Full-Pallet Displays: The Complete Guide

We see this a lot at retail and club stores: simple, non-custom Full-Pallet Displays that get the job done. How can you expect to hit your sales target if you don't invest in your presentation at the store?

You have a great product and a beautiful package, but you've left out one thing - your display!

A Full-Pallet Display is a great way to grab your customer's attention on the store floor. It's an easy thing for most brands to overlook, but this is precisely the issue we aim to solve.

Though customers are taking fewer trips to retail every year, each of those trips has tripled in value - meaning you have to catch their attention.

We help upgrade brands from plain to premium with our custom digitally printed Full-Pallet Displays.

A Full-Pallet is a point-of-purchase retail display - or POP Display - used to promote and sell products.

Talk with our team today about your next Full-Pallet Display

• Wide range of differing designs, including with or without shelves
• Full print options to allow for bold, attention-grabbing aesthetics
• Optional header for more branding
• Can be shipped Fully Kitted or KDF
• Allows for placement in high traffic areas
• Allows for combination selling with more than one product
• Ideal for new product launches, seasonal promotions, and sales campaigns

• What type of product do you have?
• Are there new innovations you can implement?
• How many units do I need?
• How can this be an extension of my brand?
• Which retailers/club stores are you selling at?

Designing can be a fun process. Whether you’re tackling it yourself or working with our Creative Services team, there are key considerations to keep in mind about your retail display and your customers.

• Who is your target demographic?
• How tall are they?
• Are you selling multiple items?
• Is this a promotional item?
• Can you create alternate designs for seasonal/regional messaging?

Related: How To Use Color Theory With Displays

Choosing a printing option involves more than just considering cost factors. The technology has been evolving over the years, and while some older methods remain proven and effective, newer methods have introduced entirely new ways to approach the marketplace.

Here are three printing options to consider:

Lithography Printing

When it comes to commercial printing needs, lithographic printing is the most used solution. And it’s great if you are creating a single design to print over and over without much customization.

One of the main issues is the upfront costs for the printing plate and the lead time for the project. If you choose Litho, that means you’re committing to waiting and a portion of your budget before you even get your first box.

If you are looking for a one-size-fits-all high-volume production run of a single design, this is the way to go.

High Speed Digital Printing

Bennett's digital presses are game-changing for the custom retail display industry. While other companies might tell you that Digital isn’t competitive when running large orders, what they aren’t telling you is that with Digital, you can run a variety of designs and be extremely cost-effective.

No need to pay for, or wait for, new printing plates to be made!

Digital has been growing in the industry, but only a few brands have actually started to take advantage of this huge opportunity.

Imagine creating regional messaging and designs for different stores, as well as seasonal or product variation sizes, all without incurring additional costs.

We were the first to invest in a high-speed, single-pass, direct-to-corrugate, 6-color digital press of its kind in North America. If you want to learn more, check out our page on Digital.

Flexography Printing

Flexographic printing can reduce your printing costs, and tooling costs are typically lower. It has a fast turnaround time that can use both water and oil-based inks.

However, compared to Lithography and Digital Printing, Flexography has noticeably lower printing quality.

It cannot create photo-quality images, and smooth colors or gradients will have visible banding. 

The colors aren’t as vibrant or crisp as those of the other two options, but this printing format is inexpensive. It also doesn’t require a lot of attention to detail, and can be produced at very high speed.

High Speed Digital Printing

Digital Printing has opened up entirely new avenues for brands to create a Full Pallet Display. The most significant advantage of a digitally printed Full-Pallet Display is the ability to use alternate print designs.

By using this approach, you can create seasonal messaging, regional targeted messaging, or simply create a new look when you need to replace the display. 

Each new print won’t incur additional costs thanks to Digital, because you don’t need printing plates. There’s no slowdown to get you to market.

There’s no minimum quantity order, which is great for the initial proofs - but even better if you run 4 versions of a display rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

Digital opens up a whole new world of possibilities - and we were one of the first to invest in this game-changing technology. That has put us ahead of the learning curve in the industry. 

Related: Digital Printing Can Help Make Your POP Display More Sustainable

Designing Full-Pallet Displays With Digital

Here are some design tips to create an effective Full Pallet Display from the ground up:

Strategic Location

From a customer’s perspective, many club stores can have dim lighting, which means bright, bold, and contrasting colors will stand out.

Information Architecture

Messaging needs to be clear and motivated. What should your customer know as they pass by the display? What can they see from across the store? Keep it concise and focused! Only the important benefits should be included here.

Full Pallet Display Product Showcase

These are all about selling in high-traffic areas. You want a clean and organized presentation of your products to catch the customer’s attention. They are ideal for showcasing a single product or a combination of your products to a customer. They excel at highlighting new products or promotional offers to drive sales. 

Restocking

It may sound silly, but so many businesses simply fill a quota of product in their display. They forget that a customer has to interact with the display and remove the product. That said, you want the display to be easy to restock, allowing retailers to continue selling your items.

Color Science

Each color speaks to the customer on a different emotional level; that's something all designers know. Why not use that on the store floor? Here's an actual opportunity to put that knowledge into practice and create something that matches your brand in a powerful way. 

Match Your Brand Colors

Most manufacturers claim they can accurately match your brand colors, but they often lack the expertise to do so. We have some of the best printing capabilities in North America, and we promise to match with 100% accuracy. 

Refreshing Your Look

Consider how many times you will need to replace your display over the year. Each time you do, it's a chance to attract more customers - so why not harness the power of Digital Printing and create a fresh look for your display at a fraction of the cost, and without slowing your speed to market.

Turnkey Solutions

A great display is key, but don’t forget about things like warehousing and fulfillment. You need a plan to get your display made, packed, and sent out to retailers.

That’s why we offer turnkey solutions, including Contract Packaging, Shipping Boxes, and Packaging Supplies. The more downtime you have with a display, the less money you make. More on that later.

Retailer Compliance

When creating a new display or updating an existing design, it’s essential to ensure that your new partner is familiar with all current retailer and club store compliance guidelines.

You need a partner that not only designs and manufactures full-pallet displays but also understands the entire production process to get you to the storefront as quickly as possible.

A successful Full Pallet Display program depends on your understanding of the entire budget and economics of the entire process.

Setting a budget for your display is a crucial step before starting the design process.

Without a budget or even a range, the process will become inefficient and aimless.

When creating your budget, consider the price of your product, your profit margin, anticipated sales, and the length of time you expect your display to be in place.

How Quantity Affects Cost

After material costs, the most effective way to manage per-unit display costs is through volume. Each display design will require tooling, set-up time, and up-front costs.

The longer the manufacturer can run, the more units you can use to spread those costs out.

But thanks to Digital Printing, we can create multiple graphic designs for your display without increasing costs for those changes. Using a single design shape, but unique seasonal designs, you can look brand new at retail, and keep your costs relatively the same.

Example:

If you order 2000 Units at once: You would need to pay all up-front tooling costs, wait for the project to be prepped, and purchase all the materials up front. Then consider the entire supply chain, including storage, of your 2000 Displays.

If you order 5 runs of 400 Units over 3 Months: You would need to pay all up-front tooling costs, wait for the project to be prepped, but only purchase the initial materials up front. Then you can actually redesign the graphics of the following 4 orders of 400 Displays.

Although both orders are for 2000 units, the second order offers more design flexibility and lower upfront costs to enter the market.

Because of Digital Printing, the difference between short runs and long runs is no longer much of a factor in cost.

Now that you have your design in place, it’s time to transfer it to the structure template, a.k.a., the dieline.

There are a few dieline and artwork preparation and requirements that need to be noted by your designated designer, even if your artwork is done and ready to go.

If you don't have a designer, your packaging company will take care of this for you.

Dielines

A dieline is typically created on a computer with a designing tool such as Adobe Illustrator, Artioscad, or Adobe InDesign. Measurements need to be precise, to save time and money.

Working with your packaging partner, you will deliver high-resolution quality artwork for printing. It’s best to speak directly with the company you are working with to determine the exact specifications for their CMYK printing.

At Bennett, we offer access to our award-winning Creative Services to help you design, prep, and deliver all your artwork to our manufacturing teams - and ensure your project details are correct every step of the way.

Pro Tip: Need more clarification on preparing your artwork? Reach out to Bennett if you need help with any of your designs!

You should always request a prototype display to confirm the structure and printing for final production, especially if you have a very large order.

Once the prototype is created, it can be delivered to you in person or via mail carrier.

We have an array of equipment in our Creative Services Department that matches the exact quality of our High-Speed Digital Printers, allowing you to quickly produce prototypes and move your project along to production.

Once you finalize everything, your retail display is ready for full production. You can sit back, relax, and wait for the arrival of your display!

Receiving your shipment depends on your requested timeline, the size of the display, the method of delivery, and other factors.

It varies depending on your situation, but your account manager will keep you informed about the production and shipping process, ensuring you stay on track.

Learn more about our Contract Packaging

Key Questions:

• Will your Display be shipped fully assembled or KDF?
• What is the weight of your Display with your Shipping Box and Supplies?
• Where will you store your Display?
• What is the cost for Packaging Supplies?
• Fulfillment costs, if any?
• How will you account for returns?

Pro Tip: If you need to order on a consistent basis, consult with a packaging specialist to determine your inventory expectations and schedule. This will make it easier to maintain a healthy inventory flow and allow the manufacturer to know exactly when you need it.

Shipping Full-Pallet Displays Fully Kitted

Over the years, we have delivered fully kitted displays to customers across the United States without issue. The reason you would want to choose this option is to cut down on costs.

The fewer hands your Displays and products have to touch, the lower your costs.

Shipping Full-Pallet Displays Knocked Down Flat

Shipping KDF is an excellent option if you want to assemble in your own facility and prefer the safer and cheaper shipping method. Thanks to the stacking efficiency, it’s easy to see why this is a great way to cut down on costs for some companies.

But, you will need to create and include a set of clear assembly instructions along with a parts list and any tools required for assembly. 

Selecting The Right Box And Shipping Supplies

To ensure your Display arrives safely, it’s essential to select the correct type of corrugated material and packaging supplies for the job.

You’ll want to consult with your manufacturer or 3PL provider to determine the best shipping box and packaging material to use.

Learn more about our Packaging Supplies

ISTA Testing For Full-Pallet Displays

International Safe Transit Association (ISTA) testing helps brands to create packaging that will protect against shock, vibration, compression, and any other atmospheric hazards in the distribution environment.

This allows you to eliminate the need for multiple trial shipments and get your products to market faster while also ensuring their survival.

It can also help you negotiate lower freight and cargo insurance rates - due to the confirmed lower risk of shipment damage.

We conduct a range of shipping tests (vibration, drop test, etc.) so that you are certified and ready to go.

We partner with you through the entire process and make sure there aren’t any surprises - and if there are we are ready to solve them.

One of the most important things you need to do is stay on top of maintenance.

Don’t neglect your display upkeep. Even the best displays will lose their appeal if they look dusty or worn down. Remember, your display represents your brand and your product. If you invest in a great display, ensure it remains presentable.

Displays should be checked regularly, even throughout the day. That way, you can be confident they never appear “shopworn”.

Retail Store Audits

Brands and product companies should regularly perform retail audits to ensure stores’ merchandising is compliant with agreed-upon standards.

The retail store audit process checks merchandising execution, including:

• Correct product placement, including location in the store.
• Product expiration dates.
• Item counts on shelves and in back-room inventory.
• Count of facing items per SKU.
• Sufficient and accurate signage.
• Usage of floor and shelving space.

A number of people can perform audits for you. Retail staff, brands, or even third-parties can complete the task, but be sure to give them a checklist and get photos.

Audits help retailers and brands hold each other accountable. After all the agreements are in place for floor space allotment, signage, and other elements, retail store audits verify the deal, and everyone is happy.

Thanks to the latest innovations, you can utilize software that includes inventory management and automated audit-based reordering - all valuable tools that can further enhance the benefits of audits and help keep your supply chain running smoothly.

Bennett is a premier packaging and retail displays manufacturing company striving to protect and promote our clients' products with customized corrugated solutions. When you work with us, you’re part of the family. We will partner with you every step of the way.

With our fully integrated design-to-delivery process, we can be the single-source supplier. We are an award-winning manufacturer of virtually anything corrugate. We offer everything from plain brown shipping boxes to sophisticated, high-graphic printed point-of-purchase displays, and everything in between.

Talk with our team today about your next Full Pallet Display