Point-of-sale advertising

Point-of-sale advertising means putting promotional displays and adverts right where a customer pays, around the till or checkout area. The customer has usually already decided to buy something from the shop, so a display at the last moment can persuade them to add one more item to their basket.

Displays usually hold small, low-priced add-on items, such as a phone case beside the till in a phone accessories shop, or they hold stock a retailer wants to clear at a reduced price. Customers standing still in a queue have time to look at what is in front of them.

Why it works

• It grabs attention while people queue: waiting customers have little else to do, so they read the display.
• It increases sales of selected items: a product moved to the till can sell far more than it did on a shelf, with no change to its price.
• It helps a retailer display and sell products: a small counter stand can promote lines that would otherwise be overlooked.

For example, a garden centre with a stand of seed packets and small trowels next to its till might add a few pounds to hundreds of baskets each week.

Limitations

• Unnecessary purchases: customers may buy on impulse and later regret it, which can give them a negative feeling about the shop, and a counter crowded with displays looks cluttered.
• Cost: stands, printed signs and shelving must be designed and bought, and staff must spend time restocking them.
• Limited space: there is only so much room around a till, so just a few products can be promoted, and packing in too much slows the queue down.

Online checkouts

Online shops use similar techniques just before checkout. A basket page might show a row of suggested add-ons — a cycling shop offering lights or an inner tube — or a message saying delivery is free once you spend a little more. This reaches every customer rather than those in one store, although it is easy to scroll past.