Terminology explained: POP and POS
Most industries adopt language, terminology and anagrams to describe things, processes and ideas particular to that sector. If you are new to the industry this can be confusing and it becomes even more so when different sectors use the same terms with different meanings. For example, two common anagrams that crop up over multiple industries are POP and POS. You'll see these referred to in retail, marketing and graphics. Given this, what do the terms POP and POS mean?
Unpicking the terminology: retail and marketing
POP - Point of Purchase describes a space used in-store to promote products. These spaces can vary from BIG to small and can be anywhere throughout the store. In retail,
POP means the space and in marketing generally means the method used to deliver the message.
POS - Point of Sale in retail is the time and place where the sales transaction takes place. In marketing,
POS refers to promotions placed at the transaction place to encourage further or impulse sales. Want to throw in a little spice to the mix?
POS is also used in a technological sense to describe the hardware and software systems required for sales!
For really useful and comprehensive guides to retail and marketing terms, check out these websites:
http://www.retailertrainingservices.com/glossary-of-key-retail-and-retail-marketing-terms/
https://marketingexpert.cim.co.uk/glossary/
Unpicking the terminology: print and graphics
You should now be clear as to what the terms POP and POS mean in the retail and marketing sectors. Let's now look at the print and graphics sector. Here,
POP usually refers to the physical stand used to display the product.
POS describes the printed or digital material that tells the customer about the product being displayed or promoted - the sign, message, poster, etc. An easy way to distinguish between the two is to think of POP as 3D and POS as two-dimensional.
How do we use the term POS?
Throughout this website, you'll see us refer to POS multiple times. In all cases, POS and Point of Sale for us means the printed material used to promote products and attract sales. We don't supply the POS but we do have a fantastic range of POS holders and signage equipment. Everything you need to present your POS in an attractive and professional manner can be found throughout the site from simple
shelf edge POS holders to stylish
poster display stands.
