SumUp and Pardgroup: a synergic partnership

23 February 2022

SumUp and Pardgroup: a synergic partnership

SumUp partners 360° with Pardgroup to communicate its brand within the retail world.

SumUp is a London leading financial technology company born in 2012, operating across 34 markets on three different continents. The company’s goal is to support small businesses by enabling their owners to accept card payments in-store, in-app and online, in a simple, secure and cost-effective way.

With over 3,5 million merchants around the world already using their card readers, SumUp is a reality in continuous development, always aiming to provide customers with intuitive and inclusive solutions. Especially recently, the brand launched multiple new products – including SumUp Invoices, Business Account and Card, and Mobile Payments.

Starting from January 2019, SumUp has been activating a series of multichannel communication campaigns in order to enhance its brand awareness. The communication message aims to be simple and clear, focusing on a consumer approach and addressing a defined target. The media mix included the use of digital and social channels but above all the impactful involvement of more traditional, offline channels – such as OOH and TV campaigns.

The synergic partnership with Pardgroup

And it is precisely in this phase of development and business growth that the synergic partnership between SumUp and Pardgroup finds its origins. Starting with a focus on the merchandising and field marketing activities, the collaboration with Pardgroup began soon to include also periodical or ongoing sales management and promoting activities in-store and in shopping malls as well as the window displays’ dressing in retail point of sales such as bookshops, consumer electronics, cash and carry.

With the same objective of heightening the awareness and the knowledge of their products among consumers, from the end of 2021 SumUp decided to invest also in the retail sector – involving, in this way, all the Pardgroup business units.

The project in 19 Italian shopping malls

For all 2022, SumUp has chosen in fact to position itself with shop-in-shop areas in 19 of the largest shopping centrws in Italy, with the objective to intercept large flows of shoppers and thus reaching the target audience – i.e. entrepreneurs in possession of a VAT number looking for solutions facilitating the billing and the payments via POS.

The communication style is very easy-going, almost intimate, and it emphasizes the attention to inclusiveness and transparency – two of the brand’s key values. The shop-in-shop areas have been designed, produced and installed entirely by Pardgroup.

They are made of wooden structures with a rounded shape, which aim at simplicity and linearity, underlining the sense of welcoming promoted by the brand. To strengthen the communication of the message, on the structures can be found also light boxes and TV screens that transmit visual content, leaflets, roll up banners and gadgets. Also in this case, all the POP material has been designed and produced by the Pardgroup team.

The footpegs, made in a bright blue colour, catch even more the attention of the passers-by. To recreate an atmosphere of comfort, each shop-in-shop is fitted also with a relaxation area.

Pardgroup manages also the selection and the recruitment of the staff assigned to the promoting activities at the shop-in-shop areas, as well as their training. Each SIS area, in fact, is overseen – 7/7, from the shopping mall’s opening to the closing time – by sales consultants wearing branded uniforms.

The consultants are trained thanks to the activation of specific training sessions.

The training sessions are conducted by a master trainer and provide insights not only about the product and the work organization, but they also include tailor-made sessions relating to sales techniques specific for this type of product. The sales consultants carry out a sell-in activity: they do not sell the product directly but they provide the potential customer with all the information about it and the economic aspects, as well as support on the account’s opening and APP download – necessary steps for the use of the service. If the customers actually intend to proceed with the purchase, they will be accompanied by the sales consultants in the nearby point of sale.

The physical activities offered by Pardgroup on the field are completed by the strategic support of the business intelligence – crucial to analyse the sales trends, the promoters’ performances and the sell-out generated by the individual retailers at a European level.

Looking to the future

The SumUp retail project commenced in Italy but it will soon be replicated in other countries in Europe – starting with Spain, where 5 shop-in-shop areas are already being planned. And, as Pardgroup, we couldn’t be happier to continue this adventure together, guaranteeing a strong synergy between all our divisions and supporting the client strategy in each and every step.