Point-of-sale signage will play a crucial role in enticing customers back in
Shop ‘til you drop
In any shop, restaurant or public space, point-of-sale (POS) signage can be found adorning the walls, floors, ceilings, doors, and any other area they can be installed on.
The reason being that this form of signage comes in many shapes and sizes and is a crucial element of driving sales and bringing in customers. From hanging signs, menu boards, posters, window and floor graphics, A-boards, and wall displays, this signage can be utilised in many ways and can serve a number of purposes.
In a restaurant, POS signage is used to promote changing deals and offers, daily specials, and promotions. In retail environments, signage is used to entice shoppers into the store with the latest products and sales.
O Factoid: The Covid-19 pandemic saw YPP lose £1.8m in event and exhibition sales O
As the world eases back into normal life with shops and restaurants open again in the UK, businesses will no doubt be working hard to boost sales after a turbulent year which saw well-known retail names such as Debenhams shut up shop. Because of this, POS has never been more important and in this feature, we look at the tools and skills needed to break into this area of the market.
Wise investments
Impact Retail produces retail displays for brands around the world. The team of 76, which includes designers and project managers, work together to produce striking visual displays for the retail industry.
Having spent years outsourcing its digital print work, Impact Retail made the decision to invest in a Fujifilm Onset X1 in March last year. The firm became a BETA test site for the new automated Onset X1 HS solution and after two months of testing, became the first company in the world to invest in the Onset X1 HS.
The decision to bring the printing process in-house came from a desire to have more control over quality and lead times. Westley Allen, print manager at Impact Retail explains: “We could immediately see that the Onset X1 could deliver on the print quality front and it certainly ticked the speed box too.
Westley Allen, print manager of Impact Retail
“This was by far the biggest CapEx we’d ever undertaken as a business – so it was not a decision we took lightly, but the speed and quality were of such a high standard that we were confident it was a good strategic long-term investment.”
Having tested the Onset X1 HS solution, it was the machines’ ability to automatically unload substrates, reducing set up times and increasing versatility of media. “Combining the technology with the strategic change in working patterns, we have now doubled production capacity,” Allen says.
He adds: “This means we can now work with more clients, more brands and still provide the same exceptional service we pride ourselves on.”
Prior to the investment, the firm was printing to display as well as fluted boards for temporary displays. The installation has allowed Impact Retail to expand into more bespoke work, smaller volume production runs, and projects with faster turnaround times.
For Solutions Acrylic & Display, a key focus this year is to explore more growth opportunities and highlight the return of retail after Covid-19. The firm recently invested in a new ink series for its second-hand Arizona 550GT flatbed printer after experiencing supply problems with ink. The firm turned to QPS for advice and settled on the Nazdar 290 Series ink.
According to Adam White, marketing manager of the firm, the switch has resulted in an improvement in print quality with supply issues now “a thing of the past”. White says: “We have always found Nazdar inks to be exceptional. We’ve never had any problems using UV ink or eco-solvent from Nazdar, and we can always rely on their inks for quality results.
We have won a lot of new work off the back of having our Arizona, and much of this has been down to the output we have been able to produce using the excellent Nazdar 920 Series inks”
“We have won a lot of new work off the back of having our Arizona, and much of this has been down to the output we have been able to produce using the excellent Nazdar 920 Series inks, all safe in the knowledge that if we have any issues, QPS are just a phone call away.”
Software for POS
POS printer manufacturer, Star Micronics has developed a portfolio which includes thermal and dot matrix printers and mechanisms designed for barcode, ticketing, receipts, and labelling. The firm has also developed technology for multimedia kiosk environments.
Star Micronics has most recently launched StarXpand SDK – a software development kit (SDK) for Star printer control and connection, targeted for applications using the React Native cross-platform framework – an open-source mobile application framework created by Facebook.
Describing the launch, the firm states: “Typically, mobile POS applications have been developed exclusively for each operating system such as iOS, Android and Windows.
Star Micronics has launched a software solution for POS printing
“However, cross-platform development which allows application programs to be developed with one set of source code, in a single programming language, for multiple operating systems is gaining ground.” The firm predicts this type of software solution will become a key part of application development due to lower overall development and maintenance costs.
Whilst the software currently targets React Native, it is scheduled to include other native and alternative cross-platform environments in future. Featuring a new StarIO10 framework, the SDK solution allows for asynchronous communication which lets print jobs run in parallel. According to Star, this reduces the risk of bugs, lowers implementation costs and improves code readability.
Simon Martin, director and general manager of Star Micronics comments: “Renowned for its market-leading comprehensive SDK’s, Star has developed an industry-first with its StarXpand SDK for React Native. As cross-platform development gains ground, Star is taking the lead with an SDK that helps reduce development time and maintenance costs associated with printer control and connection.”
Substrates are key
Plastics manufacturer Brett Martin is no stranger to POS signage as it manufactures a wide range of the substrates used to produce the signage such as acrylic, PVC, and polycarbonate. Duncan Smith, sales director at Brett Martin, says: “The main tools and skills that are required will revolve around thinking strategically and creatively when it comes to addressing customer needs.
“It’s important to understand their requirements and what type of POS will resonate with the end-user profile they want to engage with. Once this has been established, companies need to learn what materials are best utilised for the project at hand – for example, do they need to be lightweight? Will they be exposed to UV rays? Will an assortment of colours or glosses be required?”
Window graphics are an eye-catching form of POS, like this produced by Brett Martin
Smith explains that while the look and design of a POS sign is a big factor, understanding the substrate is key to being successful in the POS display market. “You will need to source good quality, cost effective, versatile materials that allow your creativity to meet the customer’s brief,” Smith says. He suggests forming a good relationship with a local supplier to ensure a fluid process.
For the perfect POS display, Smith recommends a substrate that is versatile and easy to clean without the threat of degradation. Being lightweight is also useful as it makes the signage easy to move around.
Smith continues: “We now have the added need of POS being as cost effective as possible as retail and hospitality businesses seek to recover after multiple lockdowns.
We now have the added need of POS being as cost effective as possible as retail and hospitality businesses seek to recover after multiple lockdowns”
“The material itself not only needs to be economical, but designers should consider the possibility of reusing different components of substrates in multiple designs.”
In terms of versatility, Smith favours traditional POS over its digital counterpart due to limitations such as where they can be placed. A digital screen cannot be used as a POS display stand for a product.
Community coming together
Your Print Partner (YPP) started out as a fabric printer and has since grown and diversified into a specialised large-format printer working across a number of sectors and supplying fabric and rigid media. As part of this growth, the firm added a 3.2m UV flatbed printer to expand into the signage markets.
Stuart Maclaren, group chief executive officer of YPP, says: “POS is an interesting market to enter as there are so many different options for customers and the volumes could also normally be on the larger side too.
The industry diversified during the pandemic to produce hygiene and safety signage
“We invested in several bits of equipment to help deliver a wide range of products and speeds. The biggest investment is to make sure you have a creative team that can come up with new and different ideas to help win the customer and make their brand stand out.”
From its large trade print facility and warehouse in Leicestershire, Very Displays designs and supplies indoor and outdoor display solutions. For Very Displays, the key to entering this market is having “a comprehensive range of solutions and a team that listen, understand, and use their expertise to give the user what they need”.
Andy Elliott, export sales at Very recommends banner stands as a cost effective, quick to produce and easy to install POS solution. Very Displays supplies a range of heights and widths, from A4 to 240cm wide depending on the need of the application. The firm also offers specialist freestanding and wall mountable signage sections designed for retail environments.
Demand for wide-format signage soared as businesses adhered to social distancing rules
“Don’t forget the outdoors,” Elliott says, adding: “Hospitality has been buoyant and there’s been a huge demand for café barriers, tents, flags and queue management solutions. We also have a range of hybrid display and sanitiser units that can be used to promote or encourage hygiene.”
Reflecting on the effect the pandemic has had on the POS market, Elliott remains hopeful that it has actually opened doors for the sector. He says: “Many businesses have been closed for some time and now they have reopened are looking to promote hard to recoup revenue, businesses are also freshening up their brands so lots of rebranding opportunities.
POS is more important than ever in driving sales as businesses are allowed to open again
“The businesses that have stayed open have been utilising our huge range of display solutions, queue management and health and safety options that include display sanitiser stations.”
For YPP, the pandemic affected different areas of business. One sector in particular was the event and exhibitions market which the firm experienced a drop of over £1.8m in. However, while the POS market took a hit, the pandemic also demonstrated how innovative the industry is.
Maclaren explains: “Without doubt I have seen so many print and exhibition companies change the day-to-day work they have been doing to help and keep their business open. We saw so many companies helping to build pop-up hospitals through to all the safety signage and hygiene dispensers.
“The industry jumped in to help with the demand from medical, using equipment to make face shields, masks and not forgetting the amazing work from seamstresses with the scrub challenge. It’s been a shame that some have gone in the process but more than ever it’s a time for print to stand up and be proud of what they created to help combat the Covid-19 pandemic.”
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