Sales Promotion: Short-term gimmicks or incentives used to increase sales other than through advertising.
KEYWORDS Examples of sales promotions include:
ґ Discount codes are money-off codes a customer enters at the checkout to lower the price. Nike sends members 25% off discount codes for their birthday each year.
ґ Competitions give customers the chance to win a prize when they buy a product. Cadbury used QR codes on Cadbury Fingers packs to give away thousands of cash prizes in 2026.
ґ Loyalty schemes reward customers for buying from the same business again and again. The Boojum app gives a free meal for collecting 10 stamps, and a free meal plus a T-shirt after 40 stamps.
ґ Special offers like buy one get one free (BOGOF) lower the price when a customer buys more than one item. Dunnes Stores run Mix and Match promotions where customers can get 3 for the price of 2 on selected toiletries.
Merchandising
This involves using stands or shelves to place products in optimum positions in retail outlets, to help attract the attention of the customer.
This could be pop-up displays at the end of an aisle or sweets and chewing gum stands beside the checkout, so that customers are more likely to see them while they queue to pay or shop, making them more likely to buy the product.
Celebrity Endorsement
A business can pay a celebrity or someone with a large social following (often called influencers) to promote its goods or services, or to be associated with its brand, to help increase sales.
Nespresso appointed Dua Lipa as its global brand ambassador in 2026. Her fame and large following can help raise brand awareness among millions of fans who may not have considered Nespresso before.