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Retail software company Pierhouse has released information that highlights the importance of shelf edging as a component of in-store signage, claiming that 90 percent of all sales still take place in shops.

Pierhouse quotes research by Shoppercentric stating that 28 percent of customers still make 'unplanned' purchases, and surmises that price is the main factor. Its marketing director, Malcolm Wicks, says that shelf edging can have more of a role than simply informing about the cost of an article.

"The secret is to ensure that value is added for the customer and the only real test is if the signage increases sales of that product," he comments. "If it doesn't increase sales it must be easy to change the information or simply revert back to a basic ticket." Wicks adds that extra information is the key to informing the consumer, a tactic employed broadly by online resellers.

Pierhouse, which counts Waitrose and Mothercare amongst its clients, is the manufacturer of NetTickIT software, which helps companies control pricing and other shelf-edge information across printed tickets and digital displays.