Small Plastic Containers Have Numerous Uses Outside the Retail World

Plastic containers, no matter what size they are, are staples in the retail world. They’re durable, versatile, and convenient display fixtures that work well to organize, hold, display, and store merchandise and complimentary items as well as collect items like tips and raffle tickets from customers.

However, plastic containers – especially small plastic containers – have numerous uses outside of the retail world, as well. Read on for ideas on how you can make these containers work for you in everyday life – even if you don’t manage a retail business!

1. Store and Display Food in Small Plastic Containers

These kinds of containers are excellent tools for both storing and display edible items. Because they’re available in various shapes and styles, you can fill them with everything from wrapped and unwrapped candies to small baked goods like brownies or cookies.

Keep in mind that if you choose to store food products of any kind in these containers – and the items aren’t already protected by wrappers – you’ll need to choose containers with lids. These lids – whether they snap or screw on – will help keep your food fresh and safe from dust and other debris. At the same time, depending on the kind of food product you plan to display, you might also want to consider containers with handles or handgrips, as well as pairing the containers with tools like aluminum or plastic scoops.

2. Use Small Plastic Containers for Collections

If you are collecting donations for any kind of organization, whether it be a charity or nonprofit organization or a high school sports team or club, you might think using large plastic containers would make more sense. After all, the larger the container the more money you can collect, right?

In reality, using small containers makes it much easier for you and your volunteers, co-workers, or fellow team or club members to keep up with the containers – especially if they’re going to be carrying them from one location to the next.

3. Fill Small Plastic Containers with Prizes

Whether you manage Bingo night at your local community center or teach Sunday school classes at your church, you can use these containers for storing and displaying small novelty prizes for winning games. You can even use them for storing game pieces!

4. Use Small Plastic Containers in Your Classroom

These containers are great tools for storing and displaying everything from tools you might use in your classroom such as thumbtacks, staples, paper clips, extra pieces of chalk, and encouragement stickers you place on your students’ papers to prizes for any games you might play with your class.

5. Discover Uses for Small Plastic Containers at Home

These containers are excellent tools for organizing and storing many household items in various rooms in your home. For example, you can keep them in your bathroom to hold extra cotton balls and Q-Tips, in your garage or basement to store screws, tacks, and nails, or in your home office to organize paper clips, staples, and extra pens and pencils.

How to Combine Small Plastic Containers and Retail Wire Racks

If you were to ask the manager of any convenience store, candy shop, gift shop, or even ice cream parlor what a couple of the most convenient and often necessary display fixtures he uses were, chances are he’d tell you small plastic containers and retail wire racks. These two kinds of display fixtures are versatile, sturdy, and convenient for both storeowners and customers, and it’s no wonder they’re so prevalent in stores across the nation.

However, not only are these two kinds of display fixtures ideal on their own; they’re also ideal when paired together! Read on for tips on how you can combine small plastic containers and retail wire racks to create attractive and convenient merchandise displays for your customers.

Tip #1: Consider Your Merchandise

You might think “small plastic containers” is pretty straightforward, but the reality is there are many different kinds of small plastic containers. You can find them in round, square, rectangular, and hexagon shapes, as well as sphere or fish bowl shapes.

You can also find container with lids, which work well if you plan to display edible items that don’t have wrappers and need protection, as well as with handgrip and handles that make it easy for your customers to pour the merchandise. (Note that you can also pair accessories like plastic or aluminum scoops with the containers to add even more convenience for your customers.)

Because there are so many different kinds of small plastic containers out there, being familiar with the merchandise you want to display in the containers makes it easier for you to make your selection. For example, if you want to display something small like an assortment of children’s bouncy balls, a regular round plastic container might work just fine. On the other hand, if you want to display unwrapped gumballs, you should look for containers with lids.

Tip #2: Make Sure Your Retail Wire Racks Are Sturdy

Regardless of size, plastic containers are generally lightweight; however, they become significantly heavier once you start filling them with merchandise.

Make sure you choose retail wire racks that are sturdy enough to:

• Withstand the weight of your containers once they’re filled with merchandise.
• Withstand the force should a customer accidentally bump into them.

Tip #3: Don’t Overfill Your Small Plastic Containers

Given the “small” part of their name, it’s obvious you can only put so much merchandise in a small plastic container. Still, be conscious of how much merchandise – and how heavy the merchandise – you put in your containers. The heavier the container, the less likely it will work as well as it can with a wire display rack.

Plus, if a container is too filled with merchandise, it will become difficult for your customers to conveniently browse and access the merchandise.

Tip #4: Don’t Put Too Many Containers On Your Racks

Just as you don’t want to overstuff your containers, you don’t want to overstock your racks. Even if the retail wire rack is rather sturdy, extra weight adds extra stress.

Plus, if you have too many containers on your racks, your customers will find it difficult to view and select the merchandise they way.

Tip #5: Place Your Retail Wire Racks for Optimal Performance and Safety

You’ve made sure your containers aren’t filled to the brim and you’ve made sure your wire racks are sturdy enough to hold the weight and withstand any customers who might bump into them; still, you need to make sure your racks are situated in an area within your store that not only increases the safety of your merchandise and your customers but also increases your customers’ convenience.

5 Ways You Can Use Small Plastic Containers in Your Business

Plastic containers are some of the most popular display and storage tools for businesses, and for good reasons: they’re durable, lightweight, convenient, and versatile. You can find them in a variety of shapes, sizes, and styles, and they’re even great for behind-the-scenes uses once you’re finished with them on your floor.

Chances are, if you’re not already using small plastic containers in your business, it’s not because you don’t want to – it’s because you’re not exactly clear on how these containers can work for your business. Below are five examples for using plastic containers in all kinds of businesses – check them out for ideas!

1. Use Small Plastic Containers to Display Food Items

Because there are so many different kinds of these containers available, you can use them to display and store a wide variety of food items. Everything from candies like gumballs and lollipops to baked goods and trail mix.

Keep in mind that if you plan to store and display food that isn’t already protected by some sort of wrapper, you’ll need to consider plastic containers with accessories like lids to help keep your food fresh and safe from the elements. You can find containers that have lids designed to screw or snap on, and you can even find containers with handles and handgrips and purchase plastic or aluminum scoops that help your customers pour or scoop the food item without having to touch any of it.

2. Use Small Plastic Containers to Offer Complimentary Items

Depending on what kind of business you manage, you can use these small containers to offer a wide variety of complimentary items. Everything from a restaurant’s toothpicks and breath mints (as well as extras like packets of condiments, sugar, spices, and artificial sweetener) to a hotel’s free packets of shampoo and conditioner can conveniently fit in these containers.

3. Use Small Plastic Containers to Collect Tips

Because of their size, these containers are excellent tools for collecting tips from your customers! If you manage an establishment that provides any kind of dining area, you can situate these containers on the individual tables to collect tips from your patrons. The same is true for a bar’s countertop area as well as the business’s checkout counter.

4. Use Small Plastic Containers to Hold Raffles

Many different kinds of businesses hold raffles or drawings for prizes to show customer appreciation. You can use these containers to collect your customers’ raffle tickets, business cards, or any other card or paper designed to hold the customers’ names and contact information.

5. Use Small Plastic Containers for Storage

Just because these containers are usually used for display purposes doesn’t mean you can’t use them for behind-the-scenes storage, as well. Also, just because they’re small doesn’t mean they’re not the ideal size for some of your smaller items!

You can use these plastic containers in your business’s storage or stock room, under countertops, or even in your manager’s office to store items like small office supplies (think paperclips and staples) as well as tools like prices tags and discount, sale, and clearance stickers.

Different Ideas for Clear Plastic Containers

You’ve undoubtedly seen a variety of businesses using clear plastic containers. Businesses often use these containers to store and display everything from candy and other dry foods to small children’s toys and travel-sized convenience items.

Because they’re available in such a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and styles, these kinds of plastic bins are some of the most versatile tools available for any kind of organization; however, retails businesses aren’t the only kinds of businesses that can use these containers. Below are just a few ideas of other organizations that use plastic bins for organizing, storing, and display items – as well as an assortment of other uses!

Businesses Use Clear Plastic Containers at Tradeshows

Clear plastic containers are lightweight and generally rather small when compared to other display tools, which makes them perfect for tradeshows. Any kind of professional who attends a tradeshow can use clear plastic containers to display his products, hold his business cards and collect the business cards of other organizations, and even offer freebies and prize drawings to spectators.

Nonprofits and Charities Use Clear Plastic Containers In and Out of the Office

Nonprofit organizations and charities can uses clear plastic containers both inside and outside their offices.

These containers are great for organizing office tools as well as collecting donations, and many nonprofit organizations and charities use these containers to passively collect donations at other retail locations throughout their area. For example, you can choose a few popular businesses throughout your city, ask the store manager if you can place a container on the store’s countertop, and start collecting donations.

Fundraisers Use Clear Plastic Containers for Organization and Collection

Whether you’re organizing a car wash or managing a bake sale, clear plastic containers are great tools for collecting proceeds as well as organizing and display your tools or the items you’re selling.

And, just like nonprofits and charities, fundraiser organizations can use these bins to collect donations at retail locations. Just ask the store manager if you can place a container on the countertop near the register and wait for donations to roll in.

You Can Use Clear Plastic Containers in Your Home

You don’t have to offer a professional service to have a need for clear plastic containers! Homes have many uses for these containers:

• Kitchen: Use plastic bins in your kitchen or pantry to organize food items or odds and ends like extra plastic utensils, hand wipes, and toothpicks.
• Bathroom: Plastic bins are great for organizing, display, and keeping clean hygiene items like cotton balls and cotton swabs. You can even use these containers to store trial- and travel-sized products you’ve collected and hung onto for emergencies like small bottles of shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and mouthwash as well as tubes of toothpaste and toothbrushes.
• Children’s Room: Use these containers to store small children’s toys like bouncy balls and jacks, building blocks, crayons, play jewelry, and miniature cars.
• Garage and Basement: These two home areas are common locations for storage and work, and you can use plastic containers to organize and store nuts, bolts, nails, screws, and other small extras.
  

Versatile Plastic Containers Work for Nearly Every Business

If your business sells any kind of small merchandise – whether it’s edible items like candy or non-edible items like key chains – you should be aware of how using plastic containers can help you store, organize, and display your merchandise.

These versatile containers come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors to help you best use the space you have to work with and add visual appeal to your display, and they can be paired with accessories to increase your customers’ convenience.

Shape

Some of the most popular shapes of plastic containers include round, "fish bowl," square, rectangular, and hexagon. You can also find holiday-inspired shapes like a Santa Claus boot and Christmas tree.

The container shape you choose will depend on the kind of merchandise you plan to display as well as the kind of space you have to work with. For example, if you plan to display round gumballs, a fish bowl or round plastic container will work best. If you have a small countertop or very little space on your display rack, a tall, square plastic container will make the most of the space.

Size

Plastic containers are available in sizes small enough to act as tip jars and large enough to hold merchandise like an assortment of jumbo gumballs or small plush children’s toys.

Choose the size of your containers based on what you plan to hold in them and how much space your countertop or display rack offers. For example, if you plan to display unwrapped candies on a small countertop, you might want to choose one large plastic container or two or three small containers. If you have plenty of countertop space, or an entire display rack, then you might want to use a few large containers or many small containers.

Color

Clear plastic containers are probably the most popular kind. Not only do they "match" every business décor, but because they’re see-through, they also offer extra convenience to both you and your customers.

However, colored acrylic bins have much to recommend them, too. You can find these containers in colors like pink, blue, green, yellow, and orange and the colors are transparent enough so that you and your customers can easily see the merchandise inside. Many businesses can have fun with colored plastic containers, choosing colors that match their stores’ themes or coordinate with the kind of merchandise displayed in the containers. For example, candy store owners might choose to display Atomic Fireballs in red plastic containers.

Accessories

Accessories for plastic containers are designed to increase the convenience of the containers and the cleanliness of the merchandise inside.

If you plan to display loose merchandise in your containers, such as cereal, or you know you or your customers will need to lift the containers for any reason, then you should choose handgrip containers. At the same time, if you know you’re going to display unprotected edible items, such as unwrapped candies like gumballs or other unwrapped foods like peanuts, you should choose plastic containers with lids and make sure your customers have access to plastic or aluminum scoops.

Display Racks: Convenience Is Key

Display racks are convenient tools for a variety of businesses, including:

• Gas stations and other kinds of convenience stores.
• Restaurants, cafeterias, and specialty food shops.
• Bookstores, movie theaters, and movie rentals.
• Hotels, motels, and other travel industry businesses.
  

Every business needs to display its merchandise is organized, attractive, and convenient ways. One of the best ways to do this is to use racks designed to display merchandise on the floor or countertops. So, it only makes sense that the key to choosing the best display racks for your business is to choose what will offer the most organization, visual appeal, and convenience to your customers.

Choose the Best Display Rack

There are various kinds of display racks – from pegboard racks to common convenience store racks – and while each one works to display merchandise, each one also works a bit differently from the next. Keep in mind you can also find racks designed specifically for countertop display (which work great for small stores that need to make the most of the space they have!) as well as floor racks of various heights and widths.

Be sure to take your time considering the kind of merchandise you want to showcase and browsing each kind of display rack to determine which one will work best for you.

Choose the Best Accessories

Once you know what kind of display racks you want to use, it’s time to think about the accessories you’ll need.

Unless you plan to use a more traditional convenience store rack (also known as a c-store) rack, which generally has a number of built-in shelves for you to work with, chances are you’re going to need accessories like pegs, trays, and small plastic containers and bins to hold your merchandise. If you’re using pegboard displays, also be aware of the extensions you can add to make these displays taller and create more room for more merchandise.

While they’re not necessary tools for actually showcasing your merchandise, header sign holders are excellent ways to clearly label the merchandise on a certain rack, note the price, or announce a particular promotion. These header sign holders are generally available in clear and a number of sizes and shapes, like half-circles and rectangles, so choose the holders that will best fit your display rack.

Choose the Best Location

Naturally, you need to place your racks in convenient locations throughout your store. This might mean organizing the racks close to other displays of similar items or rearranging displays that hold merchandise for sale so they’re near high-traffic areas in your store. However, this always means making sure your racks are positioned in ways so that your customers can conveniently access the merchandise.

Note that in addition to stationary display racks, you can also choose racks that revolve so your customers can spin them around to see the merchandise on each side. These revolving racks are ideal for displaying merchandise in stores with limited space where the racks need to stand close to a wall or on top of countertops.