POS Marketing Remains Vital in an Omni-Channel Retail Universe

 

A comment from the business development director of a large southern beer distributor caught our attention recently.  In discussing POS marketing, this person said, “It’s just not as important as it used to be. People are walking through stores with their noses stuck to their phones. No one is looking at the neon sign in the beer department or the printed POS in the front window.”

The comment got us thinking:  Where does traditional POS marketing stand in today’s world of cell phones, ecommerce, click and pick programs, DTC offerings and the like?

We received an answer by reviewing recent digital materials shared by a major supplier with their distributor network. In the communication, the supplier stressed the importance of POS marketing and encouraged (demanded?) distributor sales reps to attend a training session the supplier was giving on the subject.

In the digital announcement, the supplier talks about the importance of distributor sales reps being able to activate POS so it has “the maximum effect in the retail environment.” They mention the principles of POS marketing and its impact on the “shopper journey.” And they state that distributor reps will walk away with a more thorough understanding of the role POS marketing plays in the in-store path to purchase, shopper behavior and purchase intent.

 

In a nutshell, the supplier sees POS marketing as critical to their sales success.

 

And it is. According to studies performed by the Point of Purchase Association International, customers, today, are making up to 82% of their buying decisions in-store. What’s more, the studies showed that 62% of shoppers picked up items on impulse during their shopping trip. Signage and other marketing tools at the point of purchase play a vital role in these spur of the moment decisions.

 

If your team is struggling with properly managing and leveraging your POS marketing programs – so they can most effectively drive your sales – or, if POS management just hasn’t been on your radar screen before now, we can help. Our POS management software tools, SignTrak® and PermaTrak®, have enabled leading beverage distributors to better leverage their retail marketing programs for improved market share and take control of their POS initiatives. This saves them time and money, and allows their sales teams to focus on what matters most: selling more product.

 

Please reach out if you’d like to chat.