In the current economic climate does spending money on point of sale still drive sales?

There is no disputing the wow factor of an expensive point-of-sale display that is well thought out and designed to catch the eye and entice potential customers. It is important to be aware that getting your message across successfully needn’t involve spending huge amounts of money. At the same time, for many consumers disposable income is tight and they are looking to be reassured about value for money.

Simon Lindsell, director at point-of-sale firm FormKraft, says the company has noticed a definite trend emerging - he says its clients are moving away from things that could be perceived as extravagant and concentrating on more innovative use of point-of-sale material. “Not only can it be more effective, it doesn’t alienate customers, who, in the current economic climate, can resent major point-of-sale expenditure as they feel this is driving up the price of goods,” he says.

There are countless ways to make an impact with minimal expenditure. One example of more subtle point-of-sale material, he says, is to make full use of the one thing every customer takes out of a shop with their purchase - the receipt. “Printing a marketing message on the reverse of a till receipt isn’t new but maybe hasn’t really been used effectively to its maximum potential.” He goes on to explain that: “Vouchers that come with a receipt are often just thrown away by many people, but the actual receipt is a great opportunity for marketing.”