What is Stop-Rayon? (+14 Effective Point of Sale Marketing Ideas)

In today’s fast-paced retail landscape, businesses are constantly seeking innovative ways to captivate their customers and drive sales. This is where Stop-Rayon comes into play. It’s not just a buzzword; it’s a strategic approach to Point of Sale (POS) marketing that can revolutionize your business. In this article, we’ll delve into the essence of Stop-Rayon and explore 14 highly effective POS marketing ideas that can breathe new life into your sales strategy.

What does POSM mean?

POSM stands for Point of Sale Marketing, a type of marketing campaign that can be used effectively and impactfully to increase sales to customers and enhance their spending per visit in a retail environment.

When properly executed, a point of sale campaign can be used to create meaningful customer experiences, build brand awareness, and generate increased sales, all in a natural and non-intrusive manner.

Why is POSM used for promotions and campaigns in stores?
Creating a point of sale that resonates with your customers is a crucial strategy for marketing your business.

While POSM solutions are primarily employed in the retail sector, other industries are also incorporating POSM into their marketing expenditures, including the automotive market, horticulture market, and travel industry, to name just a few.

Implementing a successful POSM strategy relies on proper timing, effective design, and most importantly, consistency of the messaging used in the design with other marketing tactics.

How to make POSM effective?

Determine the type of messages you want to promote to your customers. Common messages include discount offers, new product promotions, and contests.

Combining your online strategy with discounts and promotions can benefit your brand when driving customers to the store. Maintaining a concise message throughout the customer journey is crucial if you want to convert them into long-term customers.

What’s the difference between a Point of Purchase (POP) and a Point of Sale (POSM)?

Essentially, both present products to the customer in a similar way. However, they have slight differences. The point of sale is an area in a store where the customer completes the final step of their purchase.

The checkout area is a key location where POSM is often found. It’s the last stage of the customer’s buying journey, and it’s the final point where you can offer a new promotion or a new product to try.

Using counter-top POSM can persuade customers to part with their money by making an additional purchase.

The point of purchase is a strategically chosen area for products as it’s a mandatory passage for customers, meaning they go through this point during their buying cycle.

Merchandise displays are highly visible at this spot, which is why placing promotions on new products is an excellent way to boost sales.

14 Effective POSM Marketing Ideas to Boost Sales

Here are 14 in-store and online POSM marketing ideas to drive sales:

1.Enhance Your Checkout Area with Displays

Place shelves or freestanding displays around your checkout counter to showcase small, inexpensive products. This will encourage customers to make purchases while they wait in line and promote impulse buying.
Impulse purchases can be an excellent way to boost sales, even more so in the current climate.

When stocking your impulse items, use products like snacks, small accessories, or other minor items that customers can add to their purchase without much thought. Another strategy is to display various items that customers might have forgotten, such as batteries, lighters, and nail clippers.

2.Incorporate Counter-Top Displays

In addition to your checkout zone, you can incorporate displays and capitalize on impulse buying at your own checkout counter.

If you don’t have a large counter space, avoid cluttering it by incorporating shelves under the counter to showcase products and inspire impulse purchases.

Create small displays that highlight items customers can easily add to their purchase or small products they might have forgotten to buy.

The counter-top POSM marketing strategy is particularly useful if you don’t have much space around your checkout counter for shelves. Displaying products on your counter is an excellent way to utilize product space without taking up additional room.

Another way to enhance your counter-top displays is by using signage. Spark your customers’ inspiration with signs indicating how to use your product or what it’s best suited for. If customers can envision how they might use your products, they’ll feel an even stronger subconscious urge to make an impulse purchase.

3.Create a Sampling Zone

Another way to enhance customer engagement and sales around your POSM is by creating a sampling or demonstration zone. Whether it’s tasting a new snack or showing customers how to use a featured product, a sampling zone is an excellent way to introduce new products to customers and boost your sales.
To start, you can either create your own samples and station or reach out to your supplier for samples and displays. Most of the time, suppliers are willing to send them for free, and they often include a temporary sampling station that you can use. Otherwise, a small folding table with a few signs should suffice.

Set up your sampling near the checkout area, but ensure it doesn’t cause overcrowding or disruption in the queue. This will allow you to capture customers who are about to make a purchase, stimulate impulse buying, and maintain order in your checkout zone.

4.Cross-Merchandise Complementary Products

When customers are in the checkout queue or about to pay, use POSM marketing to cross-merchandise complementary products. Cross-merchandising can save customers time, make their shopping experience easier and more convenient, remind them of a need, spark ideas, and boost your sales.

Cross-merchandising: The practice of displaying items from different product categories together to encourage customers to make multiple purchases.

For example, a grocery store can place pasta and cream near the checkout so that customers can easily add both items to their cart at the end of their shopping.

Or, a boutique can display scarves and hats near its POSM so that customers can find all the essential items for the cold season in one place. Placing items that are often sold together near your POSM is an excellent upselling strategy.

Cross-selling: A sales strategy in which you encourage buyers to purchase additional suggested products or services that are directly related to the initial item of interest.

To start, identify complementary items that make sense to be sold together. From these products, choose those that can easily fit at your checkout counter and are small and relatively inexpensive.

Remember that even with cross-merchandising on your POSM, the products you choose should belong to the “impulse” category, remain small, and be easy for customers to add to their purchases.

Promote these products on your POSM and don’t forget about directional signage – it can be particularly helpful in explaining your product associations and specifying how customers can use them together in their personal lives.

5.Use Compelling Calls to Action

Employ call-to-action signage around the products on your POSM to encourage buyers to make a purchase. For instance, wording like “try me,” “buy now,” or “take a look” prompts customers to take action in some way and serves as an excellent method to stimulate impulse buying.

Appel à l’action : Terme marketing désignant tout affichage destiné à susciter une réponse immédiate ou une vente.

Ensure that your call to action is straightforward and direct, yet bold and attention-grabbing. The message should be concise and friendly, starting with a strong verb like “buy” or “try” to prompt action.

Then, use other words like “yours,” “now,” and “discount” to make your message compelling and engaging. In terms of design, utilize vibrant fonts and colors to ensure your signage stands out, and position it at eye level for maximum visibility.

6.Display a QR Code at the Checkout

The checkout line is a prime location to use QR codes to engage customers with your brand and encourage them to make purchases while waiting in line. With a QR code, customers can use their phones to scan and directly access your website, social media pages, a survey, or even payments – it’s up to you what you want to show them.
Customers in line at the checkout have already established a connection with your brand, so if you offer them more engagement, they’re likely to be receptive. Place QR codes around your checkout area to boost engagement, promote online sales, and create an exciting and interactive customer experience.

7.Make Customer Service Available at the Checkout

Ensure that your customers can access assistance at the checkout or nearby. The location of your customer service is not only logical for most shoppers but will also contribute to ensuring that customers can make their purchases while having a positive experience.

Tip: Place brochures or displays containing frequently asked customer questions around your POSM. Include items such as your return policy, parking information, and ongoing promotions – anything you think your customers might need or want to know.

Depending on the space available, your customer service desk will either be part of your POSM station or located at a separate desk.

Equip your service area with an employee manual outlining company policies, its own POSM terminal (for order lookup and processing returns and refunds), and all supplies your associates might need to assist customers with returns, exchanges, or other product-related issues.

8.Attract Online Shoppers with Free Shipping

POSM marketing isn’t limited to brick-and-mortar stores; it’s also a crucial element in creating an effective online presence. When it comes to e-commerce websites, POSM marketing refers to all design and marketing efforts deployed around the shopping cart and checkout pages.
Similar to physical stores, effective POSM marketing can help drive impulse sales, upselling, and streamline your customers’ purchases.

Your shipping costs are a significant factor in customers’ decisions to make a purchase or not. You can get ahead and encourage people to buy by offering free shipping. The biggest consideration you’ll have to make is how much your business can afford to spend on shipping fees.

Generally, small businesses might not be able to offer free shipping as a standard policy. However, there are several ways to do so without sacrificing your bottom line.

• Minimum Purchase Requirement: You can offer free shipping once a customer reaches a certain purchase amount.
• Integrated Shipping Costs: You can provide free shipping for all orders by slightly increasing your prices to account for shipping fees.
• Limited Time: You can offer time-limited shipping promotions to encourage purchases during off-peak seasons or to stay competitive during peak times.
• Coupons: You can offer to exchange email or SMS information for free shipping codes.
• Membership: You can offer free shipping to customers with a membership or who pay fixed annual shipping fees.

One of the best places to promote your shipping offers is around your POSM. Display your shipping offers near the cart icon, when customers add items to their cart, when they are in their cart, and when they enter their information. This way, customers will be aware of your offers and benefits at the moment of their purchasing decision.

9.Suggest Complementary Products at Checkout

Another way to boost sales through POSM marketing is to incorporate product suggestions at checkout. Product recommendations involve suggesting similar or complementary products based on what customers are browsing or have added to their cart.
For example, if a customer has a pair of denim shorts in their cart, you can suggest matching tops and shoes that could turn this item into a complete outfit. Product suggestions are an excellent upselling strategy that facilitates customers’ shopping.

10.Display Recently Viewed Items

In addition to presenting online shoppers with product recommendations, you can remind them of items they have previously viewed as a POSM marketing technique.
Showing them products they’ve shown interest in is a great way to remind them of past items and encourage them to purchase – sometimes, a second reminder is all it takes. Moreover, displaying recently viewed items allows shoppers to easily navigate your site and find their favorite products.

Incorporate a “Recently Viewed Items” section at the bottom of your cart page. You could also consider using a “Quick Add” button on these products so customers can simply click without leaving their cart.

This way, you avoid adding a new item to the cart when customers are already on the checkout page and likely have completed their shopping.

11.Send Abandoned Cart Recovery Emails

On average, between 70% and 75% of online shopping carts are abandoned, meaning they were filled but the shopper left before completing the purchase.
Without any infrastructure to encourage customers to return to their carts, all these carts are simply a lost cause. However, if your website sends a series of emails reminding customers of what they left behind, you’re more likely to convert that abandonment into a sale.

12.Campaign for a Cause

Another way to enrich your customers’ experience and enhance your POSM marketing is to partner with communities and advertise them on the POSM page or counter. This lets customers know what your business stands for and how they can get involved. Moreover, aligning your business with a cause can even boost your sales.
Contact your local blood donation center, check out community Facebook pages, and speak with your community center to find out where you can engage.

However, the cause you choose will attract a certain clientele, so make sure to select groups and causes that align with your brand and how you want to represent your business.

When customers are at the checkout, they have already established a connection with your brand and are ready to become loyal customers. Therefore, it’s the perfect time to inform them about your reward, VIP, or loyalty programs.

Advertise your loyalty program on your POSM to attract customers when they are most engaged with your brand and convert them into loyal buyers.

In addition to retaining customers for future purchases, if you can offer a sign-up incentive, advertising your loyalty program on the POSM will also encourage buyers to complete their purchase or even buy more.

For example, a customer is about to buy a candle on your site, and a 15% discount coupon for loyalty program members appears on the table at checkout. Not only is the customer more likely to purchase the candle, but they’re also incentivized to make a larger purchase at that moment to maximize the coupon.

I suggest having a sign-up point on your cart page and checkout pages. I would also prompt customers to sign up on the order confirmation page. These three locations should make it easy for customers to find sign-up opportunities at any time and remind them of the opportunity just before they leave your site.

13.Incorporate Self-Service Kiosks

Another way to enhance your checkout process and strengthen your POSM marketing is to incorporate a self-service payment kiosk in your store. This device includes a digital screen, a barcode reader, and a packing area that customers can use to check out and complete their purchases.
Self-service checkout kiosks will not only add a touch of high technology to your store but will also help avoid lines, thereby improving your customers’ experience. They have also been shown to increase the value of tickets, which drives sales. The majority of customers even prefer self-service kiosks for their convenience.

14.Advertise Your Social Media Pages

Another POSM marketing technique you can use is to advertise your social media pages near or on your checkout counter. Add posters, QR codes, and flyers that promote your social media presence.
As mentioned earlier, shoppers waiting in line at your checkout have already connected with your brand and enjoy your products, so capitalize on this connection and seek to deepen it by offering a new engagement opportunity and a way to stay informed about your activities.

Use strong, action-oriented language on your social media display and do everything you can to make it easy for customers to find and follow you. You don’t want to create too many barriers, as that will discourage them.

You can even sweeten the deal by offering a promotion for those who follow your brand on social media, such as a 15% discount on a purchase for each new platform they follow.

Conclusion

In the ever-evolving world of retail, capturing customers’ attention and converting them into buyers is a constant challenge. Stop-Rayon provides a dynamic approach that taps into consumer psychology and drives sales at the point of purchase. By implementing these 14 effective Point of Sale marketing ideas, you can infuse innovation and excitement into your sales strategy, enhancing customer experiences and boosting your bottom line.

Remember, successful retailing isn’t just about offering great products—it’s about creating memorable shopping moments that resonate with your customers. Embrace the power of Stop-Rayon and watch your sales soar.

FAQs

How does Stop-Rayon differ from traditional marketing strategies?

Stop-Rayon focuses specifically on capturing customer attention at the point of sale, leveraging impulse purchases. Traditional marketing strategies encompass a wider range of tactics aimed at creating brand awareness and driving traffic to the store.

Is Stop-Rayon effective for online businesses?

Absolutely! While Stop-Rayon originated in brick-and-mortar stores, its principles can be applied to online businesses as well. Implementing eye-catching banners, limited-time offers, and personalized recommendations during the checkout process can mimic the Stop-Rayon effect online.

What types of businesses can benefit from Stop-Rayon?

Stop-Rayon can benefit various types of businesses, including retail stores, restaurants, cafes, and even service-based businesses. Any business that has a point of sale or checkout process can implement Stop-Rayon strategies to boost sales.

How can I measure the success of my Stop-Rayon campaigns?

Track key metrics such as sales volume, average transaction value, and conversion rates before and after implementing Stop-Rayon strategies. This will give you insights into the effectiveness of your campaigns.

Are there any potential drawbacks to Stop-Rayon?

While Stop-Rayon can be highly effective, it’s important to strike a balance between creating enticing displays and overwhelming customers. Cluttered displays or overly aggressive promotions can have a negative impact.

Can I combine Stop-Rayon with other marketing techniques?

Absolutely! Stop-Rayon can be integrated seamlessly with other marketing techniques, such as email marketing, social media promotions, and influencer collaborations, to create a holistic and powerful sales strategy.