Display packaging is bought per door, not per pallet. The question is not how many units you will sell, it is how many places the display has to sit. That reframing is what stops brands ordering thousands of trays for a chain that has ninety stores.
Work out the order quantity
- Count the doors that will carry the display.
- Multiply by facings per door. Most launches get one, key accounts sometimes get two.
- Add replenishment cycles if the display is consumed rather than refilled.
- Add spares. Displays get crushed in transit and rejected at receiving more often than shippers do.
The 100 box minimum means a regional test with two dozen stores plus spares and replenishment is a legitimate order rather than an awkward one.
Formats and where they sit
| Format | Where it lives | What it needs to survive |
|---|---|---|
| Counter display unit | Beside the till, competing for impulse space | A small footprint and a header that reads from standing height |
| PDQ tray | On the shelf, holding a block of product | Side walls low enough to show product, strong enough to hold the block |
| Shelf-ready case | Ships as a case, tears down into a facing | A perforation that opens cleanly without a blade |
| Power wing | Clipped to a gondola end or a side rail | Fixing points and a weight the fixture can carry |
| Floor display | Aisle end or free standing | Serious stacking strength and a stable base |
Specification details that decide acceptance
- Retailer rules. Many accounts publish dimensional limits, header height rules and case marking requirements. Get them before the dieline, not after the proof.
- Assembly time. Store staff have minutes. A display that needs six steps and a diagram gets left in the stockroom. Fewer folds wins.
- Loaded weight. The base carries everything above it. Test with real product, not with an empty sample.
- Transit protection. A display that arrives scuffed will not go out. Consider whether it ships inside a plain outer.
Print and finish
Displays sell at a distance, so the header does the work. Large type, high contrast, and one message. Save detail for the product pack itself. Because the plates and the die are included, running a seasonal header variant on the same structure is a print change rather than a new tooling project. For counter formats specifically, see the counter display boxes guide.
Price and turnaround
The minimum order is 100 boxes. Pricing starts from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes and is confirmed on your written quote, since display structures vary far more than a plain carton does. Production runs from about 7 business days, plus 2 to 5 for delivery. Rush is expedited production plus air freight at a premium of about 7 to 25% depending on the job, standard is air, and cost saver is sea. Specialty imported items can run up to about 12 weeks, so a display tied to a retailer reset date should be planned backwards from that date.
Send your store count
Send your store count, product dimensions and any retailer specification to /quote/. For footprint references, see display box dimensions.
