As technology improves and more 
 substrates enter the market, retail and point-of-purchase displays are getting new looks. More customizable options are now available, and a wider range of materials can create the high-end look that many retailers crave. With magnetic materials and LED backlit boxes, installation is a snap, and labor costs are affordable. No matter what look you’re hoping for, there’s likely a product out there to create that perfect retail or P.O.P. display. 

 

Verizon wanted to promote new product launches in its retail stores in a way that demanded attention but was also easy to install and remove when campaign cycles changed. This display uses the Visual Magnetics Graphics System with the new VM-Canvas 22 digitally printable 100 percent cotton wallcovering. (Photo courtesy of Alan Roseman)

Floor graphics also are an effective way to deploy retail signage. (Photo courtesy of 3M)

RETAIL DISPLAY TRENDS

Traditionally, retail and P.O.P. displays have been built from various rigid substrates, such as foam board. While that is still the case today, many retail and P.O.P. displays are getting a more unique look, says Steve Kloosterman, product management and marketing director for Advantage Sign Supply.

 

“They’re making these customized displays by actually digitally printing on printable substrates, and those substrates are then, in turn, cut on a cutter and converted into an actual display rack,” Kloosterman says. “They’re made to last a few months, and then they’re thrown away, and you do another campaign, or they do something completely different.”

 

This allows retailers to have more effective designs that are specifically catered to the displayed products, Kloosterman says. The look is fresher, and the end user has more creative direction when designing displays. 

 

“What’s changing now is that the display rack can be built around the products,” Kloosterman says. “There’s absolutely more flexibility. I think the brand managers and ad agencies believe that being able to refresh their displays more regularly is important, as opposed to the static displays that never change.”

 

Although much of the customization is being created based on new customer expectations, the advancing technology is what makes this new trend possible, Kloosterman says. With the increased speed and direct-to-substrate printing capability, more options are open to sign shops. 

 

“A lot of the customization is being driven by the capability of the equipment now,” Kloosterman says. “Flatbed printers are obviously having a big impact in that area, but I also think a lot of the substrate manufacturers have offered more choices in the substrates themselves and at a much lower cost.” 

 

Fabric is also a substrate that is growing in popularity for retail and P.O.P. displays, says Patrick Carrig, director of sales for Orbus Exhibit and Display Group. For a high-end look, fabric printing yields highly saturated, vivid colors that give retail and P.O.P. displays that extra pop. 

 

CEI produced an in-store fabric display for Nestlé, featuring the company’s Wonka brand Gummies cadies. (Photo courtesy Orbus)

Specialty vinyls such as Arlon’s DPF 45WF window perf allow stores to turn any window or glass surface into a place for marketing messages or branding without blocking so much light that the windows stop being windows.

“Fabric just gives a different look than your traditional cardboard cutout,” Carrig says. “Some of the designs that you can make with the fabrics are more smooth and aesthetically appealing than your traditional cardboard display, which just gives you more straight edges. With fabric, you can get more curves and shapes.”

 

While fabric certainly has its benefits, Carrig says, it does tend to be more costly than other substrates. Because of this, fabric is typically used in semi-permanent environments, where there is a greater investment. 

 

“If a display is going to be in a store for a couple months or less, the retailer usually goes for your disposable displays, like recyclable cardboard,” Carrig says. “If we’re talking about something that will be on display for a year or more, then the retailer typically goes for a semi-permanent substrate, like fabric, which is more appealing for that kind of application.” 

 

 

Backlit boxes with LED edge lighting are also being used in retail and P.O.P. displays, Kloosterman says. Other light box illumination sources, such as fluorescents, have thick frames, ranging from two to three inches. From a design standpoint, this can be hard to incorporate; however, LED frames are typically less than one inch thick. 

 

Retail and P.O.P. displays often take on a more customized look for a stronger marketing message. (Photo courtesy of 3M)

Retailers are trying to use as much advertising space as possible to promote their messages. (Photo courtesy of 3M)

LED backlit light boxes also have a lifespan of 30,000-40,000 hours, meaning little maintenance is required, Kloosterman says. The power runs at 12 volts, rather than about 115 volts, he adds, which makes for an easier installation. 

 

“It makes for less intimidating wiring and options,” Kloosterman says. “You don’t need an electrician to hardwire these things into a wall. They can be plugged in just like your laptop computer.”

 

THE FUTURE OF RETAIL DISPLAYS

Moving forward, more digital components are likely to be incorporated into retail and P.O.P. displays, says Adam Larson, marketing supervisor for 3M. With electronic digital signage (EDS), the messaging can be modified more frequently, which allows the end user to target more audiences. Changing the messaging is cost efficient and takes just a few moments to refresh the content. 

 

“You’re seeing more digital, actual real-life video-moving graphics, something that can be much more interactive,” Larson says. “Everyone’s attention spans are becoming shorter and shorter, and if there’s an ability, at a good price, to get more and more messages, it makes sense for everybody.”

 

Digital signage also has the capability of allowing the end user to measure a message’s effectiveness, Larson adds. Some available software allows the end user to track sales based on the corresponding messaging time, and this allows its retail partners to know how its products are being effectively marketed. 

 

“If you happen to show an ad for ice cream every 30 seconds for a period of time and it just so happens that the few hours a day you do that you sell more ice cream, you can go back to that ice cream manufacturer and say, ‘Here’s your ROI on how you spent you advertising money with us.’ ”

 

Like many signage applications, electronic digital content will play a large role in the future of retail and P.O.P. displays. Given its flexibility, tracking capabilities and compact design, EDS can easily be incorporated into traditional retail and P.O.P. displays for a more impactful message.