How to plan activities at the point of sale

The point of sale is a retailer’s platform. As the “event nature” of our lives increases, customers also appreciate dramatic highlights when shopping. Shop owners, in turn, are not holding activities and product promotions at the point of sale for the sheer fun of it, but to get their tills ringing. At the same time, event marketing is a way for them to set themselves apart from competitors. But how can you plan and prepare hands-on activities to ensure they boost sales of exactly the intended products? The following questionnaire is a guide to improving the impact of activities at the point of sale:

[Translate to English:] Checkliste für eine erfolgreiche Mitmachaktion

Check list for a successful join-in activity in your store

Target planning

What do you want to achieve with the event:

Push a particular item?
Improve sales of an entire product group?
Reach a specific target group?
Improve your store’s image?

Which product group or products are you looking to promote with the activity?

Activity planning

Who will take responsibility within the team for devising and coordinating the activity?

When should the activity take place?

Bear in mind your own annual planning and important (local) dates.

Where should the activity be held?

Retail area, space in front of your store, rented premises

Which parameters must be considered?

Personnel resources (internal/ external)
Space required, power connections, technical equipment
Rough planning of the activity and promotional materials needed, etc.
Music (GEMA fees)
Legalities (necessary permits, etc.)

Costing

What costs are involved and how much in sales do you expect?

What budget is available?
Can the event be covered by additional sales?
Does the manufacturer offer an allowance for promotional spend?

Resource planning

Who will help to run the activity?

Internally: Staff planning and content coordination among those involved
Externally: Booking workshop facilitators, artists, musicians

What products do you need for the activity?

Have you enough products in stock or will you need to order additional goods from the manufacturer?
Will you need a goods package from the manufacturer for the activity?

What promotional materials do you need for the activity?

Commissioning and agreement on their design.

Promoting the activity

Activity motto: What should the activity be called?

Think up a descriptive name
Craft a short, inviting description.

Whom do you wish to invite? How and when?

Would you like to use the customer data, e.g. for a newsletter?
Bear in mind any data protection laws which apply.

How can you promote your event through local PR measures or cooperation partners?

PR text in event magazines for families
Advertisements in local media
Media cooperation
Spreading the word on social media
Flyers

One activity is not enough to retain customers. The year is still young. It is worth spacing out sales-boosting activities throughout the year. Retailers that run regular activities develop routines for their handling and coordination and the assignment of team responsibilities. The trick is to find a time to hold activities when no other competitors are doing the same. After all, if you stand out, then you’ll make a mark and give customers reasons to buy.

Tips on point of sale activities

What exactly do I hope to achieve? You can only measure the success of an activity if you have set specific goals.
Regular activities make processes and the assignment of responsibilities a routine undertaking.