How to Choose the Best Retail Display Fixtures for Your Store

When it comes to choosing the best retail display fixtures for your store, you might feel a bit overwhelmed. From plastic, acrylic, glass, wire mesh, and wooden basket containers to all the different kinds of racks and stands to hold the containers, the possibilities seem endless.

To help you choose the best retail display fixtures for your store, take some time to first think about your store’s environment, the kind of merchandise you sell, and the customers with whom you normally do business.

1. Consider Your Environment

It’s always best to consider your environment first, because no matter what kind of product you’re displaying, you have to first think about how much space you have to display it.

If you have a lot of space to work with, you have many options! You can use many items like wire display racks, bucket display racks, wire mesh basket displays, and wooden basket displays to showcase your merchandise. If you don’t have much space to work with, you can still use these same kinds of display fixtures – you’ll just need to be aware of how many you can use while still leaving enough room on your store’s floor for your customers to conveniently move about and browse your items.

2. Consider Your Merchandise

Just as you need to think about the number of display fixtures you use, you need to think of the sizes and style that will work best for the amount of space you have to work with. Thinking about your merchandise will help you determine both the best size and the best style of retail display fixtures for your store.

Fortunately, nearly every kind of display fixture available – from plastic containers to wire display racks – is available in a wide variety of sizes and styles, making it easy for you to choose the fixture that will be the right size and style for the kind of merchandise you plan to display as well as the space you have to display it in.

Of course, you also have to consider any special needs your merchandise has. For example, wooden basket displays are great for non-edible merchandise and items like packets of seeds and flower bulbs, but they’re not the best choice for unwrapped candies. If you plan to display edible merchandise that isn’t already covered with some sort of protective wrapper, consider looking for retail display fixtures like glass or plastic containers with lids. You might also want to look for containers with handles or handgrips, as well as think about accessories like aluminum or plastic scoops.

3. Consider Your Customers

Finally, you must think about your customers, and for two reasons: safety and convenience.

You want the retail display fixtures you choose to be safe for your customers. Fixtures like candy containers, for example, are available in both glass and plastic models. Choosing glass containers will work if you have a lot of space to work with and your customers generally consist of adults and not rowdy children, but plastic is probably the better option if you manage a store where space is limited and you cater to lots of children excited to get their hands on your merchandise.

You also want the retail display fixtures to be convenient for your customers. This includes choose fixtures that are large or small enough to comfortably hold the merchandise, as well as fixtures that fit well within your store.

Thinking of Pre-Filled Candy Displays? Consider Wooden Basket Displays

Pre-filled candy displays are ideal for all kinds of businesses, but they’re especially helpful for:

• Businesses such as candy stores and convenience shops that are just getting started.

• Businesses that experience high volumes of traffic and don’t always have the time to order candy and displays fixtures separately and then create the candy displays from scratch.

Pre-filled candy displays constructed of plastic containers or acrylic bins are probably the most common kinds of pre-filled displays. These displays are sturdy as well as versatile and reusable, so it only makes sense they’re favorites among business owners.

However, owners shouldn’t discount the benefits of pre-filled wooden basket displays. These display fixtures are just as useful as their plastic counterparts and they offer extra elegance to candy displays – and any other kind of merchandise showcase you want to create!

Wooden Basket Displays Offer Old-Fashioned Charm

Plastic containers are some of the most popular kinds of display fixtures because they’re sturdy, reusable, and versatile; however, wooden baskets are all of those things and they offer an additional perk: Old-fashioned charm you just can’t get from a plastic container or acrylic bin.

To maximize that charm, consider wooden basket displays pre-filled with classic novelty or specialized candy like saltwater taffy or gourmet chocolate.

Wooden Basket Displays Are Just as Versatile as Plastic Container Displays

Just as you can with plastic containers, you can use wooden baskets as stand-alone display fixtures on your countertops or tables as well as with wooden display racks designed for both countertop displays and floor displays.

Small wooden baskets work well as stand-alone display fixtures on countertops or tabletops, and you can find small display racks designed to hold these baskets on surfaces like countertops. If you have the space you can use larger wooden baskets for your countertop displays, or move your display to the floor with wooden floor racks.

Wooden Basket Displays Can Showcase Any Kind of Merchandise

Once your pre-filled wooden basket display is empty, you can use the baskets for a multitude of purposes!

For example, you already know that wooden baskets are great ways to display bulk wrapped candy, but you can also use these baskets to display other kinds of snack items like small bags of chips or trail mix as well as other snacks like granola bars and energy bars. You can also use these baskets to display edible, non-snack items like bottles of over-the-counter pain relievers and antacid rolls.

Of course, when your pre-filled wooden basket display becomes candy-free, you don’t have to refill it with candy. Displays created with wooden baskets can also showcase non-edible merchandise.

If you manage a convenience store, for example, you can fill these baskets with convenience items like travel-sized bottles of hand sanitizer, shampoo, or lotion as well as small toys to keep your children entertained during long drives. Bookstores can use wooden baskets to display items that come in boxes like small children’s puzzles and LED book lights and gardens and greenhouses can use wooden baskets to organize and showcase packets of seeds or small bags of bulbs.

5 Display Tools for Old-Fashioned Candy Stores

If you’re thinking of opening an old-fashioned candy store, or you already manage an old-fashioned candy store but need some help giving your business a makeover, some of the first things you should think about are the kinds of display containers and fixtures you should use for your candy displays.

Below are five ideal display tools for old-fashioned candy stores to help you pick the tools that will work best for your store!

1. Wholesale Glass Jars and Glass Fish Bowls

Wholesale glass jars and glass fish bowls are the epitome of old-fashioned candy store displays. You can find these glass containers in a variety of sizes and styles, as well as with lids for keeping unwrapped candies wrapped and safe from dust and debris.

While wholesale glass jars and glass fish bowls are perfect for displaying candy in old-fashioned candy stores, broken glass is extremely dangerous so you’ll want to make sure you use them in low-traffic areas of your store or, at the very least, positioned on sturdy display racks.

2. Fixed and Rotating Countertop Racks and Floor Display Racks

If you manage a candy store, chances are not all of your displays are on countertops. This means you’ll other kinds of display tools (besides the glass jars and fish bowls) to hold your candy.

Fixed display racks designed for floors and countertops are ideal for displaying glass containers of candy. At the same time, rotating display racks are great for bags or boxes of candy you can hang from begs or stack on shelves.

3. Wooden Baskets and Wooden Display Racks

Wooden baskets and wooden display racks exude old-fashioned charm and are excellent alternatives for store owners who don’t want to use wire display racks like those found in convenience stores.

You can find wooden displays designed for countertop displays and floor displays, but because the wooden baskets generally don’t come with lids, these display tools are best suited for wrapped bulk candies like Atomic Fireballs, individual pieces of bubble gum, and gourmet chocolates.

4. Gumball Machines

Gumball machines are classic display tools for candy stores. You can find gumball machines with one head or numerous heads and in a variety of different styles. Choose classic styles with round or square heads or fun styles shaped like rocket ships or designed with clear stands to allow your customers to watch their gumballs traveling down to meet them!

Gumball machines are also quite versatile. You can find machines designed for countertop displays, or you can find them positioned on stands and ready for you to move anywhere in your candy store.

5. Dry Food Dispensers

Some unwrapped bulk candies – like Skittles, M&Ms, Runts, Mike & Ike, Good & Plenty, and Jelly Belly’s jelly beans – work well in more than just wholesale glass jars with lids. Because these candies are unwrapped, you can keep them fresh and safe from contamination when you store and display them in dry food dispensers.

You can find dry food dispensers designed to mount on your store’s wall or countertop, and they allow customers to select the amount of candies they want while keeping the rest secured inside.

Equipment for Starting a Candy Store

If you’re thinking of opening a candy store, there are quite a few pieces of equipment you’ll need to display your candy in the most convenient, attractive, and effective ways.

Plastic Containers

If you really think about it, it might actually be impossible – or, at least, extremely difficult – to operate a candy store without plastic containers. From wrapped candies like Tootsie Rolls and Jawbreakers to unwrapped candies like gumballs and Lemon Drops, these containers are perfect for virtually every kind of candy.

Not only are plastic containers are quite durable, which makes them ideal for fast-paced stores that often have children as customers, but they’re also rather versatile. You can:

• Find clear plastic containers and colored acrylic containers to match your candy store’s décor and create attractive candy displays.

• Choose from an assortment of sizes to work best with the candy you want to sell and the space you have to work with.

• Add accessories like lids and candy scoops to keep your candy safe and clean.

• Refill your plastic containers with candy once they’re empty, or use them for an entirely different purpose like organizing merchandise in your stockroom or displaying non-edible items your candy store might also sell.

Glass Containers

Glass containers function in many of the same ways as plastic containers do. You can find them in a variety of shapes and sizes, and pair them with useful accessories like lids and scoops.

However, when you compare glass candy containers with plastic ones, you’ll find two major differences:

• Glass containers are heavier and more easily broken, so they’re not always the best choices for candy stores that usually keep a regular stream of young children coming in and out of the store.

• Glass containers add an elegant charm that plastic containers can’t always achieve, so they’re great for displaying gourmet candies in more upscale establishments.

Display Racks

Unless you plan to display all your candy within plastic or glass containers situated on your store’s countertop, you’re going to need a few display racks.

Candy store display racks are available in numerous styles, shapes, and sizes, the most common and versatile of which include wire display racks and wooden display racks designed for either floor or countertop displays. Unsurprisingly, wooden display racks work best with wooden baskets, and you can use wire display racks to showcase bags of candy that are able to stand alone or fill plastic containers with pieces of candy and then arrange the containers on the wire rack’s shelves.

Pre-Filled Candy Displays

Pre-filled candy displays are great for candy stores that are just getting started as well as those that stay quite busy and can’t always find the time to restock their displays. Look for pre-filled candy displays in the following forms:

• Gumball machines designed for floor displays or countertop displays with as few as one head or as many as eight heads. You can also find gumball machines filled with other kinds of loose, unwrapped candies like Skittles and M&Ms.

• Lollipop trees tall enough to display on your floor or compact enough to situate on your countertop.

• Candy filled display racks complete with traditional, novelty, or gourmet kinds of candies. You can find these racks small enough for your countertop, tall enough to act as floor displays, and large enough to essentially act as aisles in your candy store.

Add Extra Charm to Your Candy Display with Saltwater Taffy

If you have ever been to the beach – whether on vacation or simply because you live near one – chances are you are familiar with the extremely popular candy saltwater taffy.

Saltwater taffy (which you might be surprised to learn does not actually include saltwater in its list of ingredients) is a popular candy throughout America and, because of its popularity, it only makes sense to include saltwater taffy when you are considering that candy display in your store, restaurant, amusement park, or even hotel.

Ordering Saltwater Taffy for Your Store

Saltwater taffy is available in a wide assortment of flavors! As you plan your taffy display, you can keep things simple with traditional cherry, strawberry, orange, grape, watermelon, raspberry, banana, vanilla, and peppermint flavors, or spice things up with saltwater taffy flavors like caramel swirl, berries and cream, butter popcorn, caramel apple, chocolate cinnamon, and root beer float. Of course, you could always include a mix of both traditional and more interesting flavors!

Although saltwater taffy got its start in New Jersey, it is very popular in all American states – especially those located to tourist attractions like beaches. This might be because of the use of “saltwater” in its name. It is rare to visit a tourist attraction like a souvenir shop near the beach and not see a saltwater taffy display.

However, regardless of the size or location of your store, it is always best to order bulk saltwater taffy. This candy is highly popular throughout the country and is generally always a quick seller. Ordering saltwater taffy in bulk is an especially good idea for businesses located near the beach because many vacationers and tourists like to purchase large quantities of the taffy to take home – yes, it is that popular!

Displaying Saltwater Taffy Throughout Your Store

Obviously, you can display saltwater taffy throughout your store in plastic bins. Plastic candy containers are versatile, sturdy, and reusable for years after you order them.

If you decide to go this route, it is best to choose clear plastic containers. Saltwater taffy comes in a variety of flavors and colors, and clear containers allow your customers to see exactly what they are reaching for, as well as add to the visual appeal of your taffy display.

However, if you would rather go with colored acrylic containers, you can think about choosing containers in colors that “match” the flavors of the taffy you are displaying. For example, you can choose translucent containers in red or pink for strawberry-flavored taffy, and translucent yellow containers for banana- or lemon-flavored taffy.

Of course, you should not forget about wooden baskets for displaying your saltwater taffy. These baskets are versatile because you can find them in an assortment of sizes and either display them alone or attach them to wooden basket racks for your countertop or floor. These baskets also add a rustic charm to your saltwater taffy display that regular plastic containers – regardless of their size or interesting shape – just can’t match. Wooden basket displays work well whether you are running a convenience store, restaurant, or hotel snack counter!

Alternatives to Plastic: Wooden Basket Displays

Clear plastic containers are probably the most common kinds of dispensers in retail settings, and for good reason: They help organize, display, and store your merchandise as well as offer customers a clear view of and easy access to the items for sale. These kinds of containers are generally inexpensive as well as versatile and sturdy. Plus, they’re available in an assortment of colors, which makes it easy to create attractive displays.

However, wooden basket displays offer a rustic, visual appeal that plastic containers just can’t achieve and they work perfectly in every kind of store or restaurant setting.

Wooden Baskets Offer Versatility

Wooden baskets can stand alone, which allows you to arrange them however you want, wherever you want! Depending on your store or restaurant, you might only need to use a few baskets positioned together or throughout the establishment. Or, you might need several baskets and prefer to attach them rotating racks of various sizes ideal for floor or counter top displays.

Ideas for Using Wooden Basket Displays

Regardless of the kind of store or restaurant you’re working with, there are numerous ways you can use wooden basket displays. Consider these possibilities:

• Rotating basket tree racks are ideal for organizing and displaying various different kinds of wrapped candies. Consider adding an aluminum scoop to each basket for extra charm and convenience.
• If your store or restaurant sells wines or other spirits, you can use wooden baskets standing alone or as part of a revolving tree rack to organize and display the bottles. This is an especially great idea for establishments that sell wines from local vineyards.
• Greenhouses and garden shops can use wooden baskets for organizing and offering different kinds of seeds and bulbs. If your seeds or bulbs aren’t already packaged, be sure to include an aluminum scoop for convenience.
• Grocery stores and farmers markets can use these baskets for their fruits and vegetables. If you sell fruit and vegetable cleaning solutions, you might also want to hold these in a nearby basket.
• Convenience stores can choose wooden baskets over plastic containers for holding candy, small children’s toys, travel-sized hygiene products, and other convenience items like lighters, key chains, and eyeglasses repair kits. Counter racks are great for convenience stores, but larger stores can also use rotating floor racks for their baskets.
• Wooden basket displays are great in specialty shops. Use them to organize bottles of scented oils, candles, potpourri, tarts, and incense.
• Hobby shops can use these baskets to organize, display, and store craft materials like glue, glitter, beads, figurines, markers, paint, and brushes.
• Fabric stores can use wooden baskets for spools of textiles, thread, sewing needles, thimbles, stencils, yarn, lace, and ribbons. You can use large baskets that stand alone or are attacked to a floor rack, or you might want to use smaller baskets you can attach to revolving counter racks.
• Any store in a popular tourist area can use these basket displays to hold souvenirs. These souvenirs might include everyday items that feature the area’s name or they might even include edible items specific to certain areas like saltwater taffy.