It is common for people to get confused when confronted with the term POP and POS. In most respects the two are the same, however, there are some subtle differences.
POP (Point of Purchase), refers to the physical location where consumers decide whether or not to buy the product. This can be virtually anywhere, from the bakery section to the wine section, it can be located inside a specific store or even the centre aisles of a mall.
POP is much like an eager know-it-all schoolgirl, hopping up and down on her chair, hand in the air, desperately trying to draw your attention to a specific product. And as such a know-it-all student, POP Displays have a lot of information to give about the product. It provides the opportunity for a meet and greet between product and consumer and allows appropriate time for the consumer to get acquainted with the product.
POS (Point of Sale), refers the specific area where the exchange of goods takes place, more notably, the tills.
POS is similar in that it too wants to draw your attention; however, it focuses more on the subtle impulse purchases. These types of units are generally small, with limited information as there is generally limited time to consider the purchase.
POS units form part of the snake aisles leading up to the tills, working on the consumers impulse to grab a quick chocolate or other product on their way to the till.
It is worth noting that POS can also refer to a POS system, which is the technology and software a retailer uses to process sales. The most obvious example of this is a card machine.
A relatively new term has been coined to alleviate the confusion POSM (Point of Sale Material)
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