Retail packaging — counter and shelf displays
Custom Display Boxes
A display box is a printed unit that holds several products face-out at the point of sale: a counter tray with a header card, a shelf-ready case that opens into a tray, or a carton with a hang tab for a peg. It is bought by the dozen products rather than by the product, and it earns its place by putting the range in front of the shopper.
- Family
- Retail packaging
- Best for
- Confectionery, cosmetics, impulse products
- Minimum order
- 50 boxes
- Sizing
- Made to your dimensions
Construction
How it is built, and how it opens.
How it is built
A counter display is a tray with a raised back panel, cut from one blank of printed E-flute or heavy paperboard, with the walls folded up and locked or glued at the corners and the header folded up from the back wall. Dividers can be cut into the same blank to hold units in rows. A shelf-ready case is a corrugated outer whose front and top tear away along a perforation to leave a printed tray. A hang-tab carton is a tuck carton with a die-cut or applied tab above the top panel.
How it is used
Displays are shipped flat and erected at the store or the packing site, then loaded. The header carries the brand and the offer; the tray holds the units upright and face-out so each is picked from the front. A shelf-ready case is loaded at the packer, sealed, and opened on the shelf by tearing the perforation, so the store never handles loose units. A hang-tab carton goes straight onto a peg at eye level.
Board and print
Counter displays and shelf-ready cases run on E-flute at roughly 1.5 mm, which folds cleanly and holds its shape under a full load of product, with a white liner for full-color print or a kraft liner for a single color. Smaller counter trays and hang-tab cartons run on SBS from 16 pt to 24 pt. The board is printed directly; lamination is included, and spot UV and foil stamping are applied to the header where it should stand out.
Packing, shipping and cost
Displays ship flat and are the least of the packaging cost per product, because one unit serves a dozen or more. Per piece a display costs more than a carton, since it is a larger blank on heavier board; per product sold it is small. Shelf-ready cases replace a plain outer, so they cost the difference between a plain case and a printed one. Hang-tab cartons cost the same as the equivalent carton plus the tab.
What it suits
Where a display box box earns its place.
Confectionery
Chocolate bars and cartons in a counter tray with a header, loaded at the till.
Cosmetics
Lip products, balms and minis in a divided tray that keeps each face-out.
Impulse products
Small goods sold next to the checkout, where the display does the selling.
Supplements and pharmacy
Cartons in a shelf-ready case that opens into a branded tray on the shelf.
Accessories on a peg
Hang-tab cartons for small products displayed at eye level.
Finished work
Retail packaging we have made.
Straight tuck end carton · Full-color print 
Hanging-tab carton · Full-color print 
Sleeve with thumb cut · Metallic print 
Counter display and tuck cartons · Full-color print
- The unit product's dimensions and weight, and how many units the display holds. Every display is cut to your dimensions.
- Type: counter tray, shelf-ready case or hang-tab carton, and the fixture it goes on.
- Retailer requirements for facing width, shelf height or peg hole position, if any.
- Board: E-flute or SBS, white or kraft liner; print for the header, tray and inside faces, and finishes on the header.
- Whether the display ships flat to you or is loaded with product before it leaves.
Or consider
When another style does the job better.
Window Box
Choose it when each product should show through its own carton rather than from a shared tray.
Read the guideStraight Tuck End
Choose it as the unit carton that goes into the display, with a hang tab added if a peg is the fixture.
Read the guideCorrugated Lid & Base
Choose it when the outer is for protection in transit and the store will shelve loose units.
See the style
Start a quote
Three answers is all it takes to open a job.
Structure, board and finishing come next — with our team, on the full quote form.
No account needed. Artwork and reference images can be attached on the next step.
Display Box questions
Before you ask.
Anything not covered here, put it in the notes on your quote and we will answer it directly.
Ask on your quoteWhat is a display box?
A printed unit that holds several products face-out at the point of sale: a counter tray with a header, a shelf-ready case that opens into a tray, or a hang-tab carton for a peg.
Do displays arrive assembled?
They ship flat and fold up at the store or the packing site in a minute or two. An assembly sheet is supplied with the first order.
Can the display hold different products?
Yes. Dividers are cut to the mix of units, and a tray can be designed for one product or for a range with several sizes.
What is the minimum order for custom display boxes?
The minimum order for custom display boxes is 50 boxes, the same as every structure we make. Your quote shows the price at each quantity you ask for.
How long does production take?
Standard production is 10–12 working days from proof approval and payment. Ground shipping adds 3–5 working days, and delivery is free on every order.
Can I get a sample before the full run?
Standalone samples are chargeable, because making one box or a handful takes the same setup and production steps as a full run. On a qualifying bulk order, once the order is placed we produce a pre-production sample for your approval at no extra sample charge, and the remaining quantity runs after you approve it.
Same family
Other retail packaging styles.
Start here
Send us your dimensions. We’ll send back a box.
Or talk to a packaging specialist: (209) 444-0744