For years I have been taking companies on “field trips” to retail stores to give them a full overview of what graphics (P.O.P. displays) are used in retail and how they are installed. What always amazes me is how many of these companies that design the in-store, or the printing companies that make the graphics, do not think about how they will be installed. I am sure many of you have been to a fast food location and seen graphics up with bubbles, crooked, or just done wrong, and you wonder, “What were they thinking?”

Allow me to give you my solutions to the installation of P.O.P. graphics. Most of the success in retail graphics is the planning! Yes, planning is the key to success as you will find that most retail employees cannot install graphics.

Here are my favorite P.O.P. pieces to make the installation go smoothly, and in most cases, the store staff can do the actual installation.

WINDOW GRAPHICS

Clearly this is the most difficult of the installations because glass has no forgiveness and you can see the mistakes from both sides. If you are planning on sending adhesive-backed graphics to the store location, I would first suggest you use the temp/perm window adhesive that many suppliers offer. This product has a permanent adhesive on one side (most of the time with the clear release liner) and a removable adhesive on the other side (in most cases a blue release liner) that remains on until you are ready to install the graphic. Laminate this adhesive (permanent side toward the face of your graphic). The next choice for adhesive-backed window graphics is clear/translucent, which is very difficult to install. I recommend professional installers do this work. If not, you should send a squeegee along and tell them to use Windex on the graphic and glass first, then install, as the wet Windex will allow the graphic to be moved around before squeegee down to the glass.

My first choices for window displays is to use either the Gotcha system from Rose Displays, or the Mercury system from FFR, both systems offer a snap-track that snaps down onto the graphics (paper, fabric, anything up to about 20 mil) and then you can attach clips to it to hang the graphics. They come in clear, white and black. Depending on the supplier, they come up to 10' long. This thin plastic snap strip now can be combined with decorative metal sleeves, and it turns your hanging system into a very expensive looking hanger or frame system. My favorite substrate for these applications is StopLight, a banner block-out material made by Crusade Paper. This is a truly light-blocking paper and perfect for window graphics. Next would be fabric, but only for single-sided applications. I use suction cups or double-backed tape to attach to the glass. You can use just about anything that is up to .020" thick, and for thicker materials these companies have many more choices. Anyone can do these installations!

ATTACHING GRAPHICS TO A VERTICAL SURFACE

Walls are the most common area to attach graphics. For a frame look, I use snap frames. Some companies make them up as you need them so you can get any size you like. They come in all different colors and are great for all thin materials to be mounted to a wall. This is very nice for quick changouts that the customers can do themselves. Because the snap-tracks are so universal, you can use them for the vertical surfaces also.

For when you want to add dimension to the wall graphic, try a SuperGrip from FFR. This is a flexible clear track that you can use to connect graphic boards together and then attach them to the wall for a triangle/square look. For a flag pole on the wall look, try FFR’s Insta-Flag system. This holds graphics at a 90 degree angle from the wall and allows for quick change-out.

Attaching graphics to shelves is so easy, and the choices are more than I can write about, but here are a few of the ones I use and like. Razz System, from FFR, is a great magnet system that works with most boards to hold the graphics up above the shelve rack. You slide the board into the track and then attach the magnet to the metal shelves. If not metal, then choose the other options. For more vertical displays on the shelve face, I like the Framed Aisle Violator from FFR, this has a frame that you can slide the graphics into for easy change-out.

Velcro is a very common product in our industry, but this will not come off the wall without leaving glue or taking part of the wall down.

CEILING GRAPHICS

Lots of choices here, but in general the same rules apply. You need something that attaches to the ceiling so that you can hang your graphics. The most common ceiling fixture is a suspended track ceiling; you can find ceiling hanging clips at Home Depot/Lowes in the ceiling department. For a much better list of choices, check out the catalogs that have magnets, adhesive hooks, track hooks, S-hooks, and much more. I like the ceiling hangers from Home Depot/Lowes as I know I can get these, they hold a lot of weight and are easy to install. From these hangers I use S-hooks (these come in different lengths) as they are stiff and are fixed lengths so I do not have to keep adjusting the length (if I was to use string or line for example).

From the hanging system, I again like the StopLight or the fabric. I use fabric in any installation where I think kids might jump up and hit the graphics or for all retail stores that are more upscale. Fabric is so much easier to ship, store, and install, plus it will take more abuse than paper or vinyl. The only issue is that fabric is in many cases more expensive to make due to finishing.

STAND-ALONE GRAPHICS

Graphics that need to stand on their own in retail stores are subject to being knocked over or broken. When I must use these, I choose ones that have large bases so as to try to keep them stable. In a few situations I used 3M VHB tape to hold the stands in place. Once you have chosen to use the stands the choices are significant—I like the ones that telescope both directions. What I find happens most of the time is that the graphics are always changing and at the last minute I am getting files for a display a few days from the install. If I get a fixed stand size, then I am stuck, but if I spend a little more money, I can give my clients what they need. Keep in mind the more I pay for stands the more I make!

I would be remiss if I did not discuss rollup stands—these are fine and very common but I like to use fabric in these as the fabric does not curl up, does not kink, and it takes more abuse than anything else I can find that works great in these stands.

POP MERCHANDISE DISPLAYS

Coroplast is the best for these, second would be cardboard. If you are using Coroplast then you know that in many cases you can make the displays yourself with a Coroplast blade or the SuperGrip system that will hold the display together. If you are going to get into the P.O.P. printing and manufacturing business you should get yourself the proper software to make these displays. A flat bed printer, a digital die cutter, the right software, and a good sales effort and you will be making money creating merchandise displays.

FLOOR GRAPHICS

This is one product that anyone can install. Clean the floor, peel back one edge of the graphics, install with a squeegee, and you have a floor graphic. If the graphic is large enough that it requires paneling, then do not overlap the seams, you must butt seam the graphic.

CARPET GRAPHICS

Very short term, but again, just about anyone can install carpet graphics. This vinyl works best on a short carpet.

Your ROI for this article is—do your homework, call companies such as Orbus, Tex Visions or Image One Impact that specialize in these products, get their catalog and take the time to learn how their systems work. Then make sure you ask the right questions from your clients, such as, “Who will be installing the new graphics?” You do not want your whole campaign going up in smoke because no one thought about the $9 per hour employee that had to install these graphics.

Good luck, be smart with your money, and I will see you on the show floor!