The big decision

When you go into a shop and choose a bar of chocolate, the decision about which bar to buy may be predominantly the result of whim. Of course, that whim is influenced by a number of factors – the brand being at eye level, recent heavy promotion or a money-off coupon – but the investment made in the buying decision is very low.

But what happens when people are making decisions about items that carry a larger price tag? Is whim so easily influenced when the purchase requires a substantial financial commitment?

There are great variations in the amount of in-store decision making that applies to expensive products. At the top of the range of buying decisions come cars; the decision in favour of a particular model will have been made long before the prospective customer approaches the showroom, and the showroom itself will be selling only one marque. The aim here is to reinforce the decision to buy and allay any doubts or suspicions customers may have about the brand.

Karen George, marketing manager at Marketplace Design, which implemented the designs for car maker Daewoo’s UK showrooms, says the retail environment has to reflect the brand messages being conveyed in other forms of marketing.

“The aim with Daewoo was to create peace of mind for the one-stop shop, where the cars are sold direct to the public rather than through dealers,” she says. “We had to convey lots of information on boards and graphics, which customers could browse through, as well as having selected areas for special promotions. The sales staff were kept to the back instead of hovering at the front, intimidating customers.”

While few people of average means would buy a car because they spotted a stunning window display while strolling along the high street, there is no harm in letting people know that you are there in preparation for the day when they do want one.

Point-of-sale firm The Bannerman Group recently produced showroom banners for Kawasaki, which could be hung from the windows or walls of shops. They were strong, brightly coloured and five-foot high to convey a simple, clear message. They were also designed to be adaptable enough to fit into exclusive Kawasaki dealers as well as multi-franchise showrooms.

At the other end of the scale from cars, there are some items on which people will spend hundreds of pounds without having made any brand decisions before they enter the store. It is then vital to create the right environment to attract purchasers to your brand.

One of the least badge-conscious sectors is the market for carpets. POP specialist Oakley Young 4th Dimension has recently carried out work for Carpets International, where the main aim was to create a display distinctive enough to draw prospective customers away from rivals and towards its Kosset brand.

Business development director Richard Ash explains: “Carpet displays have traditionally been very angular with little to distinguish them. Our research showed that women, who are important choosers of carpets, preferred curves to angular displays, so we created a curved display system for use in showrooms. Not only did it stand out because it looked different from the other displays, but it had the different psychological aspect in that it appealed more to women.”

Somewhere between cars and carpets fall a whole range of products about which the buying decision may have been half made before the shopping trip begins, but consumers will still be open to persuasion in-store. This tranche includes most brown and white goods. Many customers may go into the shop knowing that they want a Hotpoint or a Sony, but just as many others may have a repertoire of potential brands they will consider buying.

In this case many others factors come into play. Aside from exercising their persuasive arts, designers of display systems for such products have practical aspects to consider.

“One of the most important concerns is safety,” says Ash. “You need good development engineers who understand the materials they are using. The unit must not topple over and the shelves must not sheer off.”

Obviously, concussing the customer or frazzling the fingers of five-year-olds is not the best way to endear shoppers to your brand.

NDI Display has created stands for British Gas, Zanussi and Tricity Bendix among others. Here too, safety comes first. “We created a large kitchen display for Tricity Bendix, showing all the products together,” says marketing manager Simon Ogle. NDI wanted to create an environment that was as realistic as possible so potential customers could imagine the product in their own homes. “We kept the lights working, but we took out all the dangerous bits, so little Johnny couldn’t hurt himself.”.

Oakley Young created the stands for Sony’s wide-screen format televisions, and safety was paramount. Meanwhile, distribution has also to be considered. “Units should be modular, so they can go out in flatpack form and you are not shipping a load of air around,” says Ash.

Units also need to be flexible. Ash explains: “A unit that is likely to stay in the shop for a long time must remain fresh. One of the best ways to do this is by using graphics. Units must also be adaptable so that the specific display can be changed.”

Bannerman recently undertook work on an in-store and window display system for store group Debenhams. Here the priority was flexibility. The timber-based modular system had to be adaptable for seasonal changes and product launches. Bannerman managing director Harry Claxton sees this as a growing trend within the market. “Lead times are getting shorter and design briefs are getting briefer,” he says. “Today, displays must be geared to respond to the fast-changing mood of the high street.”

When it comes to making displays more enticing, different rules apply according to what sort of store the product is in. For white goods, larger chain stores, such as Currys and Comet, tend to group products by price bracket, with models from different manufacturers competing for attention.

Mark Broadfield, account director for Hotpoint at sales promotion agency Impact FCA!, says a consistent message is very important here: “We have just completed a range of POS material for Hotpoint’s Ultima range of washing machines, dish washers and so on, which is being rolled out now. Everything from the price stickers to showcards and window banners is heavily branded to have the same message and visuals on all Hotpoint products throughout the store.”

Smaller independent retailers are more likely to group products by brand, so a large number of models from one manufacturer will be on show together, giving the display designer more scope to do something dramatic.

NDI created a display for British Gas to promote its range of tumble driers – a product not instantly associated with gas. “Products used to be unimaginatively stacked on top of each other,” says Ogle. “But we created a stand that carried four machines. One element was working and the others were for display only. We then added a rotating illuminated header to add impact.”

Display and promotion agencies expect little support from retail staff in terms of helping customers to make up their minds about a particular product purchase. One customer in research conducted for Hotpoint said she had little faith in a “kid who looks like his mother is still doing his washing giving me advice about which machine to buy”.

Broadfield says that, for the two-thirds of people who know the brand they want before they enter the shop, the main purpose of the point-of-sale material is to give them reassurance. “We have boards with the machines that highlight the key features of the product. Hotpoint machines will not be the cheapest in the shop, so we list five features unique to Hotpoint, such as after-sales service, that make the product a reliable purchase. Eye-catching stickers and bold prices also help.”

In the current retail climate, price is paramount for customers. Glamorous promotions tied up with third parties are rarely seen these days, partly thanks to Hoover, and partly because a cash discount will always be a better draw. “We did an offer giving away a 100 bathrobe, but it’s just a bathrobe,” says Broadfield. “Promotions don’t work as well as they used to. People want money it’s stronger than giving things away.”

Over in the world of carpets, value for money is also a bigger draw than a third-party promotion. Stephen Hancock, press officer for the UK branch of the point-of-sale trade association Popai, suggests that the best promotions are those that offer added value: “A free stain guarantee for 12 months will catch customers.”

Peter Humphrey, planning and development director of sales promotion agency Option One, agrees that the white and brown goods markets are more focused on price and financial terms than they were a few years ago. “It’s been a problem since the recession,” he says. “But it’s also partly because the retailers have taken over, just as they have in the grocery market. The power is concentrated in very few hands and the retailers are just competing against each other.”

Nigel Petty of POP agency Evans Petty has experienced the same attitude. “Retailers don’t care about which brands they sell only what price they can get.” But he argues that designers should not use this as an excuse for failing to exercise imagination: “You never see a fridge that has a continuous ice-making mechanism advertised with a backdrop of an Alpine scene, do you?”

Humphrey agrees: “It’s high time the brands started fighting again, and that would put us back on our creative mettle.”