Movement, light, and sound will play an important role

The development of POP is very closely linked to the packaging materials market. Any product packaging is the basic key to the creation of POSM, from which the final graphic design, the selection of materials for the production part, and the subsequent implementation at the point of sale are derived.

We can look at the packaging-to-POP connection from two basic perspectives. The first is that the product packaging remains unchanged for a long time and its identity is so strong that any major change would adversely affect it. It concerns mainly strong global brands. Consumers perceive such products only based on their colour or shape, without realizing this fact. In such a case, POSM must underline and correspond to these main product features. Although it seems to be very trivial for the development of the display, paradoxically, these projects belong among the most difficult ones.

In the second case, we have product packaging, usually, some limited editions or complete novelties, which bears the basic elements of the brand (e.g. logo), but there is at least one dominant element that will disturb the buyer (e.g. change in bottle shape, packaging color, font ). In the case of POSM, these projects are simpler to develop, because the target customer does not know the product before launching it into the market, so the creativity of the display can be much greater. On the other hand, these projects tend to be more demanding, because if the display is incorrectly applied, the novelty becomes established on the market more slowly, or even not at all.

Dynamic evolution

People say that packaging sells a product, but packaging with effective POP communication sells many times more. The development of POS has been and will always be given by the development of individual industries and the needs of buyers. These change every year, which causes a constant, dynamic evolution of POSM. What was unrealistic ten years ago is now completely automatic.

POSM follows current trends at a given time, place, and with a certain outlook for one to three years. In general, we tend to receive news from the West, but unfortunately with a delay of several years, so we are still lagging and we have a lot to catch up. However, this time can be eliminated if the company in the country is not afraid to make a breakthrough, which we have been trying to achieve in recent years. As soon as one company comes up with an innovative solution, “an avalanche” starts – everyone wants it. When everyone has it, which takes about a year or two, we actually stop perceiving it, we are oversaturated as shoppers and we overlook it. Then there comes another breakthrough and the situation repeats itself. It is, therefore, necessary to be constantly alert, to follow current trends, innovations, new technologies, but also the behavior and requirements of shoppers. However, there are still some restrictions on the side of chains that limit POSM. Without these restrictions, such as height, we would move the display to the world level in the Czech Republic.

Looking back, it all started with small simple POSM. Subsequently, it slowly switched to simple permanent solutions, and then the world discovered plastic. At a time when cardboard began to be used not only as a packaging material, but as a new material for building displays, a revolution took place, and so the era of permanent POSs was replaced by non-permanent POSs for a while. In the last three to five years, their market share was approximately 50 %.

The years 2018 and 2019 were a turning point for the combination of permanent and non-permanent materials of larger POSs. This step has proved very successful and will be a trend for the coming era. We will also return to permanent design displays enriched with new technologies that evoke emotions and trigger impulsive purchases. Movement, light, and sound will play an important role. However, these POSMs require thorough preparation and testing, so we need to plan campaigns, preferably a year in advance, and start developing immediately. Gradually, atypical cardboard displays and brandings of sections with navigation will be getting to the forefront.

Identical displays in a row

Despite the positive progress of the POSs, interest in simple unified pre-packaged displays (so-called boxed displays) will decline in the coming years. Their boom began three years ago. So the time is coming when they will cease to be effective – again, everyone has them. Companies may appeal to prices and inventory, but if you go to look at any chain, you will see one continuous line of these identical displays of different brands across all segments. In this line, the winner is the first one and the last one in the line, as the other displays are visible only from their front part. Their sides with the most important message are covered by other displays and the topper is hidden by arranged products. The conclusion is clear – completely ineffective POS. The saddest thing is that a similar situation occurs especially in the summer and in the three most popular feasts (Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s Day) when companies invest the most money of the year.

There are really many opportunities on the market, but we have to prepare thoroughly for each of them and, most importantly, do not be afraid to deviate from the standard just because others do not.

Eva Perglová, Dago