Have you ever been at your local deli and wondered why there were so many signs? Each and every one of these signs were carefully planned to encourage purchases and specific purchases, at that. They all contain different information that may or may not be relevant to you. They also may have affected your buying decisions, without you even realizing it. At any traditional supermarket deli, you are likely to come across a couple of different types of signs.

Deli neon light signs
The neon light sign or the large bright sign is what notifies you where the deli is located. If you are shopping in a particularly large grocery store, this area may have otherwise been difficult to locate. The deli signs are usually very large and in a color that is contrasting to the other signs in the store, so that it is easier to locate. Usually, the sign simply contains a simply deli sign and no other identifying information, although some may have an arrow or direction pointer if the sign is not directly over the deli counter.

Deli meat signs
The deli meat signs are the smaller, more specific signs that identify each of the different meats inside of the deli glass. They usually tell you what type of meat it is, any special seasoning it contains, and the price per pound. Deli meat signs are an important sign to have, otherwise customers would not be able to tell what meat was what. They would also constantly ask about pricing per pound. Instead, they can make their buying decisions without inquiring about further information first.

Although most consumers decide to stick with a brand or buy a competitor in 3 to 7 seconds, these deli meat signs can influence a customer to change their brand. This is especially helpful when the deli department has an overstock of a certain brand or type of meat. They may reduce the price or the overstocked meat item or call more attention to it with larger and more colorful deli meat signs or discounted meat price tags. It is likely that one of your local grocery store?s deli meat signs have influenced your meat buying decisions before.

Free standing sign holders
Free standing sign holders tend to be outside of the deli compartment. They often include information about the deli products servers or the specific brand of the store. If the store is known for carrying a well known brand of meat, these sign holders are likely to hold ingredient and dietary information about this type of meat. Many people may ignore these free standing signs, but they can be helpful in meal planning and some even contain store coupons on the deli meat items.

Flyer holders
Flyer holders are also located near the deli department, but usually do not contain any information about the specific items in the deli. Instead, they may suggest specific recipes or ways to spice up meats. Customers who are looking for dinner ideas may view these flyers. The customer receives a benefit in the free recipe and the store encourages purchases of additional items that are needed to make the recipe. They may even offer discounts for purchased multiple items off of the recipe list. Between 6 and 10 purchases in a store are classified as impulse purchases. These flyers further push impulse purchases.

Custom retail displays
Custom retail displays usually surround a specific brand or product that the store wants to push. For example, it may be for an Italian night. The custom retail display will contain images and product suggestions for the perfect Italian night in. It may even include suggested brands all stacked together for easy retrieval. According to a 2014 Mass Merchant Study, 16% of unplanned purchases were due to a display noticed while shopping, such as the suggestion Italian night retail display.

Stores use signs in a variety of different ways to encourage your buying habits. They may even surround their signs around the deli department to push certain products off of the shelves. These signs may encourage the sale of specific meats, brands of product, or an entire group of purchased items.