How Display Packaging Turns a Crowded Shelf Into Free Advertising

A customer quickly moves from one shelf to another in a store. The majority of them become mixed. Those that don’t typically share this trait: Display packaging that stands out, rather than just holding the product. Some brands get the attention of a shopper and other brands that look similar don’t.

The shelf itself is free advertising when the packaging is doing its job and if you’re a brand with a smaller advertising budget and are trying to stand out among larger brands, you have to make the most out of it.

Why Do So Many Products Get Overlooked in Stores?

Most packaging is designed for protection and transportation, not visibility. In the warehouse, a plain box serves its purpose, but when arranged next to twenty other plain boxes on a shelf, it’s gone.

Brands tend to believe that if they get more shelf space then they should have more marketing dollars. In practice, the solution will most likely begin with the box and not necessarily ads around the box.

How Custom Display Packaging Changes the Shelf Story

Custom display packaging allows a brand to control the shape, colour and structure of the packaging rather than using a generic container. Tiered shelves, header cards, and countertop displays are examples of options that allow a product to stand tall, sit at eye level or multiple products to be stacked together, something packaging could never do.

• Countertop displays are effective near checkout counters to sell impulse items
• Multiple flavors or variants are displayed in tiered shelf displays
• Using header cards to brand above the product with no additional shelf space is useful.
• With floor displays you get a space of its own away from the standard shelves.

Display Boxes for Products: Function Meets First Impression

Display boxes for products must serve two purposes: holding the product when handling and displaying it attractively after they are unpacked on the shelf. A box that can only do one of those is typically replaced by a more efficient one, either by the store or the brand, with the question of who takes the initiative to do so being a point of contention.

This is particularly important for products that come in various SKU’s, where the uniform box design for the product line establishes it as a single brand rather than a few completely different products.

What Should a Brand Look for in a Manufacturer?

Not all packaging suppliers are good at displaying specific packages. There are a few things that can differentiate a good manufacturer from a manufacturer that will slow down a launch:

Structural Capability

• Knowledge and experience in die-cut, tiered and floor standing designs
• A reinforced base is one that supports the product and will not collapse.
• Quick-assembly displays for retailers to set up in minutes.

Print and Branding Support

• Large area full colour printing.
• Match colors from one print to another
• Scalable display packaging wholesale prices according to order quantity

Brands that make comparisons typically narrow down the list of manufacturers before making a decision. Smaller companies have the opportunity to test out a display design before ordering the full rollout to retail stores thanks to companies such as Kwick Packaging that work directly with brands on custom display projects.

Which Display Packaging Boxes Work Best for Retail?

There are different ways to display the product according to the various retail environments:

• A countertop display or an end cap display at a grocery or convenience store is a preferred choice.
• Beauty retailers use tiered displays to group shades or scents together
• For electronics accessories, the packaging has to be ready to be attached to a wall with hooks.
• Floor displays are used for short-term promotions for seasonal and gift items
• Small, countertop bins are used by specialty food brands to store samples and for grab and go foods.

The display style is as important as the design itself and must match the retail environment. A tiered display designed for a beauty counter will not stand up as well on the dynamic grocery endcap, and brands must be prepared for where the packaging will be placed.

Who Orders Custom Retail Displays?

Major national brands aren’t the only ones that can display packaging. Custom builds are ordered by a wide variety of businesses:

• New brands of CPG products entering a few regional outlets.New CPG brands entering a few regional outlets.
• Beauty and wellness companies that have seasonal or limited product lines.
• New flavors tested by snack and beverage brands with a temporary display.
• Local manufacturers who are selling their first products to larger retailers.Local manufacturers who are introducing their first product to larger retailers.

USA’s Top Display Packaging Brands: Kwick Packaging and Others

Brands conducting display packaging research will typically have a short list of known US-based brands to consider, and select one. Two other names that frequently come up in that research are Packlane and PakFactory, both of which offer custom packaging for retailers with no delay in production.

Does Display Packaging Actually Affect Sales?

Studies by retailers have continually revealed that items in special displays are sold more often than those on the regular shelves. There’s visibility, but there’s perceived value as well. Situations where a product is presented well, it reads as higher quality, before a customer even picks it up.

The impact is multiplied when brands are having a limited promotion or a season display, where a temporary display would create some urgency that a regular display would not.

Getting Started With a Display Packaging Project

There’s no need to make a wholesale commitment to test display packaging right away. Most manufacturers provide sample builds, so a company can test the structure, print quality and fit on shelves before ordering a larger quantity.

Final Thoughts

As one of the easiest methods to claim space in the minds of consumers without paying the same amount as the competition, display packaging has become one of the hottest areas of branding. Add to that fancy new shapes and flexible wholesale pricing and manufacturers that will take a smaller test run and even a growing brand can get a place on the shelf that was once reserved for big brands. As retail competition continues to rise, it’s possible that the brands spending money on making their product look good on the shelf will continue to outpace those that aren’t.

Make your products easier to notice, easier to remember, and harder to ignore with custom display packaging that turns every shelf into a selling space. From countertop displays to retail-ready product boxes, the right packaging can boost visibility, support your brand story, and help smaller businesses compete with bigger names. Stay informed with USA Times Square!