Designing a point of purchase display (POP) – that works for you
Part - 8
By: Scott Buchanan
Wire to Wire Manufacturing Ltd.
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How far will the displays be shipping? Should I consider knockdown versus solid construction?
Something that you should always ask yourself when in the design stages of a display is: How far will the unit be shipping? This requires consideration for a couple of different reasons. 1) How sturdy and robust does it need to be to handle transit if it is solid construction? 2) How much is freight going to cost for solid displays versus knockdown displays? 3) Will there be someone on-site that will put the display together and is it simple enough to ensure that it gets put together correctly and safely at the store level? You can see from these very simple questions that there can be a little bit to consider.
Some displays are intended to be completely loaded with merchandise prior to shipment and therefore ready for the sales floor when they reach their shipping destinations. If this is the case then it isn’t just the display that needs to withstand the transit, but the display along with the load of the merchandise being banged around the back of a truck to its final destination. More often than not these loads are consolidated along the way so they are unloaded and loaded onto another truck at least once on their trip.
Another consideration to make is to look at how many displays can comfortably and safely fit onto a skid if they are solid construction. Then how many skids will fit onto a truck. How much will freight per display work out to using this information? Recalculate with a knockdown unit and figure your savings to help you determine the best style if you have a choice. Ie) 4 displays per skid x 48 skids per truck = 192 displays per load at $1580.00 per load. $1580.00/192 displays = $8.23 per display. It is a given that the freight of the knockdown unit versus a solid display will be less for the knockdown style. Depending on the display style and design – the solid will sometimes be a less expensive display and other times it will be a more expensive one. There are more components to handle and to finish (i.e. paint) so that can add to the finishing costs. Packing the job can be an added operation that would not take place if it was a fully assembled solid display. Hardware, instructions, tools, and the assurance that all of the components of the display were packed properly and completely into the carton is a consideration of the knockdown display. As shipping gets to be more and more expensive then the knockdown versus the solid construction becomes an easier decision to make.
If we elect to design and manufacture a knockdown display then you will require the assurance of the capabilities of the on-site person to put the unit together at the store level. Some companies will have company representatives that can put there display together on-site. Other companies will have store personnel at the store putting the display together. Either way, the ease of assembly will be imperative. Time is money and if a representative spends a day assembling the display or only a half an hour – does it take one person or two? Do they need tools or is everything contained in the carton. If it is store personnel that are going to assemble the display they are not going to be very receptive to a time consuming assembly that is not the property of the store itself. If it is too difficult, chances are it will either not be used, or not be assembled properly. If it isn’t used, then all of your time, money, and hard work is for nothing. If it is assembled incorrectly then it is probable that it is unsafe.
So there are a few things to consider when deciding whether knockdown suits you better than solid. Whichever way you decide is best for your display – the qualifications of the designer and manufacturer will soon become an important consideration that must be made.
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Please contact us at Wire to Wire with any ideas or questions you may have. Call us toll free in Canada and the United States at 1-866-760-WIRE(9473).