Retail customers are impulsive. They have a sudden urge, or realize a sudden need, to buy things that were never on their shopping list.
That is not conjecture. In 2025 alone, 80 percent of shoppers spent an average of $254.00 per month on impulse buys.
What triggers these unplanned purchases? In most cases, it is point-of-purchase (POP) advertising. Research from MarkWide Research found that up to 80 percent of shoppers admitted to making unplanned purchases influenced directly by in-store displays.
The data proves that POP works. The big question facing retailers and brands is how to utilize POP displays to maximize basket size, and what specific attributes contribute to creating the most effective installations.
What Are the Most Effective POP Messaging Strategies?
We have found that the most effective point-of-purchase marketing falls into one of several distinct messaging categories:
| POP Strategy | Core Retail Benefit | Best Retail Environment |
| Combo / Bundle Deals | Drives volume and increases unit-per-transaction (UPT) | Convenience stores, QSRs, grocery |
| Seasonal / New Items | Capitalizes on curiosity and fear of missing out (FOMO) | Apparel, beauty, specialty food |
| Suggestive Cross-Merchandising | Prevents friction by reminding shoppers of necessary add-ons | Hardware, electronics, home improvement |
| Urgency / Exclusivity | Speeds up the micro-decision process at checkout | Fast-fashion, impulse checkout lanes |
1. Promote Combo Deals
The easiest way to create add-on sales is to incentivize customers with a bundled discount. For example, buying one item costs $5, but buying three costs $12.
While your individual margins become slightly slimmer, the total quantity sold and overall profit increase. This tactic is especially effective for high-volume, high-consumption retail environments like convenience stores and quick-service restaurants (QSRs). In those industries, buying more today does not minimize the chance of customers shopping there again tomorrow. As a bonus, bundled deals give your store a strong perception of value.
2. Showcase New or Seasonal Items
New and limited-release items are created to stimulate customer interest and drive sales upward, but they will not work if customers do not know they exist.
POP displays are among the most affordable and effective ways to market new or seasonal items. Placing displays at the exact moment of decision heightens consumer awareness and plays directly into their eagerness for impulse buys. Savvy retailers utilize POP displays as part of their yearly marketing plan to draw attention to new flavors, limited-edition items, or seasonal products, enticing curious customers to try something extra that was not on their list.
3. Use Suggestive Selling (Cross-Merchandising)
In many scenarios, the best way to upsell a customer with POP is to remind them of related products they will need.
We have all experienced a single trip to the store turning into multiple visits because we forgot a necessary accessory. Suggestive POP prevents this friction. For example, a shelf hanger next to flashlights that reads “Don’t Forget the Batteries” drives immediate add-on sales. Similarly, a sign at a gas pump reminding drivers to check their windshield wiper fluid captures attention during routine downtime.
4. Create Urgency
Time pressure is a powerful motivator. When there is a month left in an offer, consumers take time to consider the purchase. When an offer enters its final days or hours, it becomes a now-or-never scenario.
The same applies to limited quantities. Stating that there are only ten remaining at a promotional price stokes the emotional power of FOMO (fear of missing out). Putting time and quantity pressure on shoppers reliably results in larger baskets.
5. Educate and Build Product Value
Some products need more explanation than the outer package can provide to validate their usefulness or higher price point. Smartly messaged POP educates consumers on key product features, benefits, use cases, and differences. This is essential for entirely new product categories, innovative product lines, or when brands enter new regional markets.
6. Promote Demos and Trials
Sometimes, the bigger the price tag, the bigger the physical experience needs to be. That is why car dealers provide test drives.
For items that cost $100 or more, add-on sales often require more than a standard promotional sign. POP displays that incorporate hands-on demos build necessary buyer confidence. Successful examples include:
- Sporting Goods Stores: Specialized stations where customers can try on helmets for fit and comfort.
- Hardware Stores: Power tool displays allowing customers to physically test an impact wrench.
- Bike Shops: Freestanding displays promoting test rides in the parking lot.
Four Tips for Successful Upsell Displays
POP comes in all shapes and sizes. Regardless of the physical format you choose, you should adhere to four core guidelines:
1. High-Quality Visuals
The better your product looks, the more likely customers are to be attracted to it. Beyond meeting brand style guide requirements, ensure product imagery is sharp, clear, and colorful. Showing the product in an idealized state typically requires professional photography and styling, which is especially critical for food and beverage brands.
2. Rapid Education
Upselling is aided by education. A few established global brands can rely solely on their logo, but most brands need to tell customers a story. Effective displays quickly address core questions:
- Who is it for?
- What does it do?
- Where can it be used?
- Why should a customer buy it?
Not every point needs to be answered in the copy, as many can be communicated visually. Furthermore, effective POP must be readable in the blink of an eye. Writing impactful copy that can be absorbed by shoppers during the brief second it enters their field of view is a vital art.
3. A Clear Offer
The primary trigger for an add-on sale is featuring a promotion, sale, or discount within the POP message. While promoting a product is beneficial, offering a direct purchase incentive (such as a dollar amount off, a percentage discount, or a multi-buy bundle) significantly increases conversion rates.
4. Strategic Placement
Where your POP lives can make or break its effectiveness. Most brands assume POP should always sit directly beside their product, but that is not always the best location. Visibility is everything. The ideal placement is often a high-traffic area that exposes the display to as many shoppers as possible, even if that is some distance from the actual shelf or checkout register.
Additionally, POP can function as an effective wayfinding tool. For instance, brands selling non-refrigerated items (like specialty salsas or bagels) often place POP signs in standard dry-good aisles stating, “Look for Brand X in the refrigerated section.” Guiding customers to specific store zones directly increases overall sales.
Popular and Effective P.O.P. Marketing Options for Upselling Customers
Optimize Your Retail Execution with Momentara
Creating compelling POP marketing that promotes larger basket sizes is a core aspect of in-the-moment marketing, the signature strategy created by Momentara. We turn in-store, out-of-home, and event promotions into useful touchpoints that sync naturally with customer routines to encourage buying behaviors. The Momentara approach makes your marketing messages a welcome, impactful, and natural part of the customer’s day.
Whether your marketing needs focus on point-of-purchase displays or broader omnichannel opportunities, Momentara is here to help. We bring the technology, experience, production scale, resources, and national presence required to build complete certainty and programmatic success into your retail footprint.
Reach out to the Momentara team today to improve your POP and commercial signage.
