Contents
- Interactive Digtial Signage
- AR Experiences
- Digital Touchpoints
- Immersive and Multisensory Displays
- Digital Personalisation In-store
- Digital Shelf Strips
- Sensor-Drive & Touchless Technologies
- Modular and Reconfigurable Displays
- New Sustainable Materials
- Energy-Efficient Tech
- Inclusive & Accessible Displays
- Minimalist & Clean Design Aesthetics??
Interactive Digital Signage
Shoppers are driving the rise of interactive digital signage, as they expect to see innovative and connected technology in retail. These displays support brands by boosting engagement, collecting valuable shopper data, and providing a creative edge to connect with tech-savvy customers.
Interactive displays like this can engage customers while collecting real-time data on what draws their attention, helping brands fine-tune their in-store marketing. For a brand, this could be an interactive screen in a grocery aisle that suggests recipes or combinations based on the input of a chosen product.
Interactive touchscreen products are available now and ready to integrate into your next point-of-sale display project.
2. AR experiences
Virtual testing of products has already helped brands offer shoppers more confidence in their choices and may become even more impactful as technology becomes more available. Augmented reality (AR) experiences enable customers to visualise products as their own, making buying decisions easier and enhancing overall satisfaction. For example, we have seen beauty brands like L’Oréal use AR “smart mirrors” for virtual makeup try-ons. These interactive experiences enhance the shopping experience and boost engagement. Two-thirds of consumers are reportedly seeking more AR in physical stores.3. Digital Touchpoints
Other ways brands can enhance interactivity include adding digital touchpoints, such as QR codes, NFC tags, or AR triggers. For example, adding a QR code to a shelf talker enables customers to view how-to videos or read customer reviews about the product, making it easier for them to make informed decisions and increasing the likelihood of a purchase. Rich content, such as product videos, 3D views, and social media feeds, can be provided on demand. Often accessed via QR codes or NFC tags, shoppers can scan these for reviews or promotions.
4. Immersive and Multisensory Displays
Shoppers crave 'retailtainment': immersive experiences that fulfil shopping needs. To draw people into stores instead of online, brands need to offer more.
Examples from the retail world include dynamic lighting, soundscapes, video projections, and even scent in physical displays.
This could be an interactive window display that plays music and animation when someone walks by, or an in-aisle exhibit where picking up a product triggers ambient lighting colour changes and a corresponding aroma (for example, a tropical scent near a beachwear display).
Another example is an electronics brand with a gaming VR demo zone in a themed environment, a pop-up café inside a book shop, or a live stylist workshop in a fashion boutique.
Gen Z are driving this trend. They seek social and experiential shopping experiences that were missed during the pandemic. Brands that create such events earn greater loyalty, more visits, and expanded social media presence among shoppers.
The goal is to create memorable, emotion-driven experiences, and these experiential touches forge a stronger brand impression: shoppers spend more time in-store and share the experience on social media, effectively becoming brand ambassadors.
5. Digital Personalisation In-Store
Shoppers have long been enticed by personalised product recommendations online and are now delighted by the same level of personalisation in-store, complementing the experience. Personalisation appeals to shoppers because it saves time, delivering tailored offers and recommendations for products of genuine interest. Over half of all consumers also report that they want to see AI-powered personalisation during their in-store experience, for example, a smart mirror that suggests clothing to them based on their size, preferences, and previously purchased products. In fact, 71% of consumers said that they’d shop more often if retail offered AR/AI experiences that personalise their journey. Shoppers are more likely to engage longer and more likely to buy when they feel that the experience is tailored to them. Consumers use smartphones as part of their shopping experience, and the term "phygital" is being used to describe this phenomenon. Retail TouchPoints reports that Gen Z loves in-person retail, but for them, it should be tightly linked to their digital life, and the experience of jumping between channels needs to be seamless. The idea behind personalisation is that CRM systems can be integrated with real-time data for personalised audience targeting. For example, a sensor that detects shopper demographics and adapts messages accordingly. With the rise of AI, analytics can be used more than previously to display content in-store. Brands can utilise data from loyalty apps, cameras, or sensors to tailor digital signage to audience demographics, time of day, or even weather conditions.6. Digital Shelf Strips
In addition to large screens, brands have access to more subtle forms of advertising, including digital LCD displays and digital shelf strips. A fully interactive display like this really stands out to shoppers, and the shelf strips are available to highlight offers, prices, or serve as advertising space. This approach enables brands to update offers quickly for current promotions or seasonal changes and helps synchronise shelves with inventory. Data analytics from these shelf strips can also be used for dynamic pricing and promotions.
7. Sensor-Driven & Touchless Technology
Driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, touchless technology is a growing area of retail technology that brands can utilise. Products include motion-activated sensors, gesture-controlled devices, and voice-controlled kiosks with minimal contract. They enable customers to get assistance without needing to touch a screen. Brands can embed sensors into products or branded shelving. For example, a display that automatically plays a demo video when a product is picked up, or shelf sensors that trigger stock alerts and personalised discounts via app when a known customer approaches. Sensor-driven displays offer interactive experiences to consumers and provide marketers with actionable data. This technology is continually improving, as it addresses health and safety requirements while appealing to shoppers’ desire for an interactive retail experience.8. Modular and Reconfigurable Displays
Retail brands are increasingly turning to modular and reconfigurable displays, a smart, sustainable trend that helps reduce costs while meeting environmental goals.
These displays can be designed using interchangeable components, allowing brands to easily reconfigure them for different products, retail spaces, or seasonal promotions without having to start from scratch each time. This approach, using the principles of the circular economy, involves designing products to be reused, repurposed, or fully recycled at the end of their life cycle. By investing in durable POS displays with swappable graphics or reconfigurable parts, brands can run multiple campaigns using the same core structure, thereby reducing waste and extending the display’s lifespan.The benefits go beyond sustainability. Modular displays minimise costs, streamline logistics, and create future-proof solutions that make it easy to refresh in-store promotions. Many are also foldable and lightweight, which helps lower packaging and shipping costs while improving overall efficiency.
The key to creating an adaptable and sustainable design that lasts is to use good-quality materials and a design that is reconfigurable from the start. We have experience in manufacturing point-of-sale displays like this. Speak to our team for more information about your project.9. New Sustainable Materials
Sustainability is transforming how point-of-sale displays are made, with brands moving away from plastics and virgin wood toward recycled, renewable, or responsibly sourced materials that meet environmental goals without compromising durability. For example, we recently completed a project using FSC-certified wood, ensuring materials were sourced from responsibly managed forests that meet strict environmental and social standards. Manufacturers are also adopting eco-friendly inks, recyclable substrates, and more efficient production methods, such as precision cutting, to reduce waste and utilise renewable energy in their processes. Even packaging is being rethought, with reusable crates replacing one-way shipping materials. Many brands are also cutting their carbon footprint by producing closer to home or using lower-emission transport options. These steps reflect both industry innovation and consumer demand. At the 2024 VM & Display Show in London, one key theme was integrating eco-friendly materials into high-quality, stylish POS design. Shoppers notice these efforts — from recycled materials to signage highlighting a brand’s sustainability story.
10. Energy-Efficient Tech
Energy-efficient displays are becoming increasingly important as technology becomes more common in retail displays. Technologies such as promotional shelving with LED lighting for signage use a fraction of the energy of older halogen or fluorescent lights and emit less heat. Additions to kiosks or digital screens, such as power-saving modes or dimming when no motion is detected, can enhance the user experience. E-ink digital price tags use very little power and can automatically shut off after a set period.
11. Inclusive & Accessible Displays
Another important design trend is the growing focus on inclusive design for physical retail spaces. POS displays should cater to all ages, heights, and abilities, and brands can include this consideration in their display design. This could mean tables of varying heights, as well as displays with different products available at different heights. Digital interactive kiosks can also be produced with adjustable screen heights or movable angles. Additional features can include using high-contrast, large font signage to aid those with visual impairments. There is also the option to create multilingual digital displays and intuitive layouts that guide traffic flow naturally for all customers. Inclusivity also extends to representation; visual representations of consumers should be diverse, including graphics and mannequins.
