Visual merchandising: point-of-sale displays and price promotions

Just because a customer is waiting at the check-out area doesn't need to mean they've finished shopping. Impulse purchases can be encouraged by adding a point-of-sale display.

A point-of-sale display is a specialised form of sales promotion that is found near, on, or next to a checkout counter.

This can work well for low-value items or goods that customers might even expect to find stocked at the point of sale. For example, convenience retailers find that chewing gum and chocolates are key impulse purchases and greeting card retailers find stocking pens and gift tags by the till popular.

Think about small or complementary items which customers can forget about or can be used to up-sell or add value to their main purchases.

Price promotions to attract customers

Retailers can attract customers to their premises by using various pricing tactics.

One method, called 'loss leader', involves selling a product deliberately below its profit margin. These items are often on display at the entrance to a retail store to attract customers inside to purchase goods that are more profitable. 

Read more on different types of pricing tactics.