3 predictations for P-O-P in 2026

RETAIL IN 2026

When Displays Have to Prove They’re Working

For years, point of purchase has gotten away with a certain amount of theater.

A beautiful display shows up in stores, everyone nods approvingly, photos get taken, and then the conversation quietly moves on without anyone asking the uncomfortable follow-up question: did it work?

In 2026, that changes.

Displays still need to look great. But now they also need to be measurable, updatable, and defensible to procurement teams, channel managers, and CFOs who are tired of paying for pretty guesses.

From Benchmarc’s vantage point, three shifts are shaping what comes next. This is not futuristic speculation or trade show hype. These shifts are already happening, and by 2026 they will be the difference between programs that showcase products and one's that deliver measurable results.

1. Retail media-ready displays stop being optional

In 2026, fixtures are no longer just physical objects. They are media assets.

Sightlines matter. Placement consistency matters. Power, connectivity, and content management matters. You cannot measure performance if every store installs the display differently or if half the screens are blocked by a pallet jack and a ladder that never quite moves.

What this looks like in practice

A national hardware brand rolls out a 300-store endcap program. Each unit includes a screen, camera-based foot traffic counting, and POS lift reporting. The fixture design is standardized across the all stores, so performance can be compared store to store, region to region.

The conversation shifts from “people seemed interested” to “this configuration drove X percent lift compared to control stores.” The data provided can drive future initiatives and make meaning impacts on your retail program's ROI. However, this great tool, may not fit every program.

When it’s not worth it

They are rarely worth the investment for:

• One-off launches

• Short-term seasonal displays

• Programs with no appetite for measurement or optimization

Traditional POP relies on anecdotes and photos. Media-ready POP produces dashboards. In 2026, dashboards get renewed.

2. Triggered Content

In 2026, the most persuasive screen in the store will not be the biggest one. It will be the one that changes at exactly the right moment. Triggered content responds to real conditions: inventory levels, promotions, local events, time of day. Instead of looping the same 20 seconds endlessly, the display behaves more like software than signage.

Retailers already operate this way behind the scenes. Pricing, inventory, promotions, and fulfillment are all data-driven. POP is finally catching up.

A real-world application

A beauty brand deploys shelf displays that automatically change messaging when a SKU goes out of stock. Instead of advertising something customers cannot buy, the display switches from “Try it now” to “Join the waitlist” or “Explore a similar shade.”

It sounds minor. It is not.

Nothing kills trust faster than a display enthusiastically selling a product that is not there.

Why this matters operationally

Triggered signage delivers:

• Fewer frustrated shoppers

• Better compliance with promotions and pricing

• Meaningful messaging that converts shoppers into customers

Static digital signage is cheaper upfront, but it ages poorly. Triggered signage behaves like software. Software evolves. Wallpaper does not.

3. E-paper finally becomes the middle ground between print and video

Retail has wasted an extraordinary amount of money on signage that lives in an awkward middle zone. Printed graphics that change too often. Screens that are overkill for static content. Store associates climbing ladders to swap out paper, only to do it again a month later.

In 2026, e-paper grows up and claims that middle ground.

Full-color e-paper, such as E Ink, is positioned as a print-quality replacement for paper signage. It consumes power only when the image changes. No glare. No motion. No light pollution masquerading as innovation.

E-paper is not for everything, and that is the point. It excels in:

• Price changes

• Category education

• Hero storytelling

• Premium environments where motion feels distracting

  
  

A wellness retailer, for example, replaces printed shelf talkers with e-paper signage that updates monthly without reprinting. The result feels calm and premium, not like Times Square snuck into a meditation app.

Upfront, e-paper costs more than print. Over time, it often costs less. It also avoids the “dead screen” problem of poorly maintained digital displays that quietly fail and no one notices for weeks.

What this means for POP programs in 2026

The common thread across all three shifts is not technology for its own sake. It is accountability.

In 2026, the displays that survive will be the ones that can answer basic questions:

• Is it working?

• Can we update it without rebuilding it?

• Can we explain it to finance, procurement, and sustainability teams without hesitation?

From Benchmarc’s perspective, the opportunity is not just building smarter displays. It is helping brands design POP systems that scale, adapt, and prove their value over time.

Pretty still matters. But on its own, it no longer closes the deal.