For retailers looking to power up their point of sale, there was no better place to be than the latest Health Stores UK Shop Talk session, this time hosted by Dave Christie of Take on Goliath.

Dave started with some defintions – and an explanation of the difference between point of sale (POS) and point of purchase (POP). The object of point of sale, he said, was all about attracting the sale itself – literally at the point of sale (whether at the shelf or the till area). Point of purchase, meanwhile, refers to wider aspects of the store experience. It might include some generic advertising, or simply “planting little seeds in the customer’s mind”. 

While they are slightly different, POS and POP do share something in common. They are both about managing the customer journey around your store. 

“You’ve done the bit where you attract your customer into the store. But now they are through the door, the story continues. The question to ask yourself, is where do you want that journey to continue? What do you want your customer to see? That’s when you start to think about where you position your best products. And that will be always be at the back and the right of your store, because people almost always turn left when they come through the door. So you need to guide customers around the store to reach the area where your best-selling product ranges are located. But you should also consider what you want them to see when they’re on that journey. These are all things where effective POS can be hugely helpful.” 

When POS is implemented effectively it can lead to a sales boost of up to 30%. So, getting your POS right – strong messaging, striking visuals, carefully thought out positioning – will pay dividends. 

Tips from the session included: 

• Ask what value your POS material will offer your customer (and your business)
• Don’t overcrowd with POS material, or nothing will stand out
• Use POS to highlight products that deliver a healthy margin 
• Use POS to highlight products that offer prospects for a repeat purchase
• If you are short on your own ideas, borrow some from the multiples (they employ the best marketers in the world, after all!)
• Create a programme of themes to build your POS around, perhaps seasonal, or topic based
• Consider ‘staff pick’ cards or labels, which offer risk-averse consumers reassurance and lower barriers to purchase
• Try ‘secondary site’ messaging that points customers to complementary products elsewhere in your store (helping you sell product ‘bundles’)

Health Stores UK members can view the full session at www.healthstores.uk (click the Members’ Area button and go to Videos)