5 Tips to Create Merchandise Displays with Bulk Plastic Containers

Plastic containers are some of the most popular display tools around. They’re versatile, durable, and work with numerous kinds of merchandise. However, before you order bulk plastic containers for your store’s merchandise display, take the following tips into consideration.

Tip #1: Before you order bulk plastic containers, consider your merchandise and display space.

It’s easier to determine what kinds of – and how many – containers you’ll need if you first determine which merchandise you plan to display and the amount of display space you have to work with.

You can find plastic containers in a wide variety of sizes (see below), but even the largest container will place a size limit on the kinds of merchandise you can store in it. Candy, small children’s toys, accessory and convenience items like eyeglass repair kits and traveling manicure kits– these are the kinds of products most shop owners display in their containers.

Once you’ve determined which merchandise you want to display, take a look at the amount of display space you have to work with. Are you creating a countertop display, or are you situating your display on a shelf or a convenience store rack? Understanding your display space will help you further determine the number and size (see below) of the containers.

Tip #2: Browse a variety of plastic container sizes.

As mentioned above, plastic containers come in a variety of sizes. Naturally, you want to choose the containers that will work best both with the kind of merchandise you want to display and the amount of display space you have to work with, but if you need some help getting started, note that one-gallon plastic containers are generally the most popular among shop owners.

Tip #3: Don’t forget to check out fun plastic container shapes!

Not only do they come in a variety of sizes, but plastic containers also come in a variety of shapes! You can find these containers in traditional square, hexagon, and round or “fish bowl” shapes as well as in holiday-inspired shapes like Christmas trees and Santa Claus boots.

Tip #4: Consider colored plastic containers.

Clear plastic containers are excellent choices because they work with any decoration theme and they allow you and your customers to easily view the merchandise inside; however, colored containers add a little something extra to your displays.

Give colored containers a try by selecting containers in colors that match your shop’s current décor or “theme,” choosing holiday-inspired colors or the colors of your area’s local sports teams, or matching the container colors with the colors of the merchandise (such as using yellow containers for lemon-flavored candy).

Tip #5: Check out other display tools to use with your plastic containers.

Note that plastic containers work well as stand-alone display tools, but you can also pair them with other display fixtures like wire display racks or convenience store racks. Using additional display tools with your containers helps you maximize the amount of display space you have to work with or, in some cases, create display space where there was none before!

3 Ideas for Using Plastic Containers in Your Store

Whether new or seasoned, if you own a business of any sort – especially a retail or food-industry business – chances are you’re well aware of just how useful plastic containers are. However, just knowing how useful these display fixtures are doesn’t help – you actually have to use them to benefit!

If you’re not yet using plastic containers in your business, consider the three ideas below to get started.

Idea #1: Use Plastic Containers to Create Candy Displays

Candy is a versatile product perfect for stores beyond the traditional candy shop. Nearly every kind of business – from grocery stores and gas stations to restaurants and hotels – cater to customers who will be interested in candy displays.

Choosing containers for candy displays is much like choosing containers for any other kind of display. You’ll need to:

• Take a look at the amount of display space you have to work with and the size and amount of candy you want to display. Understanding your display space and your product will help you when it’s time to make decisions such as the container size that will work best.
• Browse the variety of container sizes, shapes, and colors. You can find plastic containers in numerous sizes, clear and every color from pink to orange, and in both traditional shapes like round and square to holiday-inspired shapes like Christmas trees.
• Determine whether you want your display to stand alone on a countertop or work with other display tools such as wire display racks. Plastic containers work well by themselves, but additional display tools help you maximize your display space – or create space where there once was none.

Idea #2: Use Plastic Containers to Offer Promotions

There are many ways you can use plastic containers to offer promotions. Consider these few:

• Many restaurants and taverns use plastic containers to display small bottles of liquor for promotional purposes, and some even use these containers as “glasses” for fun group drink specials.
• Some stores use these containers to create point-of-purchase or POP merchandise displays to showcase sale items customers might otherwise miss as they’re shopping.
• Businesses can use these containers to create displays that separate items that are new additions to the inventory from those that have been around for a while. Using containers to create these kinds of displays help put the new items in the customers view and promote sales.

Idea #3: Use Plastic Containers to Collect Tips or Donations

You don’t have to always use your containers to offer something to your customers; you can also use them to collect from your customers, too!

Situating small plastic containers on a restaurant’s tables or a taverns bar is a popular way to collect tips from customers, but some establishments also place these containers near the cash registers so customers can easily and quickly deposit tips.

These containers are also great tools for collecting donations. Even if your establishment isn’t in the habit of collecting donations, if charities, organizations, and individuals often ask to collect donations at your establishment, having these containers handy is convenient for both you and those folks seeking to collect.

How to Shop for Plastic Containers for Your Displays

Plastic containers might seem like simple display tools, but the reality is there are so many varieties of these versatile display fixtures that you’re going to need a bit of prep time before you actually purchase them.

Step 1: First, determine your display’s basic needs.

Determining your display’s basic needs will help you make decisions about the kinds of plastic containers you’ll need – specifically, the number, sizes, and shapes of the containers you’ll need.

As you’re determining your display’s basic needs, consider:

• Your Display Space: How much display space do you have to work with? Are you creating your display on a countertop, or do you have a shelf or rack on which you want to situate your containers? Understanding your display space will help you determine how many containers you can include in your display as well as the sizes and shapes that will work best with your display space.
• Your Merchandise: Knowing which merchandise you plan to include in your display will also help you determine the size and number of plastic containers to use. Large merchandise items will require large plastic containers, while small merchandise items can get by with either large or small plastic containers. Likewise, sizeable amounts of merchandise will require a higher number of containers, while small amounts of merchandise can get by with just a few containers.

Step 2: Next, think about ways you can have fun with your plastic containers.

Now that you know how many plastic containers you need and the shapes and sizes in which you need them, think about the ways you can have fun with them!

You already know that plastic containers are available in traditional sizes like hexagon, square, and round or “fish bowl,” but did you know you can also find these containers in fun shapes like holiday-inspired Santa Claus boots and Christmas trees? You won’t want to use these containers year-round, but they do offer extra visual appeal to your displays at certain times of the year.

As with shapes (and sizes), color choices are plentiful, too! Clear is a common “color” for plastic containers because clear containers work well with any décor and they allow customers to easily see what’s inside; however, plastic containers are also available in translucent colors, as well. You can choose colors that “match” the current holiday or your area’s college colors, or you can choose colors that work well with the merchandise you plan to display in the containers. For example, if you want to display candy, you can choose colors that represent the candy flavors.

Step 3: Finally, consider other helpful display fixtures.

While plastic containers work quite well as stand-alone display fixtures, other display tools – such as wire display racks or convenience store racks – help you make the most of your display space as well as create display space where there once was none. You can find these kinds of racks in numerous sizes with various number of shelves and designed for either countertop or floor use.