News: Retail sees a sea change in POP displays

(BS 22/03/2006) Mumbai - Earlier, there were posters and danglers to attract shoppers in a supermarket. Today, with formats as varied as hypermarkets, discount stores and convenience stores dotting the Indian shopping landscape, marketers are going for innovation in their point of purchase (POP) displays.

General Mills, for its newly-launched biscuits and cream snack, Dip Trix, has opted for a multi-prong strategy for the POP display which ranges from specially designed foot dispensers to gravity dispensers to maximize visibility on the shelves.

Sujay Nanavati of Yellow Resources, who has done POP display units for brands like Parle and Doy Soaps other than General Mills said, “Today what is important is consumer interactivity.”

This becomes even more critical in the modern retail formats where there are a number of brands and products vying for the consumers attention.

Gayatri Yadav, marketing manager, General Mills said that they are looking at having about five-six point of interaction in all the modern format outlets to increase the visibility of the product as opposed to a traditional kirana store where a single point of contact is generally sufficient.

Innovation is clearly the key to attracting attention here, with Doy Care using a set of footprints pasted on the shop floor leading up to the rack where the soap is kept.

Proctor & Gamble, which set up a special display unit when it launched its new shampoo, feels that it is important for the POP display material to be focussed towards the shopper to drive brand recall.

“Good displays and shopper relevant messages can lead to significant increase in overall offtake,” said a P&G spokesperson.

This gains greater significance in either low involvement or impulse purchase categories where it then becomes the single biggest decision making factor for the consumer.

Yadav said,” In an impulse category, it is imperative for your brand to stand out in the clutter that you see in the traditional Indian retail market.”

Other common tools used lately include customised shelves and standalone display units which stock all the company’s brands.