units
- header cards
- shelf wobblers
- channel strips
- shelf talkers
- hanging boards
So you can see that there’s quite a lot to it, and quite a lot of different options. Getting the right collateral in the right place at the right time can make the difference between the customers buying or not buying!
Timing is everything …
Another important consideration in retail is timing – not simply seasonal variations (“the autumn range”) but annual events such as Easter, Christmas, Mother’s Day, and so on.
It’s therefore very important that your collateral can be produced quickly – if necessary (for example an impromptu sale to clear old stock) – but certainly on schedule and always on brand.
There’s more to it than I thought!
That’s right, as is so often the way. You need your supplier to have an excellent understanding of all of the above, a flexible approach, fast turnaround times when needed, a wide range of collateral, and a straightforward ordering process.
Self-service print options would also be very helpful, where you can easily order a range of branded items from an on-line catalogue.
Calderstone can help with all of your point of sale requirements. Click here for some specific information, here for our home page, and here to learn why us. Get more information or a quote here or Or call us on 020 8391 3001. We’d be delighted to help.
Next time
In our next article we’ll be changing topic again and looking at promotional pens, and the role that they play. We hope that you’ll find it interesting.