ARTYSMITH2: WATCHWORDS - POINT OF SALE

Monday 9 June 2014

WATCHWORDS - POINT OF SALE

Lush - masters of visual communication

Whenever I read the words Point of Sale (POS) it leaves me with a sort of uninspired feeling. Of course, POS is a necessary evil if you want to sell more merchandise from your shop floor.

One thing that slightly bothers me is that many retailers don’t get the most out of their POS material. Depending on what media is being used to communicate the message it often surprises me to find the POS isn’t part of the merchandised display and is placed in some obscure location that has no direct link to the product or service it’s supposed to be promoting, ultimately weakening the whole campaign.

It’s worth remembering customers are usually on the move, catching their line of vision isn’t always as easy as it sounds. We rarely stop to read stuff as we go about our day. The only time I tend to read posters or information is when I’m sitting in the doctors or dentists trying to distract my mind and stop thinking about why I’m there in the first place!

The saying goes ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’, or as I’ve recently discovered in paper by Alan F Blackwell, 84.1 words! However, customers find it easier, and respond quicker, to the overall visual image first so it makes sense to include any POS material as part of the merchandising plan. Think of it as another product to be included! This will give you more certainty that what you’re trying to convey to your customers is being read and seen in the way you think it is. Let's face it, there’s plenty of room for misunderstanding!

So POS is a good thing, especially when it’s linked to a retail campaign. Correct positioning of POS material is vital if is to be effective. It’s another detail to ensure that the shopping process is both enjoyable and easy.