Counter displays are won or lost on two numbers: the footprint the retailer will give you, and how many units you can fit inside it while still letting a customer pull one out. Everything else follows. To order a build you have already specified, go to counter display boxes. To work out what to ask for, keep reading.
Ask the retailer for the footprint first
Counter space is rationed and the buyer usually has a maximum in mind. In practice most counter units land between about 6 and 12 inches wide and 4 to 10 inches deep, with height limited by sightlines to the till and by anything hanging above it. Get that number in writing before designing, because a display that is an inch too wide gets moved to a back shelf or sent back.
Four builds, four jobs
| Build | How it presents | Best when |
|---|---|---|
| Open tray | Product visible from above, easy to grab | Small impulse items, sachets, bars |
| Tray with header card | A printed panel stands up behind the product | You need brand visibility above eye level of the counter |
| Stepped or tiered tray | Rear rows raised so every facing is visible | Multiple SKUs or flavours in one unit |
| Shipper to display | Ships full, a perforated panel tears away | Retail staff will not assemble anything |
Facings, refills and the pull test
Count facings across the front, then decide depth by how often the unit gets refilled. A display that holds two days of stock creates a restocking chore and an empty display; one that holds a month of stock is usually too big for the counter. Somewhere between one and three weeks of expected sell through is the practical target for most impulse products.
Then check the pull: a customer has to remove one unit with one hand without knocking the rest over. If the products are tall and narrow, dividers or a shallow front wall solve it. Our partition box page covers cell layouts and how much interior width dividers take.
Board and structure
Displays hold weight in a shape with no lid, so the board does the work. E flute corrugated is the common choice: enough stiffness for a loaded tray, a clean surface for full coverage print. B flute steps up for heavier product or for a shipper to display that has to survive freight while full. Litho lamination is worth the extra cost when photographic artwork carries the display, since a display is a printed advertisement that happens to hold stock. For larger floor units and the standing formats, see display boxes.
Ordering, minimum and lead time
Minimum order is 100 units, which covers a pilot in a handful of stores before a chain rollout. Unit pricing opens at about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes with the exact figure set on your written quote, since display work varies wildly between a plain tray and a five piece tiered unit with a header. Turnaround is stated per product across three lanes: rush (expedited production plus air freight, premium about 7 to 25% depending on the job), standard (air, from about 7 business days plus 2 to 5 days for delivery), and cost saver (sea, cheapest and slowest). Dies, plates, design support, free US shipping and a proof before print are carried inside the order.
Send the retailer's footprint limit, your product dimensions and the facings you want to our quote form, or order a known spec from the counter display product page.
