A point-of-sale display (POS) is a specialized form of sales promotion that is found near, on, or next to a checkout counter (the “point of sale“) and the previous conveyor belt. They are intended to draw the customers’ attraction to products, which may be new products, or on special offer, and are also used to promote special events, e.g. seasonal or holiday-time sales. POS displays can include shelf edging, dummy packs, display packs, display stands, mobiles, posters, and banners. POS can also refer to systems used to record transactions between the customer and the commerce.

 

Usually, in smaller retail outlets, POS displays are supplied by the manufacturer of the products, and also sited, restocked and maintained by one of their regular salespersons. However, this is less common in large supermarkets as they can control the activities of their suppliers due to their large purchasing power, and prefer to use their own material designed to be consistent with their corporate theming and store layout.^[2]

Common items that may appear in POS displays year-round are batteries, soft drinks, candy, chewing gum, magazines, comics,tobacco, and writable CDs and DVDs. These displays are also useful in outlets with limited floor space, as there tends to be much wasted space around counters.

The displays are normally covered with branding for the product they are trying to sell, and are made out of cardboard orfoamboard, and/or a covering over a plastic or Perspex/Plexiglass stand, all intended to be easily replaceable and disposable. This allows designers to make full use of color and printing to make the display visually appealing. Some displays are fixed or non-disposable; these may include lighting to make the display more visible and may also contain a cooler, e.g. for drinks or ice cream. Some are no more than a metal basket, with no design on the outside, simply showing a price; these types of display are easier to refill.