Most sales are scheduled but a tremendous percentage are unscheduled. A customer picks up an item they didn’t plan to purchase just because the item was available at the time. Display boxes are designed to make just those moments. Let’s see how display boxes help to make your products stand out and engage a passer by and make it a sale.
Visibility Comes First
Begin with the obvious fact. If a shopper doesn’t see a product, they can’t purchase it without a second thought, so visibility is key to an impulse purchase.
A display box lifts your product up and turns it to face forward, so it is not overlooked amidst the shelves. This visibility is important because the impulse purchase only comes when the product is noticed. Custom printed retail display boxes are intended to be viewed first.
Visibility lays the groundwork for the sale by:
- Raising the product in front of the eye.
- Oriented towards customers.
- Being conspicuous.
Catch them first and you may have the opportunity to make them buy on impulse.
Placement Is Everything
Think about the location of the display. Impulse buying occurs in certain locations and placing your product there is what makes it from a point of view to a sale.
The till area is the traditional impulse zone and is the location where shoppers wait to pay. Aisle ends and locations near similar items are other areas that trigger impromptu purchases. A display box allows you to position the product in the right place; not where impulse would be captured on a low shelf.
The optimal impulse locations are:
- At the till, while people are waiting in line to get in their purchases.
- At busy aisle ends.
- Near related products.
You place your product at the point of impulse and the rest is up to the display.
It catches the Waiting Shopper
Think about the checkout line. When a shopper waits for a long time in the queue, they will be bored, relaxed, and susceptible to temptations that will tempt them to buy on impulse as they pass the till.
A well placed display takes up that idle time as the shoppers wait to pay. If there’s a small, enticing product right there, it’s easy to add without significant thought. That’s why counter displays near register checkout do so well – because they’re right there when shoppers are most likely to give in!
The waiting shopper purchases because they:
- Idle and looking around.
- Unrestricted and susceptible to sin.
- Very close to an easy add on.
Once a customer is waiting in line, it’s a simple sell.
Easy to Grab, Easy to Buy
Think of what happens when a force is applied suddenly. A display that is easy to access, will make getting that product easy and complete the sale.
Impulse buying occurs quickly and without careful thought and thus anything that presents any sort of obstacle will break the spell. Having a display that allows products to be easily accessible at hand level without bending or reaching over it eliminates that friction. Custom printed retail display boxes display products in a manner that allows the shopper to pick up the product in a second before second thoughts creep in. The trick to making a sale is how easy it is to access.
Easy grabbing works by:
- Eliminating the ‘friction to buy’ element.
- Allowing consumers to do something quickly.
- Beating second thoughts.
Make it easy to grab a purchase comes out of that impulse.
Small and Affordable Sells on Impulse.
Consider what “impulse” purchases are made. Impulse items are typically low dollar items, and the displays are more successful when they feature just these items.
A consumer will take a little good, an extra, or a low-cost item off the counter, but not a costly item. These low-dollar products are ideal for displaying since they are easy to say yes to – and that is when they want to say yes. It’s all about matching the product to the display – impulse means small and affordable, and little buys equate to big costs.
Impulse will favour products that are:
- Compact and convenient to transport.
- Low-cost and painless.
- Shopper friendly.
Deliver a modest, inexpensive product and shoppers buy it without consideration.
Clear Branding builds instant trust.
Think of the split-second decision. Impulse buys happen in a flash, and clear branding that establishes immediate brand trust helps to close the deal.
When a buyer is making a quick decision, they don’t have time to investigate the product; they go by “look and feel.” The display is well-branded and instantly advertises the product as trustworthy and desirable. First impressions is the thing that can make a buyer decide to purchase or not. Custom printed retail display boxes are used to have that branding exactly where the decision takes place.
The feeling of trust is gained right away through:
- Clear, confident branding.
- A professional look.
- A good buy.
An impulse buy that appears legitimate to the naked eye is a safe impulse buy.
Seasons and Events Inspire Impulse
Finally, consider timing. Holidays and events are the time to watch for impulse buying, and displays can help.
During holidays, consumers tend to be more inclined to make unplanned purchases, and are in a mood to consume. A seasonally or event-related theme will resonate with that mood and encourage additional purchases. Easy to install and change displays, so you can catapult your way through each seasonal peak.
The way that seasonal displays work is:
- Mirroring the shopping attitude.
- Attempting to tie to holidays and events.
- Taking advantage of every buying surge.
To buy impulsively, orchestrate the display during a season.
Final Thoughts
Display boxes help to raise awareness and encourage impulse buying because they are there when shoppers want to buy. When you get your product seen, you have smart placement to put it where impulse strikes, particularly till.
They get the customer, who is waiting in the store, and make grabbing simple, and they fit the small, inexpensive purchases made spontaneously. Branding gives immediate credibility and the timing is timed to the seasons of the unexpected purchase.
So a display box is not just a box that is visible, it is an impulse machine. Set it up in the spot shoppers look to wait, offer a simple and inexpensive product, and let the product be easily accessible and convenient to buy, and the display will convert passersby into buyers throughout the day.

