Modern-Reprographics, July 2003
Eye-Popping Graphics
The growing trend of interior retail signage
By Denise N. Gustavson

If you’ve been looking for a way to expand your business, have you considered interior retail signage?

Even though it may seem like a small segment of the market to focus on, many companies across the nation have discovered a broad and growing opportunity in the retail or point-of-purchase (POP) or point-of-sale (POS) signage area.
With the economy the way it is, retail stores are looking for ways to entice people back to their stores. Whether it’s a one day sale or a whole new look, wide-format graphics providers have a huge opportunity to make a lasting impression.

For DGI-Invisuals in Burlington, MA, retail signage was simply a logical extension of its already growing business. “We needed to expand and justify the money that we invested in the market,” says Robert Bekesha, vice president of sales and marketing. “We need to use all of our equipment wherever possible. The market is growing and changing.”

Bekesha points to a number of factors that contribute to the company’s success in this specific niche market. “National roll-outs are not as common anymore. Companies want to regoinalize their marketing message—whether it’s with a state flower, the weather, or a culture. We couldn’t do this before in a cost-effective manner. The graphics can help produce the excitement the customers are looking for,” says Bekesha. “We’ve been focused on retail as a marketplace for our products for years. It made sense to go after these markets because we’re set up as a full service company. We’re always looking for new technology.”

Hardware plays a large part in DGI-Invisual’s solutions—whether it’s hanging or standing hardware. “The economy has impacted budgets and we need to become partners with our customers,” says Bekesha. “With the hanging and standing hardware, it can be used again—and can be easily changed at the store level. This is important for us to be able to offer a full solution that can be sent to the stores that they can change and install.”
With the changes in the market combined with its increasing maturity and the economic conditions, Bekesha advises that companies get back to the basics. “Clients are better educated, aware of the technology used, and are attending business seminars about graphics. Newspaper ads cost thousands and many companies are realizing how effective in-house graphics can be,” says Bekesha. “When you do the graphics well, the client will come back. They’re expecting you to give them the look they want.”