In Germany, the term point of sale was introduced only in the postwar era.

The term can be differentiated into POS and POS marketing. Today, the POS is defined as the entire store space. POS marketing is the marketing process that differs from conventional advertising in the media and is used or tolerated by the retailer on the sales floor. The development of POS marketing is closely linked to the history of retail and the history of packaging. Both aspects are closely connected to each other and are mutually dependent:

• At the end of the 1940s, retailers moved from service to selfservice which created many new forms of distribution.
• The shift to self-service was possible only through the introduction of packaging and containers.

Bernd Hallier is giving an overview about the evolution of POS marketing.