Point-of-purchase (POP) displays are still too often judged by whether they show up correctly in-store. That standard is shifting. Retailers and brands are placing a greater emphasis on whether a display works once it reaches the shopper and whether it contributes to measurable results.
Regina Bailey, Senior Director of Retail & Category Strategy at Menasha Packaging, sees that change as part of a broader shift in how shoppers engage with retail.
“There’s so much coming at us,” she said of the relentless barrage of marketing messages bombarding shoppers. “We need to start thinking about share of the conversation.”
In her view, POP is no longer competing only with other displays in the aisle. It is competing with digital content, promotions, and other signals that influence how shoppers make decisions. That creates an opportunity for displays that are clear, relevant, and aligned with how people actually shop.
Data Is Shaping What Works
Bailey pointed to the growing role of data in shaping POP programs. Her team uses market and category insights to understand how products are being presented and how shoppers are responding.
“What we try to do is say, here’s what’s going on in the market,” she said. “Your competitor looks like they appear to be behaving like X, and therefore you might want to behave like Y.”
That analysis is used to guide decisions, not just review results after the fact. In some cases, it leads to simpler and more effective programs.
“We’ve even used it to say you are over-engineering,” she said. “You could kind of pull back a little bit and save some money.”
The goal is to build programs that can perform consistently across stores and over time. “Data-driven displays will deliver,” Bailey emphasized.
A Case Study in Execution
Bailey pointed to a multi-year program with Ferrara Candy as an example of how this approach develops in practice. The program began with smaller displays and evolved through repeated testing and refinement.
“We started out with little bitty dump bins,” she said. “How can we make these better.”
Each year, the display was adjusted based on shopper response. Visual elements were added to create interaction, including a character that became part of the experience.
“He became something that the shopper could interact with and take a photo with,” Bailey said. “We even had kids standing there taking their picture.”
Over time, the program expanded into larger seasonal executions. The results were measurable. “They had a 92 percent dollar increase,” Bailey said. The improvement came from refining the display over several years and aligning it more closely with how shoppers interacted with the category.
Connecting Digital and In-Store
Bailey also described how effective POP programs increasingly begin before the shopper reaches the store. Digital engagement is becoming part of how displays perform in physical retail. “The best in class ones really start online to move it in the store,” she said.
She pointed to programs that connect online interaction with in-store purchase. One example involved a campaign built around user-generated content tied to the product.
“Here’s a contest online,” she said. “How do you use our products, then you go into the store, you buy it, you make it, and you upload it.”
These types of programs create continuity between digital activity and physical shopping. They also generate a volume of signals that can influence visibility.
“All of these hits stack up,” Bailey said. “When the AI agent comes by, they pick up all these little tidbits.”
This connection creates an opportunity for displays to reinforce what the shopper has already seen and to help complete the decision in-store.
Creating a Reason to Buy
Bailey emphasized that POP does not need to be complex to be effective. Even simple displays can drive incremental sales when they give shoppers a clear idea of what to do.
“If we put three things on a display and show them what they can make, it becomes a whole different ballgame,” she said.
She described a simple example using Jell-O, whipped topping, and marshmallows arranged together to suggest a finished dessert. Instead of presenting each item separately, the display showed how the products could be used together.
“This is truly incremental purchases,” she said. “A really cool idea.”
This type of display helps shoppers act on an idea in the moment. It moves POP from passive merchandising to something more useful and actionable.
What Best-in-Class POP Looks Like
Bailey defined best-in-class POP in practical terms. It is not driven by complexity or visual impact alone. It comes down to whether the display works consistently across stores and makes it easier for the shopper to act.
“Best in class, data driven, shopper led, something that’s going to drive conversion,” she said.
Clarity is central to that approach. “If you’re going to do a display, let’s present one big idea,” she said.
That idea needs to be simple to understand and easy to act on. It also needs to work across a wide range of stores without requiring special handling or interpretation.
Conclusion
POP displays remain a physical part of the retail environment, but expectations around them are changing. Programs that are refined over time, grounded in data, and aligned with how shoppers actually behave are producing stronger results.
Bailey’s perspective reflects a practical shift. Displays that are clear, easy to use, and connected to how shoppers make decisions are more likely to succeed. Those that rely only on presence are less likely to stand out.
To talk to a Menasha expert about your POP display program, visit www.menasha.com.
Rick LeBlanc, EMBA, is the founder and editor of Reusable Packaging News (subscribe to the free newsletter) and editor of Western Pallet Magazine. A supply chain journalist with more than 30 years of experience, he specializes in pallets, reusable packaging, material handling and related operations. Rick is co-author of Pallets: A North American Perspective and Pallets & Progress: A Collected History of Pallets and Palletized Handling 1922–1945. He is also an advisory board member of the Virginia Tech Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design. Read Rick’s full bio.