Moving a product from e-commerce, direct-to-consumer or another sales channel into retail is an exciting opportunity, but it also introduces a new set of requirements.
Your product needs to stand out on the shelf or sales floor. Your packaging needs to work within the retailer’s environment. Your display needs to be manufactured, shipped and executed on time and in compliance with retailer requirements.
The partner you choose to manage these requirements has a significant impact on the success of the program.
If you’re new to retail POP displays, here are some criteria to consider in your choice of a partner.
Start With Retail Expertise
Look for a company who has expertise with your retailer and with overseeing all the elements of a retail campaign. A company that manufacturers retail displays is not the same thing as a company that can help you manage domestic and overseas supply chains, retailer guidelines, logistics and transportation.
The right partner will understand how display decisions are influenced by:
- Retailer requirements
- Product and packaging configuration
- Available retail space
- Shopper behavior
- Display lifespan
- Order volume
- Shipping and fulfillment
- Store-level execution
The Right Display Starts with the Right Retail Strategy
Display format, materials and durability should be customized to the opportunity.
That might mean a corrugated floor display for a product launch, a pallet display for a warehouse club, a PDQ for a countertop or shelf display, or a permanent fixture designed for long-term merchandising.
The right display starts with the retail strategy, not the manufacturing process.
Don’t Choose a Display Based on Price Alone
Cost matters. But the lowest quoted price doesn’t always represent the lowest total cost.
A display that requires additional assembly, creates shipping inefficiencies, arrives damaged or needs to be redesigned because it doesn’t meet retailer requirements can quickly become more expensive than the original quote suggests.
When comparing suppliers, consider the entire program:
Design → Engineering → Production → Packaging → Assembly → Shipping → Retail
A partner that understands the complete process can help identify costs and risks before they become problems.
Look for Display Design and Engineering Experience
To be effective, a retail display must get noticed, but it also has to work in the retail environment and be engineered for shoppability and durability.
Good display design draws shoppers’ attention and communicates brand value. Engineering ensures the structure can support the product, withstand customer handling and be easily shopped and restocked.
Ask prospective partners to show examples of:
- Similar retail environments
- Comparable product categories
- Different display formats
- Structural solutions
- Temporary and permanent programs
- Successful large-scale retail executions
A strong portfolio is a good start, but the more important question is whether the partner can apply their experience to your specific retailer, product and program.
Look for a Partner Who Can Handle Both Packaging and Displays
This is one of the most important things you can do to streamline a new retail program.
If your packaging supplier and display supplier operate independently, your team may end up having to coordinate conflicting specifications, timelines and production schedules.
An integrated partner can approach the product, packaging and display as one system ensuring alignment across key elements:
- Product fit
- Packaging dimensions
- Display capacity
- Shipping configuration
- Retail presentation
- Assembly
- Co-packing
TPH Global Solutions® combines custom retail packaging and POP display capabilities so brands can coordinate these elements as part of a broader retail program.
The goal isn’t simply to create a package and a display. It’s to create a retail-ready solution.
Ask About Supply Chain Capabilities
A retail display doesn’t end with manufacturing. It still has to get to the retailer.
Supply chain management is a critical element of a successful retail campaign. Your partner should be capable of overseeing the program from start to finish, including domestic and overseas supply chain optimization, assembly and co-packaging, logistics and transportation support.
Ask:
- Where will production take place?
- Can the partner manage domestic and overseas sourcing?
- Where will finished inventory be stored?
- Can they coordinate assembly or co-packing?
- How will finished displays be shipped?
- Can they support replenishment?
- Who is responsible for coordinating the moving pieces?
A partner that can manage more of the process can reduce handoffs and make it easier to keep the program on schedule.
Consider Pre-Packed and Retail-Ready Displays
For certain retail programs, products can be loaded into displays before shipment.
This can turn the finished unit into a more retail-ready configuration and reduce handling at later stages of the supply chain.
Pre-packed displays are particularly useful for:
- Warehouse club programs
- High-volume launches
- Multi-store rollouts
- Products with multiple SKUs
- Programs requiring co-packing
- Displays shipping directly to distribution centers or stores
The important question isn’t whether a supplier can build the display, but whether they can ensure that the display moves seamlessly through the supply chain.
Experience With Your Retailer Matters
Retailers have different requirements, processes and expectations.
A partner experienced with warehouse clubs may approach a pallet display differently than a partner focused primarily on specialty retail.
Likewise, a big-box floor display, grocery PDQ and permanent home improvement fixture each require different design and execution strategies.
Before choosing a partner, ask:
- Have they worked with the retailer I’m targeting?
- Do they understand the retailer’s requirements?
- Can they help identify potential issues before production?
That experience can be particularly valuable when a brand is entering retail for the first time.
What Should You Look for in a Retail POP Display Partner?
Consider a potential partner’s complete set of capabilities and look for a provider with demonstrated expertise, including:
- Retail expertise
- Display design and engineering
- Custom POP and POS displays
- Packaging integration
- Domestic and overseas sourcing
- Prototyping
- Assembly and co-packing
- Inventory and fulfillment support
- Transportation and logistics
- Retailer-specific experience
New to Retail? Start With the Program, Not the Display
A successful retail display program has many parts. A display is only one of them.
Your product, packaging, retailer requirements, manufacturing strategy, logistics and store execution should work together.
At TPH, we help brands connect custom POP displays, retail packaging and supply chain execution into a coordinated retail program–from concept and engineering through production, co-packing, fulfillment and delivery.
Whether you’re preparing for your first big retail opportunity or scaling an existing program, our goal is the same: We work to make retail execution easier and drive repeatable retail success.
Ready to Explore Your Retail Opportunity?
Tell us about your product, retailer and program requirements. TPH can help determine the display, packaging and supply chain approach that makes the most sense for your next retail opportunity.
Let’s build your retail-ready program.
