Editorial Comments: Stew Gershbaum is one of Specialty Store Services outside sales reps. In this entry he is discussing Point of Purchase, also known as P.O.P displays.
Our background in POP displays goes back many years when one of the founders of our company (Mal Finke) was a pioneer in retailing with one of the first big-box style discount chains in the midwest. The innovative merchandising style he created in the late 50s in these stores were a real trend setter.
We have a wide variety of merchandising systems or P.O.P displays that are truly beneficial to our clients as very often they can be created from in-stock components. The custom portion of the display really comes from the artwork! Large colorful dome signage, vertical signs, informative shelf talkers are all what drives the consumer to the merchandise. And that is what the STAR of the fixture is.
I think sometime people get caught up in over-designing a fixture and overwhelming the product. When you analyze the product lines and merchandising, I’ll think you’ll agree an awful lot of time and money is spent on incredible packaging.
Effective graphics and signage will draw the consumer to the fixture but the packaging is the clincher. Our modular wire displays can be outfitted with a tremendous assortment of retail store shelving and/or peg hooks to merchandise any products our clients wish to showcase. Most can be outfitted with h/d locking casters so the fixture location can change periodically in the store. I believe stores need to change fixture locations often to keep the consumer interested.
Getting back to POP Displays. We recently rolled out a new exciting process that allows us to PRINT full color graphics on 4′ X 8′ slat wall, Masonite. plywood,etc. This is actually a printing process not a label that sticks. It creates the most vibrant colors imaginable.
We’re currently working with two major suppliers in the adult industry to create an 8′ X 8′ area in stores using this process on slat wall to display their products. If you’d like to see a sample of this process I can send you some. Our Perf-fect perforated metal display system lends itself to exciting high-tech POP displays. Decor panels, 8 varieties of shelves, etc in a heavy duty modular platform that allows us to use magnetic base shelf talkers and signage is beginning to take off in the adult industry.
To summarize I feel that fixtures don’t have to be elaborate. The fixture should be simple and basic. The excitement comes from the signage and graphics and of course the product. The consumer will be drawn to the display. Its our job to be sure he has easy access to the merchandise in a clean and safe environment.
