Point of Purchase, or POP, displays are materials used in stores and other retail locations to promote an item or brand. Commonly used to promote new products, POP displays draw the customer's attention to the product and entice them to try and hopefully buy it. POP displays are either custom-made or printed and range in size, shape and material to give companies the ability to create the perfect POP display that will boost the product's sales and visibility.

There are three types of basic POP displays: countertop, in-line and floor displays. Countertop displays are small units designed to sit on a counter or small surface. In-line displays are placed on store shelves. Floor displays can be place anywhere in the store and are the largest type of POP display. Review your companies needs and select an option from the list below.

1. Purchase countertop store displays to promote small items.

2. Use in-line store displays to draw costumers to your product.

3. Locate floor POP displays to help sell larger items.

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Try countertop store displays

Countertop POP displays are generally used for small items such as cosmetics or jewelry. These displays are placed on a store's table or counter to promote a specific item. These displays are often made of acrylic, plastic or cardboard.

I recommend: Purchase standard or custom point of purchase displays at Creative Displays Now. Browse through the many custom Point of Purchase displays available at the Elliott Group. Meridian Display & Merchandising is one of the leading Point of Purchase display manufacturers. They supply both custom and pre-designed POP displays.

Locate POP displays that create buzz on store shelves

In-line POP displays are created to draw attention to your product as it sits on store shelves. These units call out your product from other similar products available at the location and help boost sales as customers choose your product from the masses.

I recommend: Visit Lavi Industries to find Point of Purchase material for in-line POP displays. POP Displays USA carries many of the POP displays basics including custom in-line store displays.

Buy a Point of Purchase display stand

Floor displays stand alone and are able to display a large number of items at one time. These POP displays can be placed anywhere in the store and are portable. Floor displays are often made of plastic, cardboard or wire.

I recommend: Mark Novak and Associates is one of the leading Point of Purchase companies. They create customized, standing POP displays. Avante creates custom in-store displays. Find a variety of floor displays in varying sizes at CardboardDisplays.com.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When buying a standard or pre-designed POP display, compare the dimensions of your product with the dimensions of the display to ensure you have the best display to fit the product.

In-store advertising, such as point of purchase (POP) displays, accounts for 53 to 60 percent of consumer purchases, according to the Point of Purchase Advertising Institute. With numbers like those, it's a good idea for retailers and restaurateurs to ad POP displays to the advertising mix.

POP displays come in a wide range of styles — from lighted menu boards to ceiling danglers that guide customers through a retail shop. POP displays provide many benefits, including:

1. Helping customers make informed buying decisions
2. Encouraging impulse buys
3. Increasing sales
4. Creating a unified brand image in multiple locations

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Find display suppliers easily online

Some POP suppliers offer a wide range of displays; others specialize in one type of display. Finding the supplier that's right for you will depend largely on the type of POP display you want to create.

I recommend: Find POP display manufacturers at ThomasNet.com and POP designers at GriffinChaseOliver.com, KristofCreative.com and AdamsAdvertising.net. See what to look for in a POP supplier and how to choose the right one for your business at About.com and review the different POP options you have at DigitalOutput.net.

Restaurant displays

Restaurant display options — such as menu boards, table tents, counter displays and floor stands — can encourage customers to try new items, order add-ons or ask for specials.

I recommend: IDSMenus offers a wide range of products including menu boards, counter displays and floor stands. Chalk Menus are a creative and artistic way to display menu boards at walk-up counters in coffeehouses or cafés. Check out Koolprint.com for custom-imprinted table tents that you can use to advertise specials or add-ons.

Standalone displays for product manufacturers

If you're a product manufacturer, you can drive sales by providing standalone displays to retailers. This not only allows you to control the look of the display, but also creates continuity at various retailers.

I recommend: Displays2Go.com features thousands of POP displays, including floor stand poster frames, sign holders and banner stands. Display Smart designs and manufactures corrugated, custom-printed display towers.

Floor graphics

Adhesive vinyl floor graphics can help lead your customers through your store to the areas or items your want to highlight. Feature new products, sale items or specific brands with your floor graphics to drive sales.

I recommend: Fast Signs enables small business owners to utilize floor graphics with small runs at over 450 locations nationwide with rapid turnaround. Distinctive Designs offers directional signage that can be die-cut to custom shapes.

Shelf signage

When customers are looking at a shelf filled with different products, they're likely to pick up the one that's highlighted with a sign or tag. Whether you want to highlight a particular product that's on sale, new or improved, shelf signage can attract your customers' attention.

I recommend: Find shelf signage solutions at MerchandisingInventives.com and at MarcomAndPop.com.

Dynamic POP displays

Many retailers are discovering the power of electronic and digital POP displays. These displays run on software that can be updated quickly to provide instant coupons, targeted product information and more.

I recommend: For your dynamic POP display needs, visit WireSpring.com.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Ask neighboring restaurants to add a table tent to each table to offer customers a cross-promotion at your business.
• •  By using a local quick-print shop such as Fast Signs for point-of-purchase signage, you can add new promotions to your store frequently without breaking the bank.
• •  Before you start designing your store displays, walk through stores that make you feel comfortable and check out their signage and point-of-purchase displays.
• •  If you have more than one store or point-of-purchase in a store, make sure they have the same look and feel in order to create a unified brand.
• •  POP displays also used to be referred to as point-of-sale (POS), but POS has become the term more commonly used for computer hardware and software applications in a retail setting.

Making the most of POP displays increases sales and brand recognition. POP or point of purchase displays are used in retail stores and trade shows to draw attention to a product. Displays can advertise new products or promotions for a product. To make the most of a POP display, your company needs to understand what makes an effective POP display.

Making the most of POP displays requires knowledge of graphics, selling potential, options and features. Graphics are used to display logos, brand names and product information in an attractive way to entice customers. Maximize a product's selling potential involves the design, placement and material the POP display is made of. Added features and options improve a customer's opinion of the product or company that makes the product.

1. Utilize graphics on a POP display.

2. Maximize the selling potential of your POP display.

3. Discover the various features and options available for POP displays.

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Discover information about graphics created for a POP display

Graphics are an important piece of any display because they are the element the buyer sees first. Informative and attractive graphics help to increase customer interest and sales.

I recommend: Browse articles and read information about designing graphics for your point of purchase displays at POPDisplaysPlace.com. The site Come-and-Read.com provides articles that focus on tips for designing POP displays. Visit Adams Graphic Design & Advertising Agency to find different types of displays and tips for creating POP designs.

Design store displays that increase the product's selling potential

The POP display's design is a major factor in the success of not only the display but also the product it features. Learn new ways to improve old designs. This drastically improves the profitability of a POP display.

I recommend: Review information about designing POP displays at ArticlesBase.com. FASTSIGNS supplies information and tips for the best use of store displays. Visit EzineArticles.com for information about how to increase sales with successful POP display designs.

Find different options available for custom point-of-purchase displays

There are many point of purchase displays manufacturers and point of purchase companies who offer an array of options for a POP display. Explore all of your options until you find the company whose display brings your product the most bang for your buck.

I recommend: POPDisplaysPlace.com provides information about the use of electronics in POP displays. Visit CNET Networks to learn more about environmentally friendly point of purchase display manufacturers. Security Sales & Integration supplies a variety of display options and how to best use them to create successful in-store displays.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  POP displays are better suited to come industries and products than they are to others. For example, some displays help cosmetics products fly off the shelves while a display for motor oil in the same general department store may do little to boost sales.

POP displays, otherwise known as point-of-purchase displays, can hold, present, feature or advertise a product or selection of products. The goal of a POP display is to catch the consumer at the last part of the shopping process where he or she is about to purchase some items. POP displays are supposed to initiate spontaneous buying. When deciding on the type of POP display that would work for your establishment, it is necessary to fully educate yourself on the various POP display key terms so your final decision will meet your needs accordingly.

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Merchandising

A process of displaying a product, or selection of related products, in an appealing fashion. A well-merchandised product entices a customer into making a purchase. You can add banners and posters in conjunction with POP displays as part of your merchandising efforts.

I recommend: Displays2Go offers a diverse selection of POP displays set up for many levels of merchandising.

Promotion

When a product or selection of products is spotlighted so that customers are drawn to it or them. POP displays are a very successful tools to use as part of any promotion.

I recommend: KnowThis offers information on the benefits of POP displays when promotion is the goal.

Freestanding POP displays

These are POP displays that stand alone on the floor of the sales room. They are used in locations with ample space, and they themselves provide a generous amount of space for displaying product.

I recommend: Meridian Display features a number of freestanding displays and explains how they are beneficial for increasing point-of-purchase sales.

Countertop or table toppers

These are POP displays that sit on a counter at the customer's eye level. POP displays located on counters or table tops are usually an option for retail locations that lack the space. Additionally, they are a great tool as a last effort for making a sale, no matter what the size of the establishment.

I recommend: Bull Display Products offers a selection of counter-top POP displays that range in size and complexity.

Store environment, or sales environment

This refers to a store layout. This is important to determine when deciding where POP displays should be situated, as you want to place them in areas where they will be most effective.

I recommend: POP Displays USA provides a variety of store environment examples that's a great jumping-off point for layout ideas.

Header

The most prominent part of the POP display that identifies the product or the manufacturer of the product.

I recommend: Phillips Enterprises sells a POP display with an arched header.