The Seven Display Types at a Glance
| Display | Works best for | Main strength |
|---|---|---|
| 1. End Caps | New launches, special items and sale products | High visibility at aisle endings |
| 2. Point of Purchase | Small, low-cost impulse items | Catches shoppers waiting to pay |
| 3. Dump Bins | Toys, accessories and discounted stock | Creates a sense of urgency |
| 4. Gridwall | Clothing, accessories, electronics, household goods | Flexible and customizable |
| 5. Shelf Displays | Beauty, grocery and household products | Easy to organize and label |
| 6. Freestanding | New products, seasonal items and campaigns | Stands out anywhere on the floor |
| 7. Interactive | Tech and beauty products | Hands-on customer engagement |
1. End Caps
End caps sit at the end of an aisle, where every customer passes and sees them.
Advantages
- High visibility
- Ideal for promotional items
- Encourages impulse buying
End caps are useful for launching fresh offerings and showing special items next to sale products. In the holiday season, shop owners can use them for seasonal decorations, gift bundles and snacks.
2. Point of Purchase (POP) Displays
Point of purchase displays sit near the checkout, so they catch customers while they wait in line to pay.
Advantages
- High foot traffic area
- Encourages impulse purchases
- Great for small, low-cost items
They work well for snack items, miniature toiletries and seasonal goods. At flu time, hand sanitizers placed next to face masks near the checkout become highly effective.
3. Dump Bins
As the name suggests, dump bins are open containers placed in busy parts of the store.
Advantages
- Creates a sense of urgency
- Encourages bulk purchases
- Ideal for sale items
Toys, clothing accessories and discounted items suit dump bins well. During clearance sales, placing discounted toys in dump bins at high-volume sections of the store gets customers buying several items at once.
4. Gridwall Displays
A gridwall display is a system of interlocking panels that lets you attach hooks, shelves and baskets for flexible merchandise display.
Advantages
- Versatile and customizable
- Supports different kinds of merchandise
- Space-efficient
Gridwall works as a presentation solution for clothing, accessories, electronics and household goods. A clothing store, for example, can present many different items to customers on a gridwall system.
5. Shelf Displays
Aisle shelves benefit from shelf displays, which arrange merchandise and show it at various heights.
Advantages
- Easy to organize and label
- Suitable for a wide range of products
Shelf displays show off beauty products and also deliver groceries and household goods. A grocery store puts each product category on its own shelves so customers can read the labels and find what they need quickly.
6. Freestanding Displays
Freestanding displays are floor units that stand on their own and fit into busy commercial zones of the store.
Advantages
- Standout visibility
- Works with any size and branding specifications
- Ideal for promotional items
They promote new products, seasonal items and campaigns efficiently. A bookstore, for instance, can use a standalone display for its latest bestseller to draw visitors across the shop.
7. Interactive Displays
Interactive displays let customers engage with a product through electronic screens, touch-sensitive elements and physical samples.
Advantages
- Engages customers
- Enhances product experience
- Ideal for tech and beauty products
They are the best fit for technology items, beauty products and anything else customers need to try for themselves. An electronics retailer can run interactive demonstrations so customers can try new smartphone functions and understand what the phone can do.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Retail Display
Run your product and your store through these five questions before you commit to a display.
- Product natureConsider the type and size of your product. Size decides whether a POP or a freestanding display gives better results, and perishable products usually need refrigeration while non-perishable products do not.
- Your customersThink about who you want to reach and how they shop. Interactive displays suit shoppers who like technology, because they respond well to hands-on showcases, while cut-rate items in dump bins catch the attention of budget shoppers.
- Store layoutLook at your floor plan and how customers move through it. Freestanding displays and dump bins succeed in high-traffic zones, while end caps attract customers in the aisles. Place every display so it never blocks a walkway but stays easy to reach.
- Brand imageYour displays need to represent your brand and carry your established marketing messages. Custom freestanding and gridwall displays let you add your logo, brand colors and design elements.
- BudgetSet your display budget before you make purchasing decisions. Shelf displays and dump bins tend to be more affordable, while interactive and freestanding displays have a higher initial cost. Weigh the sales you expect against the investment you plan to make.