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Effective POS is essential in a crowded, competitive market so we’ve selected some of the best displays for retailers to help drive your business in 2012.
from The Stocklists
ON DISPLAY
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Special feature
Stand and deliver Manufacturers compete for a piece of your sales floor There’s an “arms race’ in point-of-sale and manufacturers are wheeling out their big guns to win the battle of the high street to get the attention of retailers and consumers. Competition for floor space in retail stores has never been more intense and that’s good news for retailers. “There is a tremendous opportunity for retailers now to have great looking stores,” says Andrew Fry, head of leading POS manufacturers T&E Display Group. “Competition for retail space is intense and manufacturers are increasingly aggressive in securing their place in your store. “It’s something of an arms race and that’s good because the quality is improving rapidly, not just the quantity of POS. It doesn’t have to cost a fortune to look good in store,” says Andrew.
“There is a much stronger appetite for change than there used to be but they want units that not only help them sell, but help them sell better.”
Manufacturers are increasingly aware that independent retailers are the gatekeeper to sales growth and POS can make a major impact in the commitment to a brand or new range. But the costs to manufacturers are substantial so they can’t afford to get it wrong.
Larger and better quality graphics have become more dominant – again, manufacturers are spending hard-earned money on expensive room-set photography to inspire consumers and make ranges more distinctive amongst a wall full of sample racks.
“Retailers are getting more discerning and are very choosy about what’s on offer,” says Andrew Fry. “There is a much stronger appetite for change than there used to be but they want units that not only help them sell, but help them sell better – looking for those opportunities to trade up.”
In terms of materials, wood remains a popular choice – seen as implying a solid quality to the flooring samples – but there is a strong trend towards clean, sharp lines in white metal and some strong colours.
Manufacturers have invested heavily – units are not only expensive to make but they have high delivery costs across the UK. As this investment is being made in a tight market, manufacturers are increasingly savvy in monitoring the performance of POS so that they know which stores are worth the spend.
Sound, lights, action Key trends in modern POS centre around a modular approach – smaller, more flexible units which can be easily configured to dress any shape of store – and carry different types of ranges. Stores within stores and mini roomsets are popular – ‘retail theatre’ as it is called – but they need space.
POS technology has seen the growing use of video technology embedded into wall displays and lecterns but the systems get mixed responses from retailers who sometimes see them as a distraction. However, when there is an interesting story to tell such as Furlong’s Carefree video or Mohawk’s famous rhino, then screens have been well received. Electronic lighting is becoming more common with LEDs giving a strong, white light that is cheap to run and stays cool so avoiding any consumer safety issues. The feature is this month’s The Stocklists aims to show some of what’s on offer. The time is now to improve your store.
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FlooringNews
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Point-of-sale and merchandising
Ten tips for top-selling stores 1. Ensure a large mix of standard and niche products to reassure consumers they have plenty to choose from – even if they ultimately go for something safe.
6. Create different areas for different product types so that consumers are not confused by too much on offer in the same place.
2. Mix more expensive items with cheaper products so that the opportunity to trade up is always there – don’t place the high end products on their own or in an increasing price layout where they can be disregarded by customers.
7. Avoid an ‘industrial’ environment – too many stores are sheds with industrial roofs, lighting and ventilation on show. Use suspended ceilings, black paint and screens to hide the worst parts – the buying environment should be as domestic as possible.
3. Use your window – too often this is a neglected area but a good display reassures consumers that you’re a smart retailer. 4. Use your floor! Have the most popular of your higher margin products laid in sections of your floor. Consumers like to buy what they can see in a larger sample. 5. Keep literature racks full – empty displays look tired and complacent and consumers like to have material to take away – and you can clip your business card to it.
Wools of New Zealand Modern and flexible, the Laneve stand is exclusive to WNZ Premier Partners. An attractive stand alone island unit or a wall unit, the stand befits a range of carpets from Ulster, Brockway and Ryalux that are the cutting edge in sustainability, with every carpet traced back to the original farm.
8. Use soft furnishing, furniture items and flowers around the flooring displays to create a homely environment. 9. Avoid empty racks, dead bulbs and dark video screens. 10. Be careful about locating roll stock – very often it has a prominent position and lures consumers past the higher margin material. Consumers not only know it’s cheaper but the large area helps them visualise it in their own home which is more challenging with small samples.
Packexe® self-adhesive plastic films are formulated with unique adhesives designed for specific surfaces. Each film is colour coded for different surface types, providing the user with both product guidance and traceability. All distributors are supplied with our branded, eye-catching point of sale display stand. To become a distributor please contact us.
T 01943 603888 www.woolsnz.com T 01392 438191 www.packexe.co.uk
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Special feature
Lano Carpets stunning new display unit for Ultimo beautifully presents a high-end lifestyle collection for modern audiences. The new stand pushes forward with brand new lifestyle imagery that sets the Ultimo collection as a stylish and exclusive take on carpet for the home. Featuring up to 8 collections, including the introduction of Bamboo, three Lanoset stain-resistant qualities and a mixture of hardwearing branded polyamide and luxurious wool carpets, Ultimo now provides true opulence to suit any home.
adore The new adore touch stands display 14 decors in a smart vertical format that has minimum footprint and maximum impact. As part of the launch of the new product range, the stand graphics show attractive installations as well as a list of benefit points including the quick, easy installation with no underlay or glue required and the performance benefits of warmth, sound installation and easy care - finished off with the 25-year warranty logo! T 01675 433075 www.adoretouchfloors.com
T 00800 5266 5266 www.lano.com
Crown Carpets Each aspect of the Crown Floors stand is designed to capture the imagination of consumers. The premium offering, with an image in keeping with household labels, comprises 10 striking ranges that are all showcased on the single distinctively blue stand designed to stand out from the crowd. Ranging from 100% polypropylene easy clean twists and shag piles, through to quality wool and woolrich ranges in both pattern and plain styles, the Crown Floors POS has something for everyone. T 0800 0773301 www.crownfloors.co.uk
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FlooringNews
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Point-of-sale and merchandising Balterio The Balterio SIS display offers modularity and flexibility. It offers a choice of 7 units which can be put as stand-alone or merged/wall presentation, all starting from the same platform. The units are either 50cm or 100cm width, are fully in metal in 2 colors, light weighted and easy to assemble. The SIS display puts the product to the front so the consumer is invited to discover, touch and feel the laminate samples. For the first time in the laminate flooring industry, retailers have the possibility to compose themselves their personalised Balterio SIS display thanks to the Shop-in-Shop tool on the Balterio website: simply determine the lineair space available, drag & drop the different display units, select the collections and decors and send your configuration to Balterio. As simple as that! T +32 (0) 56 62 80 77 www.balterio.com
Ample samples? See also our survey on sampling. Let us know what you think - page 65.
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Special feature Georgian offers various display units - including tombola’s both single and double, a stylish pattern book stand and a flexible lectern unit which can accommodate up to 24 options from 18”x18” up to 18”x 24”. Recently introduced is a 3-sided spinner to accommodate their Wolltec collection. T 01827 831430 www.georgiancarpetsuk.co.uk
Axiom Displays In a relatively short period of time, Axiom has become a leading force for innovative displays for the flooring and carpet industry. The broad range of creative solutions from small budget displays units to complete retail interiors shows the scope and ability of Axiom. We are only interested in developing long-term relationships with our clients and some of them have been with us for over 30 years.
Crucial Trading Launched in 2011 our compact Design Pod is big on flexibility and impact. The Wool and Plant Fibre and Rugs Design Pods can be displayed side-by-side or back-to-back to suit your space. A clean contemporary design which displays our full product range along with mini rug samples and individual swatch books. T 01562 743 747 www.crucial-trading.com
T 0161 681 1371 www.axiom-displays.co.uk
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Point-of-sale and merchandising Lifestyle Floors Lifestyle Floors can transform your retail store with their flexible, contemporary, cost-effective display solution. You can choose from one module to a full Lifestyle Floors display. Lifestyle floors retailers benefit from a full merchandising service provided by a dedicated team. Your contribution for all the displays shown here is ÂŁ960, plus ÂŁ40 for the Value Collection display. For more information or to order a display please speak to your Lifestyle Floors sales representative. enquiries@lifestyle-floors.co.uk
www.lifestyle-floors.co.uk
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Special feature Weston Hammer This new design of in store display stand with clean lines and easy to manage sampling echoes the Scandinavian styling and attention to quality that Weston Hammer Carpets are known for. The collection includes 9 unique qualities using 100% Wool loop pile qualities, as well as an innovative flat weave collection in ‘Stone Fibre’ All these qualities are available in both 4.00m and 5.00m widths. This new stand is a useful addition to any quality retailers portfolio. T 0845 644 9090 www.weston-carpets.co.uk
Mohawk - Everstrand / American Legacy. Contributing to the recycling of over three billion plastic bottles every year, Mohawk’s EverStrand residential carpet collection has been given a brand new display that draws attention to its environmental prowess and stunning performance. The header of the stand features a clever plastic bottle filled with the various stages of EverStrand, charting the fibre’s progress from plastic bottle to chip, to extruded fibre and then to carpet. Clearly explaining the environmental benefits that separate EverStrand from other carpets, the tombola-style stand also details the Lifetime Stain, Soil and Pet Warranty as well as the fibre’s softer is better approach. Capped by striking lifestyle photography, the display is a clear statement that carpets from Mohawk are leading the way in environmental consideration and performance focus as well as being at the forefront of design and comfort.
Mohawk - Smartstrand The SmartStrand free-standing point of sale headlines perfectly all the benefits this newest of fibres has to bring to the UK homeowner. As a range that offers lifetime stain, soil and pet warranty, the stand takes interactivity with consumers to a new level with the use of an innovative video display. The video charts the challenge between SmartStrand carpet and Ricko the Rhino, and demonstrates the stain and performance attributes of the carpet collection in a unique and fun way. The video will help consumers to see just how good the real world performance of SmartStrand carpet is and will help the collection stands out in-store. T 01480 479830 www.themohawkgroup.com
T 01480 479830 www.themohawkgroup.com
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Point-of-sale and merchandising News 0161 681 1371 Design and manufacture of display units for your brand.
• • • • •
Creative design Outstanding value Exceptional quality Dependable full service Delivery & installation service
Axiom Displays Ltd Mersey Road North, Failsworth, Manchester M35 9LT. UK
E. info@axiom-displays.co.uk W. www.axiom-displays.co.uk
Cavalier It’s all about catching the eye! - and few manufacturers point of sale range does it better than the stunning Cavalier display system. Choose from contemporary ‘Slim-line’ wall unit modules, stylish lecterns and now a matching single ‘design a drum’ tombola where you can choose any combination of products. T 01254 268000 www.cavaliercarpets.co.uk
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