1-866-244-2214When you’re setting up an endcap or power wing display at the front of your store, you might not think that there is much to worry about other than constructing it and placing the items to be displayed on the shelves or hooks of the unit. But according to Point of Purchase Advertising International (POPAI), there are several suggested implementation strategies that retailers and vendors often do not actually comply with. Not only do these strategies ensure a safe and organized point-of-purchase space, but they also positively impact the customer experience (and sales figures) if you heed them carefully.
What is Endcap Compliance?
When it comes to endcaps, there are many compliance issues, which often depend on the type of display and other factors, that you should be concerned about. POPAI reports that only 41% of stores from recent audits (which included 5,643 stores across Food, Dollar, Drug, and Mass retail markets) had properly executed their planned displays along Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) guidelines. They also found that 17% of stores audited had put together displays for secondary placement of various products in a drastically different way than the original plan. All in all, some of the more surprising stats broke down as follows:
- 42% of stores were not compliant
- 41% of stores had properly executed the planned promotional display program
- 17% of stores had executed their secondary displays so differently that it didn’t fit into any category
How to Make Sure You’re Complying
Whether you’re a vendor or retailer, you should know that your endcaps and power wing display units matter just as much as (if not more than) the primary displays where merchandise is held throughout the store. Many customers will make unplanned purchases based on things they see on endcaps and near the point-of-purchase area, but if the displays aren’t put together correctly, this might not happen.
Here are some tips to make sure you’re complying:
- Remember that most stores are below industry standards
- Realize that display setup compliance can achieve real returns on investment
- Consider how endcaps and other displays fit into the store plan
- Read plan instructions carefully before executing set-up
- Work with a reliable team and see how easy it is to achieve compliance
Like any other initiative in your business plan, it’s also a good idea to develop a set of strategies that can be verified and published so everyone working on display setup can read and understand what is expected of them. The goal should not only be to simply avoid non-compliance, but rather to create a more positive retail experience for customers and ultimately boost sales. These compliance standards are set up for a reason, and simply ignoring them will only hurt your organization’s goals in the end. And when you hurt the goals of your organization, you also hurt yourself. But don’t worry too much if you’re suddenly realizing that you’re not in compliance – many retailers fail to achieve full compliance, so you’re not alone. Your team has the power to be different, though, and once you start, there’s a good chance you’ll see it isn’t even that difficult.
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