SEE

Choosing POS furniture to grow your business

POS furniture

This post first featured in the Modern Retail Guide to Shopfitting September 2020. To read the full ebook click here, or scroll to the end of the page to view on page-turning software.

Your point of sale, or POS furniture plays a vital role in encouraging customers to increase their spend. It’s your opportunity to tap into impulse buying, meaning furniture must be chosen strategically, designing an area that boosts profits and impresses customers.

Here’s how you can choose POS furniture that grows business:

Look at available space

The first step when deciding POS furniture is to understand the area you would like to dedicate to this. Consider the direction you would like the queue to form and the impact this will have on shoppers that are browsing.

Consider specific requirements

Not every retailer needs the same kind of checkout area. While many choose a point of sale counter in the corner of their store, brands like Apple have led the way with mobile POS systems. Take time to think about the type of POS area that you would like to create.

Choosing POS furniture

Now you know the space available and the type of checkout experience you would like to provide, it’s time to look at different types of furniture. These questions will help you to choose POS furniture that matches your vision:

  • How many people will be served?

Look at the number of customers you serve at any one time, as well as the number of staff you typically have available. POS furniture should enable you to meet customer demands, serving the required number of people without becoming wasted space. If you experience long queues at peak times, it could be worth investing into POS furniture with multiple cashier areas, while quieter shops could benefit from installing smaller counters.

  • How much space do you need for equipment?

There is nothing worse than an overcrowded checkout area. Make sure there is plenty of space for POS systems and any other necessary equipment such as protective screens or hand sanitiser dispensers, leaving room for cashier staff to work comfortably.

  • What is your visual theme?

Consider your brand guidelines, any colour schemes, or imagery that you would like to include. POS furniture should fit in with the rest of the store, making it an enjoyable experience. Choose furniture that matches the theme you are looking to create.

  • What would you like to display?

Think about the products you would like to display and the units that can present this in an attractive way. This can vary greatly depending on a shop’s offering and preferences. As an example, a jewellery store may choose enclosed glass cases to display higher priced items, while a discount store may look to feature baskets of lower priced items. Understanding customers’ expectations and preferences plays a large role in knowing how to display items. Your POS furniture should have space to facilitate any products that you would like to display. These can include shelves, cases, counter tops and buckets, to name just a few methods of presentation.

  • Do you need space for signage?

Signage can make an enormous difference when convincing a shopper to make an impulse buy. It can also explain information such as loyalty schemes or social distancing rules, saving staff time as they do not have to explain it repeatedly to customers. Consider any space that you need to make for signage, whether it’s small messages that are displayed on counter tops, or larger posters on the sides of POS furniture. 

The benefits of choosing the right POS furniture

By choosing POS furniture that meets your objectives, you are able to provide shoppers with an experience that is second to none. Creating a cashier area that attracts customers, encourages them to make impulse purchases and enables great customer service is a winning combination, driving sales, loyalty and engagement.

Read the full Modern Retail Guide to Shopfitting September 2020 below.

Scurri