Wide Format Imaging

In today's economy, retailers are tightly squeezed as more consumers are shopping with a price-focused mentality. But specialty imagers use this as an opportunity to be solution providers, said Jerry Gelsomino, a speaker at SGIA '08.

"Advertising dollars spent to get customers in the stores might be the same, but the media chosen will probably swing to more non-electronic outlets," said Gelsomino, who will lead the session, "The Changing Role of Specialty Imaging in Retail" (October 15; 2:00 pm–3:15 pm).

"This should mean good things for designers and manufacturers of in-store promotions," said Gelsomino, Principal with FutureBest, a marketing consultation and brand coaching firm.

Even though store planners and operations personnel often struggle with POP displays in stores—because they can be abused by customers, destroy the continuity of a store's look or end up as an obstruction in the aisles—they turn to POP displays because they are an effective medium for brand or product promotion, Gelsomino said. "By letting in the vendor-supplied signs, fixtures and displays, retailers offset the cost of their own initiative to make the merchandise the star."

Stores may give up more real estate to product displays and promotions during slower periods, but as economic growth rebounds, they'll look for unique delivery methods that enhance their brand image, said Gelsomino, who will offer a glimpse of the challenges retailers face and how specialty imagers can help them during his SGIA '08 session.