Point of Purchase Displays vs Point of Sale Displays: What’s the Difference?

POP or Point of Purchase refers to in-store areas where interaction between customers and products occur. It can be something like the shelf facings, promotional materials, or specialized Point of Purchase displays. POP is where a customer is considering buying a product. On the other hand, POS or Point of Purchase refers to interactions between customers and products in the area where the actual sale of products happens. These interactions occur near the checkout area in a retail store or the register. POS displays are found close to the checkout area.

POP Displays for Retail Stores

Retail stores have various sales strategies aimed at boosting sales of products. POP displays offer an intuitive way to place products directly into the path of shoppers in a retail store. Apart from the regular aisle shelf, you can add facings using these displays and shoppers will be more likely to select your products over those of competitors.

POP displays are designed for larger products or larger quantities of products. The products that feature in these displays are those already likely to be on the customers’ shopping list. They can also be used for temporary promotions and sales. In-store owners use POP displays to push different packaging options and raise brand awareness. The displays are versatile and ensure the mobility of the display.

POS Displays for Retail Stores

Retail stores use POS displays because they are placed in locations that almost guarantee the shoppers will see or encounter the product during their shopping since every shopper has to check out at the register or checkout counter. These displays are ideal for products that perhaps don’t appear on the shoppers’ shopping list. However, encountering the products can trigger a purchase.

POS displays work best for smaller products like bottled soft drinks, candy bars, and cosmetic products such as lip balms or even magazines, pens, and batteries. Brands may use the displays to push promotions. Point of Sale displays provoke impulse buys while also being able to raise brand awareness.

The Wrap Up

POP displays occupy floor spaces within a store, but they could also be found on walls and windows. They take the form of signs and are considered an ideal way to help brands raise awareness about new products, promotions, and specialty packaging, for example, a pack of six beverage bottles rather than a single bottle. When it comes to POS, they serve a similar purpose to POP – to draw the attention of shoppers to your product. Think of the magazine racks you find next to the counter or the confectionery displays that you pass by while completing your purchase at the cashier.

When deciding on what designs to use for your Point of Purchase display, you need to look at the branding, communication, color themes, location, and space. With corrugated POP displays, they are sturdy and can be customized to feature the design elements you want depending on the audience you are targeting and the products you are promoting or selling. An important thing to mention here is that you should make the design unique so that it stands out.