Hangsells are useful displays for all retailers to have as a point-of-sale materials (POSM) option. As their name suggests, these displays are hung in retail settings such as supermarkets and convenience stores to promote products for shoppers to purchase.

As simple as it sounds, the promotional tactic of using hangsells is valuable for marketers looking to increase sales through quick or impulse purchases.

There are several reasons for this, most of which involve showing up in the right way, at the right space, and at the right time:

Perfect for supplementary goods

There are many goods that go well with each other. For instance, pastas go with pasta sauce, coffee and malt drinks go with creamers, party snacks go with soft drinks and alcohol.

Among POSMs, hangsells make it easy for such supplementary goods to show up at the right places. The key to doing so is to ease shoppers into making snap purchase decisions.

This tactic is similar to how countertop and tabletop displays at checkout counters encourage impulse purchases by shoppers.

Highly versatile, space-saving, cost-friendly

What allows a hangsell to end up in the right places easily is its versatile, space-saving format. It takes virtually zero floor space and simply needs a place to be hung against.

That could be the divider between adjoining shelves, an empty pillar, or any free space against a gondola end. Such versatility also means that it can be moved around easily, making in-store layout changes easy to accommodate.

Besides that, a hangsell doesn’t have to boast an attractive design to be effective. It just needs to be relevant to its context. What works in a high-end supermarket may not perform too well in a sundry shop.

Eye level is buy level

Another inherent advantage of a hangsell display is that it typically accommodates a whole range of shopper heights.

In retail merchandising, the goods that meet a shopper’s gaze at eye level usually sell better than those arranged lower or higher.

As such, hangsells are able to position goods so that they meet the eye-level gaze of both adults and kids alike, across all heights. And they can do so without taking up any extra floor space.

Ideal for goods of all types and sizes

One surprising fact about hangsells is that they’re quite capable of carrying bulkier products.

While it’s not exactly prudent to use corrugated cardboard hangsells to display large detergent bottles, a sturdier metal hangsell can do the trick.

As a result, numerous types of goods can go on hangsells making them practical for a wide variety of item sizes. Laundry detergent? Check. Instant noodles? Check. Breath mints? Check.

Hanging out at all the right places

Due to its simplicity, almost any marketer can find a way to put up hangsells in supermarkets and convenience stores.

However, the ones that have the most impact are those that help a brand build visibility for its products in ways that make it easier for target shoppers to say “Eh why not?” or “There you are!”

The real challenge, however, is to do so in a competitive retail environment, filled with POSM and hangsells for other products. It will be marketers who are adept at navigating this reality who will eventually increase their sales.