April 23, 2025
Finding the right point-of-sale partner is key to effective retail expansion. Image credit: Communis VOX
By Lynne Laba
A marketing strategy must evolve along with a business.
As retailers expand, they often find their in-house marketing capabilities no longer cut it, so they will bring in an advertising agency to amplify their messaging.
However, a lot of retailers’ work and related costs are wasted when products at the point-of-sale (PoS) fail to engage the consumer. This is a marketing realm unto itself and having the right partner can make all the difference.
Building your own network of providers with local intelligence across regions is often untenable.
However, the right PoS partner will have highly experienced people and specific resources already in place. Little ramp up is required, troubleshooting is immediate and, as a result, PoS engagement is quicker and more powerful.
Whether you need a local partner or a global network, the following can help you find those that will best meet your needs.
Quality first
A PoS campaign needs to promote the proper messages.
For instance, if you want to punctuate your brand’s environmental stance, you do not want to be found using materials that are not recycled.
A display also needs to be able to do the job it is intended to do.
If you are selling rugged, dependable tools, but the weight of the products causes those costly displays to crash to the floor, you could lose money and reputation.
With this in mind, be sure that any PoS provider you use has set quality assurance (QA) processes in place, carried out by independent teams and not factory employees.
Approve all raw samples up front and follow up with display inspections after powder coating.
Some retailers outsource QA to proven providers who sign off on things such as samples and production processes. These mature providers can also back it all up all up with reporting that covers the entire process.
Lynne Laba
More than design
Seek out PoS partners that approach the display process much like an engineer, embracing potential problems and devising creative solutions to get around them.
The right ones will also take a realistic look at budget, dissect everything from ease of assembly to footprints, all with a goal of ensuring output and brand integrity.
Critical is getting assurances that displays will be at the store in time for kickoff.
What is more, PoS partners should have the clout to negotiate low freight costs. You also want them to offer insight to maximize the store environments and display appeal.
You need PoS partners with strong design, but it is equally important that they can resolve issues and get the most out of your budget.
Timing can be everything
When a PoS campaign is set to kick off, but displays are stuck on a freight train, investments in time and money get lost. Be sure your partner has the resources, suppliers and local understanding to ensure launch times are met.
Place particular emphasis on finding those with proven infrastructure in place, along with freight and logistics alternatives at the ready to meet deadlines regardless of the situation.
Furthermore, ask them to discuss past problems, such as unexpected shipping issues, and how these were successfully overcome.
Insist on reviewing timing and approval processes.
Also, gain insight into their display production to ensure you get exactly what was ordered, and not displays whose integrity has been jeopardized with the substitution of lower quality materials.
Follow the money
A strong PoS partner should be versed in related financial areas.
As an example, payment for services might have to be in local currency, requiring a global paymaster or local banking arrangements.
If handling this yourself, you will need to know tax and payment regulations in every country where you do business or set up a subsidiary to get around the high cost of bringing in PoS materials.
You will also need to understand critical payment practices as basic as how much to pay for work upfront versus on delivery.
With this in mind, the best choice could be to enlist a local customs broker. It will guide you through import processes, find ways to lower expenses and if material issues or shortages arise, it can arrange alternatives with locally sourced materials and manufacturing.
YOUR COMPANY wants to continue growing and PoS campaigns are essential to that end.
No matter where the next store location is, you will always do better with boots on the ground.
To keep pace, quickly troubleshoot and produce results, consider enlisting a PoS partner with local understanding, presence and resources. It may be the best way to keep that local motion going and drive expansion success.
Lynne Laba is head of U.S. for Communisis VOX, Chicago. Reach her at lynne.laba@voxsp.com.
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