Transforming Stores Into Experiences: The Future of POP Displays

The future of the retail industry is beginning to look much different than many predicted. While it seemed for a while that online shopping would dominate the retail scene, millennials and Generation Z have surprisingly begun to show a preference for shopping in brick-and-mortar locations. 

Around 40% of consumers make purchases inside of physical stores at least once a week, with over half citing reasons such as not wanting to wait for delivery or wanting to see a product in-store before buying. Point-of-purchase (POP) displays have long been an essential marketing tool for brick and mortar stores. Customers want fresh, new experiences and the right POP display will help provide that.

POP Displays Provide Desired In-Store Experience

POP displays are meant to present consumers with something fresh, new, and exciting as they approach checkout. These displays enhance consumers' retail experiences while showcasing unique products. Marketers utilising POP displays have the option to issue calls-to-action and do a little bit of storytelling to get consumers familiar with and interested in their brands.

Aiming to get the best consumer reactions from your POP display should be item number one on a marketer or retailer's agenda. Fresh and enticing features, such as digital displays, should work effectively to capture consumer attention and allow retailers to make changes to displayed information quickly. When designing POP displays, consider incorporating the following:

Interactivity

Interactive displays that give consumers an experience in-store are fantastic ways to catch the attention of the consumer and nudge them toward the sales cycle. Examples include secure video game console displays or makeup testing options, which give consumers hands-on opportunities to interact with the product.

The option to touch, feel, or test products when applicable is paramount to purchasing decisions. Consumers are turning back to brick-and-mortar because they want to see the products they are considering in person.

Brand Identity

POP displays should give consumers a taste of the brand the product represents. Consumers in younger generations, especially, are looking to feel a connection with the products they buy—they want to feel good about the purchases they make.

By customising POP displays to showcase innovative design and marketing techniques, marketers can project the things they value, such as minimalism, eco-friendly practices, or social sustainability.

Personal Connections

Consumers seek out brands that they feel good about. They want to have a medium to connect with the world around them and the causes they care about when they make purchasing decisions. Through showcasing aspects of a business that highlight these things, a retailer or marketer can anticipate a positive consumer response.

Every Retailer Has Its Place


Retail marketing has seen a turbulent decade. Forecasts have shifted dramatically as retailers try to pin down trends in a volatile and disrupted market. With the rising popularity and efficiency of the internet, brick-and-mortar retailers feared what the future would bring. Luckily, older and younger generations alike seem to be heading in-store once again for many of their purchases, suggesting that brick-and-mortar and online retail can co-exist after all.

Interactive, fresh POP displays will remain a relevant and effective way to drive interest and sales from customers who come looking to get a taste of what they're buying before they part with their funds.