From Amazon to Zara, the rapid global growth of omni-channel retailing has forced increased in-store competition between competing brands. Nowhere is this clearer than in today’s widespread use of Point of Sale (POS) displays, also known as Point of Purchase (POP).
Take a look around any large store today and you’ll see POS displays promoting fast moving consumer goods’ brands. Research from the Alliance Center for Global Research and Development showed that 74% of all purchase decisions are still made in-store, as opposed to a calculated decision before entering. As competition heats up, brands are seeking innovative and attractive ways to present their goods to capture the imagination and eye of the consumer.
Once exclusive to wealthier brands, elaborate product displays have become more accessible through technological development, process efficiencies and a streamlined supply chain. Interestingly, retail has historically found fundamental memory-based decisions to be one of the prime motivators in purchase decisions. Visual stimuli plays an increasingly impactful role in affecting consumer behavior over existing brand equity. In essence, as competition grows fiercer, customer brand loyalty decreases in favour of displays that capture attention!
This indicates a mistake that many brands can make – reducing point of sale displays to a passive medium. Great point of sale displays can make or break the retail opportunity. Impactful displays attract notice and interest, whereas simpler, more basic displays fade into the background both literally and figuratively. Not merely a promotional add-on, Point of Sale displays can form a central part of a wider marketing campaign, transmitting the brand messaging at the point the consumer is actually making the purchase decision.
To achieve this, however, there are certain elements that the display must incorporate to be effective. It must communicate the brand elements right out of the gate, clearly and plainly. In the retail environment, space often comes at a premium, which means that while elaborate displays can catch the eye, displays that are concise and clear can also win out.
Because effective POS displays present a positive benefit for on-the-ground sales, this puts greater perceived value behind wide-format printers that can meet the demands of effective stand-out displays.
One business that knows how to achieve POS excellence is Ability, specialist in flexography and large format digital printing based in Murcia, Spain. Ability produces unique, detailed and high-quality Point of Sale displays using its innovative Abiplex substrate. A versatile cardboard derived from cellulose, the lightweight and resilient Abiplex was developed especially for advertising and communication applications.
To meet rising demands for exceptional Point of Sale, Ability chose Esko as its software partner, citing the reliability and technology that perfectly met the growth that Ability was experiencing. ArtiosCAD, structural design software, enables fast and accurate rendering of 3D plans, allowing the structural and graphic designers to work together on one central platform to deliver display excellence.
Esko develops integrated software solutions that ultimately connect businesses with elevated process efficiency for real-time workflow gains. For businesses that have in-house CAD talent, ArtiosCAD offers superior visual design functionality. Designed to boost productivity for designers, ArtiosCAD boasts dedicated 2D and 3D drafting tools that makes creating detailed CAD plans for POS simple and accurate. With a closed-loop workflow between CAD data and Adobe Illustrator, the software ensures that communication between structural and graphic designers is error free and doesn’t require file conversions.
Ability has previously invested in hardware and software solutions from Esko, including a Kongsberg C64 digital finishing table with feeder, enabling continuous production across a wide variety of substrates. The Kongsberg C series is the first multifunction super-wide digital finisher for signage, display and packaging applications, and forms a core of versatility, precision and productivity in the print supply chain.
As businesses continue to invest in impactful and thoughtful Point of Sale displays, the requirement for wide-format print process efficiency only increases. To find out more about how Esko software can help digitize, automate and simplify print workflows, contact us today.