The smartphone has become an integral part of the customer journey for many of us. Marketers can take advantage of this with a clever use of Point of Sale marketing. Smartphones are like personal consultants we use for our shopping – especially as an  important research tool that leads to our purchase decisions as customers. Tips for recipes, additional information on a product, or a quick price comparison are displayed directly on the cell phone via an app. On the other hand, the smart placement of goods, online and offline, invites further consumption. In the USA alone, consumers spend up to 5,400 US dollars per year on impulse purchases. From the candy shelf at the checkout, to the flashy sale banner on a website: In stationary retail and e-commerce, targeted product presentations and tempting offers and promotions are the colorful last-minute check-out lane grabs. They are all the result of clever POS Marketing.

Point of Sale Marketing is all about impulses

The strengths of POS marketing are obvious: With sales-promoting measures at the point of sale, you can address customers at the right moment. When a consumer enters a store or browses on a website, they usually have the intention of buying something, so a basic purchase decision has already been made. This means there is a good chance that additional products will attract the customer’s attention and encourage impulse purchases.

The hurdle to the purchase is very small at this moment. In most cases, only a small incentive is enough to make a purchase – either because the product is strategically well positioned or simply because the price is convincing.

Tips for successful POS marketing

Point of sale measures are succesful when online and offline channels are used effectively and each POS measure is coordinated. This creates a general framework and customers are not deterred by unfamiliar buying incentives. To help you achieve this, here are a few ideas to inspire you:

• Info screens – additional information about the product or hints about the departments help customers in their decision-making

• Online product catalogs – view online, buy offline. The link between the two sales worlds gives customers the domestic comfort of browsing, but does not deprive them of the opportunity to physically interact with the product
• Mobile push notifications – as soon as the customer approaches a product, they receive a notification on their cell phone. Tips on recipes, fashion, or a note about a promotion that is about to expire

• Easy navigation – online as well as offline, it is important not to put obstacles in the way of the customer. An open design of stores, which are narrowed towards the checkout and with POS actions along the way.

Point of Sale marketing must create value and should not bother customers

POS marketing activities must add value to the customers’ buying activities. The measures should be designed to offer the customer something that is at that moment an obvious advantage for him. One example is price discounts when buying certain products. This gives the customer the good feeling of having saved money.

The key to success is to offer a consistently positive shopping experience to the customer and to highlight the products at the right moment with that certain something – be it the location, attention-grabbing advertising or other promotions. The goal is to enrich the purchase decision and not to break it off by excessive effects. This applies across all sales channels and is not limited to offline purchases.

About the Author

Alexander Hencel
Marketing Assistant at HBI Helga Bailey GmbH – International PR & MarCom

Alexander Hencel has been part of HBI’s marketing team since 2018. He is responsible for content management such as the creation of specialist articles, managing social media channels, and supporting online marketing campaigns for customers and HBI.