Your head is pounding; it’s been a long day. You run into the drugstore on your way home to get some aspirin. When you get to the counter to pay, vibrant orange catches your eye. The image on the candy display plays with your senses. Sight becomes smell as the rich chocolate image comes alive, and the memory of fragrant sweet chocolate and peanut butter dances in your mind. Your stomach growls in response. Maybe the headache is because of hunger, you reason. And in that split second, that candy bar becomes a need, not a want. And this, folks, is how corrugated counter displays work to drive sales.
If this scenario doesn’t sound too far from your reality, it’s because, according to a Slick Deals Survey, Americans impulsively spend on average $314 per month, with food among the top impulse purchases. Now, it would be misleading to say that in this scenario, the graphics and display were 100 percent responsible for the sale - familiarity with the product brought up feelings that drove the sale.
The purpose of corrugated counter displays, which may also be referred to as PDQ counter displays, is to drive impulse buys. Impulse buys are often caused by emotion, nostalgia and memories, or a perceived deal (fear of missing out). The placement of the display on a counter puts it near the buyer. When checking out, the time while the cashier is scanning products is available for the customer’s eyes to wander, allowing time for the display to catch their eye and trigger the internal mechanism that can result in a sale.
Impulse buys are spontaneous, and the decision can be made in seconds without any logical thought process. Once marketers and academics recognized it, impulse buying has been well studied. Industrial economist Hawkins Stern first put forth an impulse buying theory in 1962 that went against contemporary thought of the time that purchases were rational and well-planned. Stern believed marketers could convince consumers to purchase things they hadn’t planned on purchasing. His theory suggested that there are four kinds of impulse buying: reminder, pure, suggestive, and planned impulse purchases
• Reminder – This occurs when the shopper has knowledge of a product but has no intention of buying the product when entering the store.
• Pure – These purchases are considered escape purchases that defy the customer’s typical buying pattern.
• Suggestive - The customer buys an unfamiliar product because they can visualize a need for it.
• Planned – This sounds like an oxymoron, but the shopper goes into the store knowing they will purchase a product and has no specifics in mind but plans to do it based on promotions, sales, or other criteria.
The level of Impulse buying can vary by generation and marital status. Research has shown that millennials are 52 percent more likely to make an impulsive purchase than previous generations, and 23 percent were purchased purely to pamper themselves. Single shoppers make 45 percent more impulse purchases than married shoppers, and more studies have found that women are more likely to impulse buy than men, but the types of products vary between the sexes.
Since 80 percent of impulse buys occur in brick-and-mortar stores, Corrugated counter displays are an excellent resource for capturing impulse buys for all previously discussed categories. When designing the displays, it is essential to remember the demographic you are targeting because motivations and drivers could impact how your display is perceived.
From a general perspective, corrugated counter displays offer an affordable way to create brand visibility and provide a great way to showcase products when space is limited. There are several ways to use corrugated counter displays in retail to increase sales.
• Display seasonal merchandise – Catch people in the holiday spirit by using it to your advantage. For example, Valentine’s hearts incorporated into an appropriate display design may just tug at the heartstrings.
• Promote trending products – FOMO (fear of missing out) is real for those following social media trends. If your product is fortunate to be among the trendy, use your display to let people know. It could be as simple as adding “As seen on Instagram” to your design.
• Use as a memory tool – Remind people they need your product. For example, near the time when clocks change to daylight savings time, a battery display could remind people to change the batteries in their smoke detectors.
• Offer an escape – Long ago, a bath product had the slogan, “Calgon, take me away.” Calgon was a bubble bath product that could transform your tub into a faraway oasis. Use your display as the muse that takes your customer somewhere magical.
• Tell them what they don’t know – You don’t know what you don’t know. Use your display to tell customers what is missing in their lives and how your product is the solution.
• Provide a deal – Use your display to compare your product to a more expensive brand or offer a deal that can’t be refused. People love to believe they are saving money.
Capture customers with corrugated counter displays made by Dusobox. At Dusobox, you get precision-printed graphics, expertly engineered display structures, and full-service support. With digital, flexographic, and offset printing available and multiple substrate solutions, we can bring your display vision to life while staying within your budget.
Ready to have your counter display pop? Connect with our team to get started.
Dusobox is a leading designer, engineer, and manufacturer of custom corrugated display solutions and product packaging.
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