Shelf wobblers, pull-up stands, flyers and posters – there is a huge variety of point of sale (POS) material out there in the merchant sector from manufacturers and suppliers of all shapes and sizes, all with a different purpose.

And while too much POS at the trade counter may seem overbearing to you and your customers, it is important to remember the positive impact it can have for your business.

Take a moment to think about the last time you were standing in a queue at a supermarket: as you’re not particularly interested in staring blankly into space or at the customer in front of you, you glance around the till.

The display of sweets and chocolate bars instantly grabs your attention, so you pop one in your bag as a snack – oh, and that magazine on the counter looks interesting, so you pick it up and start reading that interesting story.

All in all, you may add only a couple of pounds to the cost of your basket, but multiply this by the thousands who visit the store and you can see the financial gains for both the supplier and the retailer.

It’s a matter of fact that capturing customer interest around the store, or at the counter with POS, will have a positive impact at the till.

As a manufacturer, we understand that merchants have much to consider when identifying which POS marketing is most suitable for them – including the particular products or lines it wants to highlight, the physical layout of the branches and the customers’ paths to the POS.

As a result it is important that manufacturers have a range of POS material available to suit the needs of the individual merchant or branch and work with branch managers to ensure the customer journey provides that uplift in sales.

At Dunlop we send our area sales managers to visit stores to recommend the most suitable display or materials and their placement for that branch’s requirements. No branch is the same, and manufacturers must understand that when designing their POS materials.

In conclusion, never discount the impact of POS in uplifting sales, but make sure you work with your suppliers to get the greatest impact.

Debi Boulton is sales and marketing manager at Dunlop Adhesives.