You have to remember that there are a lot of distractions when customers are inside the store. It’s not like when browsing an e-commerce site. You only have to focus on what’s on the screen.
When in a physical store, there are other products there. You need suitable packaging designs to make consumers take notice of your product.
Studies show that placing products into specially curated in-store displays can increase sales by as high as 478%—clear proof that well-designed display boxes are one of the most powerful ways to drive impulse buys and retail revenue.
In this article, you’ll get 18 actionable, retail-focused ideas to create highly effective product display boxes for your brand.
7 Important Questions Before Designing Your Display Packaging
Before giving you display ideas, there are a couple of things that you have to do first. As a business owner, it’s up to you to make the crucial decisions that’ll lead you to an effective product display packaging design.
To help you make the right decisions, here are 7 questions that you need to answer.
1. What Is Your Brand Style?
Your display packaging design represents your brand. Even if you choose a design that highlights your product, you always want it to reflect your brand identity.
This is how you create unique packaging that your customers can identify with. Whatever design you choose, it has to be aligned with your brand’s story.
At the very least, your brand style will guide you in choosing the elements you’ll put in your display box.
2. What Is Your Product?
Your display packaging design should meet the needs of your product. After all, the goal of your packaging is to help you sell products. That means your packaging design should complement your product.
It should have the right elements that highlight the product so customers will be enticed to buy it.
Put custom inserts so your product looks neat. Or you can make the color of the display box contrast with that of the product. You can also put easy-to-read information about it so customers will know if they should buy it or not.
3. Who Is Your Target Market?
Another thing to consider is your target audience. Who are the people that you want to sell to?
While you want a lot of people to buy your product, ensure that you’re attracting the right kind of customers. These are the ones who can appreciate what your product can bring.
With that in mind, you need to create your display packaging design with your potential customers in mind. Put yourself in their shoes. What do they always think about?
How do they make their buying decisions? If you can define this, you can position your packaging so it projects your product as a must-have.
4. Where Will Your Product Be Displayed?
You need to identify where your display box will be positioned so you’ll know what packaging designs are appropriate for them.
There are different types of display packaging styles. There are those displayed on shelves, floors, checkout counters, etc. You have to realize that the product discovery journey varies depending on where the customers are.
If they see your product on the shelf, they will have more time to peruse it. Make sure it’s designed to stand out among the other products near it.
When your box is at the checkout counter, they also have time to look at your display. Give them the information they need so they can add it to their cart.
If your display box is on the floor, you want it to be interesting enough that people will stop and take a look at it.
5. Is It Part of a Marketing Campaign?
Are your display boxes created for a marketing campaign? Sometimes, a product launch or a sale event requires a specific display box to highlight the important products. You can create a display packaging design to align with that campaign.
You want it to have a cohesive look with your campaign so people will identify the right products with your event.
6. How Long Will the Box Be Used?
If you plan to use the box for a long time, you need a sturdy display packaging design. Choose materials and accessories that’ll stand the test of time.
Instead of using cardboard paper, use corrugated cardboard because it’s thicker with the 3 layers. Or you can use the double-walled corrugated cardboard.
This will ensure that you can use the display box without replacing it often. That’ll be too costly.
7. What Does Your Historical Sales Data Say?
To ensure that your display packaging will boost sales, you have to base your design on historical data. Check your retail analytics and see when sales were high.
What causes them? What type of product and packaging were involved?
This will allow you to make data-based decisions, which will give you a higher chance of getting a huge return from your packaging investments.
It’ll also help you identify benchmarks that will help determine if the new display box design is effective or not.
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18 Packaging Design Ideas for Your Display Boxes
Your display packaging designs have one purpose. To increase brand and product awareness. It’s a powerful marketing tool that can effectively convince your customers to buy your product.
That means if you choose the right design elements, display boxes can help you achieve significant business growth.
If you need inspiration in choosing the right design, here are some of the options you can consider.
1. Custom Insert PDQ Trays
Highlighting your products is one of the goals of your display box. That means your display packaging design should present products in an orderly manner.
But with all the chaos in a store and the way people just pick up and carelessly put back a product – it could leave your display box in complete disarray.
Custom inserts can solve this problem. It’s a molded tray or part of a box that presents your products in clear lines that showcase important features for customers to see.
Pro Tip from Packoi: Ideal for cosmetics, candy, and small accessories; keeps products fixed and aligned even in high-traffic retail areas.
2. Tiered Countertop Displays
Don’t assume that bright, bold, and crazy are the best ways to stand out. Simplicity still draws attention. Especially if that’s the preference of your target market.
Feel free to create a display packaging design that’s simple – as long as it represents your brand well.
You can choose a solid color that best represents your brand and product. Put your brand name and logo. Then make sure your products are displayed neatly.
Sometimes, that is all you need in a display box.
Tiered countertop structures turn a simple design into a highly effective retail-ready display, perfect for impulse buys at checkout counters.
Pro Tip from Packoi: Best for lipsticks, lip balms, and small snacks; uses vertical space without taking too much room.
3. Metallic Accent POP Display Designs
Anything shiny can be eye-catching. This is why putting some metallic elements on display packaging designs is a common practice.
You don’t have to use foil print on everything. Choose strategic areas in your box. Specifically, those that are at eye-level with your customers.
Print the product name or the brand in foil print. Just make sure this fits your brand style so your loyal customers will still recognize you. This will help you strengthen brand recognition and make your product stand out.
Pro Tip from Packoi: Use gold or silver foil on eye-level areas to attract shoppers from 5+ feet away.
4. Interactive Movable-Part Display Boxes
A great way to capture the attention of your customers is by adding interactive elements to your display packaging design.
For instance, your product is a cookie. You can put an image of a child that looks like they’re eating a cookie. Make the arm of the child movable so customers can pull the cookie away from the child’s mouth and bring it back.
It should be a fun way to engage customers. Children would also be inclined to play with this.
Just make sure that this part of the display box is sturdy so it won’t break after being moved several times.
Pro Tip from Packoi: Use thick corrugated cardboard for movable parts to ensure durability with repeated use.
5. QR Code Integrated Displays
Use technology to make your display packaging design attention-worthy. Attach a digital display – like a small tablet or screen where people can see video clips about your product.
Admittedly, this can be quite costly. You could only make a couple of display boxes with a digital display.
But if you can impress your customers and make them buy – it should be a worthy investment.
Of course, you’ll have to be careful where you put this type of display packaging. You want it in a secure place where there’s heavy traffic.
Maybe use it in big retail stores or during trade fairs.
For a lower-cost alternative, use QR codes to link to product videos, tutorials, or your online store.
Pro Tip from Packoi: QR codes are cheap, eco-friendly, and easy to update at any time.
6. Bold POP Display Designs
While simplicity has its merits, bold designs are still quite effective in standing out. If you choose extraordinary design elements, it’ll make anyone stop and look at them.
So if you want your display packaging design to be the talk of the town, take risks with bold images and colors.
This is a great strategy if you’re trying to reinvent your brand. Or if you’re trying to capture another segment of the market. You can go against what they usually know about your brand.
But make sure they can still connect it with yours.
Pro Tip from Packoi: Bold designs work extremely well for endcaps, floor displays, and new product launches.
7. Brand-Patterned Shelf & Floor Displays
Patterns can also be distracting enough to make your customers stop to look at your product. Put all-over prints on your display packaging.
Make it unique by creating a pattern out of your brand logo. Or you can use designs that you’ve put on the product that you’re displaying.
That way, customers who see the display box from afar will feel a sense of familiarity and connection once they see the product display.
They’ll recognize the product you want to sell based on the display.
Pro Tip from Packoi: Patterns help your display stand out from far away in crowded retail aisles.
8. Pegboard Hook Displays
This is a tricky approach in your display packaging design. But if you do it correctly, it can be quite clever.
The idea is to use contrasting elements to highlight your product.
If the product is colorful, use white or black as the dominant color of the display box. Or if the product is plain, give the box a colorful vibe.
Using contrasting elements will allow customers to visually separate your product from its surroundings – specifically the chaos of the retail store.
Pegboard hook displays use vertical contrast and structure to maximize checkout and wall space.
Pro Tip from Packoi: Perfect for small accessories, tools, and travel-sized items; effectively saves counter space.
9. Benefit-Focused POS Display Messaging
Use your display packaging design to talk to your customers. Communicate a powerful message with them.
You can also use a bold statement. Or you can ask questions like “Are you tired of (insert a problem that your customer struggles with)?” or “Do you want to (insert a life aspiration)?”
Whatever information is on the product packaging, highlight the most important one and put it on the display box. This includes product features or qualities that you know customers would want to know about. This will increase the chances that they’ll buy.
Pro Tip from Packoi: Use short, clear messages at checkout; shoppers only spend 2–3 seconds reading.
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10. Color-Coded Retail Display Designs
Colors have been used in marketing tools for a very long time. It’s been proven to be effective in attracting the right customers to a product.
The right color scheme is powerful enough to make your packaging designs reach out to customers. It can evoke emotions that can push customers to make a buying decision in your favor.
This is why you should be careful when considering the colors of your display packaging design. Choose the ones that won’t just make your display stand out. Make sure it can influence your customers to buy your products.
Pro Tip from Packoi: Stick to 1–2 main colors plus one accent color to avoid visual clutter.
11. Retail-Ready Tear-Away SRP Display Boxes
Your display packaging can also use unconventional shapes to create a unique look. Instead of the typical box, use curved lines. Or you can cut out shapes that represent your product. Maybe even the character that you want to be associated with your product.
Using creative shapes allows you to create unique packaging that will completely change how customers look at your brand. Be as innovative as you can be.
Just don’t forget to keep the design aligned with your product, too. That way, there won’t be any confusion when people decide to buy.
Tear-away SRP (Shelf-Ready Packaging) is the most practical unconventional shape for retail.
Pro Tip from Packoi: SRP boxes let stores open, display, and restock in seconds – no assembly needed.
12. Oversized Product Replica Displays
Speaking of unique shapes, why not create a bigger version of the product and use it as the display packaging design?
You can incorporate actual product features so people can recognize it even from afar.
For instance, you’re selling chocolates. Make your box a bigger version of the packaging. Or you can make it the same shape as the actual bar of chocolate. Remove a portion of the chocolate to make it look like someone took a big bite out of it.
These creative ideas will make your display memorable even to people passing by.
Pro Tip from Packoi: Lightweight corrugated cardboard is best for oversized displays; easy to ship and set up.
13. Premium Black POS Displays
If your brand wants to exude luxury and elegance in the display box, use black as the dominant color. It’ll make your display packaging design look sophisticated. It’ll feel like the display box and products in it were set apart for a more premium market.
This luxury can attract high-value customers to look at your products closely. If you add colors and metallic prints, it’ll make your display look more alive.
Pro Tip from Packoi: Laminate black displays to prevent scratches and fingerprints in retail stores.
14. Minimalist White Counter Displays
In case your brand doesn’t identify with the color black, you can use white instead. Despite its minimalistic vibe and simplicity, this color is still very powerful.
This will attract people who like minimalist designs.
But if you decide to use this for your display packaging design, make sure you laminate your box. Remember, white may look nice but it shows dirt easily. Smudges will make your box look unappealing.
If your box is laminated, it’ll be easier to clean off any dirt or smudges on it.
Pro Tip from Packoi: Matte lamination works best for white displays; easy to wipe clean.
15. Aspiration-Driven Lifestyle Displays
People buy a product because it helps them reach a specific goal. If your display packaging shows the life aspirations of your target market, you’re giving them a compelling reason to buy your product.
For instance, you’re selling herbal tea. Put a photo of a happy and healthy person. Or if you sell cosmetics, put a photo of a beautiful woman.
Think about what your product can do for your customers. It’ll help you decide on the best image to put on your display box.
Pro Tip from Packoi: Use clean, relatable lifestyle images that match your target audience’s goals.
16. Brand-Centric Endcap Displays
It’s okay if all you want to highlight in your display packaging design is your brand. This is acceptable, but only if your brand is already well-known in the market.
This approach uses the brand’s reputation to help sell new products. If the customer wants to know more about what you’re selling, they simply have to look at the product packaging in the display box.
If your brand is new, this might not be a good idea for you. The brand may not be enough to encourage customers to buy your product.
Pro Tip from Packoi: Best for established FMCG brands; new brands should focus more on product benefits.
17. Eco-Advocacy Retail Displays
Your display packaging design can do more than just promote your product or brand. If you have advocacies that you want to promote, you can put them in your display box.
It can be in bold statements or subtle messages. For instance, if you want to promote recyclability, put a label on the box design that says “This product is 100% recyclable.”
This will help raise awareness and it can also encourage loyal customers. People want to support businesses that have advocacies – especially those that they believe in as well.
Pro Tip from Packoi: Use soy-based inks to strengthen your eco-friendly brand message.
18. Mirror-Equipped Cosmetic Displays
Here’s a novel idea. Add a mirror to your display packaging design.
Let’s face it. Every time we come across a mirror, we look at our reflection. This is one way to ensure that people will take a look at your display box.
If you put it in the right position, people will glance at the information or images relating to your product. It’s an opportunity to get them to buy.
After all, a person’s buying journey usually starts with just one look at a product.
Pro Tip from Packoi: Best for makeup, lipstick, and skincare displays; place mirrors at eye level.
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What’s the Best Display Box Material?
Now that you know the possible designs that you can use for your display box, it’s time to choose the right materials to create it.
When choosing materials, it’s important to consider durability. Your display box will be in a place where there’s heavy traffic. Not only that, it has to carry your products. You want it to maintain its original form. If your box gets damaged, the retail store has no choice but to pull it out.
That’ll be a wasted opportunity for your brand.
To ensure this won’t happen, choose between these three common display box materials.
1. Glass
This is probably the most expensive of all the options, but it’s also the most premium of them all.
Admittedly, not all products should use glass display packaging. It’s best for premium items or fragile ones. Watches, pieces of jewelry, and similar products are some of the products that are best displayed in a glass box.
If you choose this material, make sure it’s sturdy and safe against breaking. Things can happen in a busy retail store. You don’t want someone to get hurt in case they break your display box.
2. Acrylic
This is also referred to as plexiglass. It’s a type of plastic that can look like glass – but it’s lighter and shatter-resistant. There are times when this looks more transparent compared to glass – which is a good thing.
As a display packaging material, this is very flexible. You can use it for both premium and commodity products.
3. Cardboard
If you want to be more sustainable, choosing cardboard material is probably the best option for you.
It’s very easy to print on cardboard – which means you get several display packaging design options to choose from.
Admittedly, this is the least durable among all the other materials. It can easily tear and part can break off over time.
If you intend to use the display box for a long time, you’ll need a stronger material to use. But if it’s only for a limited time, then choosing cardboard as your display box material is acceptable.
5 Reasons to Use Cardboard Box for Your Product Display
Glass, acrylic, and cardboard all have benefits, but cardboard is often the best choice for retail, trade shows, and POP/PDQ displays. Here are 5 key reasons why：
1. It’s Eco-Friendly
One of the main reasons why you should use cardboard for your display packaging is that it’s sustainable. The raw materials come from wood pulp, which comes from a renewable source.
Old trees can be cut down because they won’t help absorb carbon dioxide anyway. Planting younger trees in their place will help better absorb greenhouse gases.
Of course, this is only a good thing if you’re getting your cardboard materials from responsibly managed forests. So make sure you conduct proper due diligence on your packaging supplier.
2. It’s Durable
While glass and acrylic are more durable, that doesn’t mean cardboard materials aren’t sturdy. They are still durable.
If you want your display packaging design to be made of a stronger material, you might want to use corrugated cardboard. There’s even double-wall corrugated cardboard that’ll give your display box the strength it needs so you can use it longer.
3. It’s Customizable
If you notice, cardboard is a common material used in product packaging. The reason is that cardboard is extremely customizable.
It’s easy to cut it and mold it into various shapes. You can print anything on it. You can even attach any fabric to it to make it more durable.
This means you can choose any display packaging design, and you won’t have any problems doing it.
4. It’s Cost-Efficient
Compared to other materials, cardboard is very cost-efficient. You don’t have to spend a lot of money just to have it printed with your preferred display packaging design.
It’s also very lightweight. So shipping your display boxes will be cheaper compared to glass and acrylic. That also means storage won’t be a problem. Cardboard display boxes can be laid flat, so they won’t take up a lot of space in storage.
5. It’s Reusable
Finally, the cardboard display box is reusable. If you choose the durable corrugated cardboard material, you don’t have to worry about it breaking easily.
If your product packaging design only shows your brand, you can reuse the same display box for different products. This isn’t just cost-efficient for you.
The practice of reusing your display packaging is also environmentally friendly.
Bonus: Seasonal & Industry-Specific Display Ideas
Additionally, display designs can be further optimized based on seasonal promotions and specific industry needs. Next, we’ll share some seasonal and industry-specific display ideas to help you enhance your product’s appeal in various settings.
Seasonal & Holiday Display Ideas
Seasonal displays drive impulse buying during peak shopping periods. Christmas, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, and summer events all benefit from short-run, low-cost cardboard displays that are easy to install and change.
Industry-Specific Display Examples
- Cosmetics & Beauty: Tiered counter displays, mirror attachments, SRP tear-away boxes.
- Food & Snacks: PDQ trays, dump bins, oversized product replicas.
- CBD & Wellness: Minimalist white displays, eco-messaging, benefit-focused POS.
- Tools & Accessories: Pegboard hook displays, durable floor displays.
FAQs
Q1: What are PDQ, POP, POS, and SRP displays?
PDQ (Pretty Darn Quick) are small counter display boxes for fast checkout setups.
POP displays are in-store units designed to grab customers attention.
POS displays sit at checkout registers to drive impulse buys.
SRP (Shelf-Ready Packaging) tears open instantly for quick restocking on retail shelves.
Q2: Are cardboard displays strong enough for retail use?
Yes. Cardboard counter display boxes made from corrugated board are built for high-traffic retail space. They can support products like tech gadgets, household items, and more while maintaining sturdiness even with repeated handling. For maximum impact, choose thicker board and premium finishing choices like lamination.
Q3: How can display boxes help increase sales?
Well-designed custom display boxes are proven to attract customers and drive impulse purchases. By showcasing your products clearly, they enhance product visibility and help your brand stand out on crowded retail shelves.
Q4: How do I choose the right printing method?
It depends on your quantity and design goals. Offset printing delivers sharp, consistent results for large volumes. For smaller runs, digital printing offers flexibility. To grab attention, consider foil stamping or spot UV on your logo or hero product. Packoi also offers free design support to help you decide.
Conclusion
Creating an effective product display box requires strategic design choices that align with your brand, product, and target audience.
By considering placement, durability, marketing goals, and retail-specific structures, you can create packaging that attracts attention, boosts sales, and strengthens brand recognition.
Whether you use custom inserts, bold colors, interactive parts, or tiered structures, the right display box turns passersby into customers. Invest in quality materials and smart design to stand out in a crowded retail environment.
Are You Ready to Design Your Product Display Box? Packoi Printing Can Help You Choose the Right Design.
Don’t feel overwhelmed and confused about all your options. Sometimes, talking to the right professional will give you clarity. It’ll be easier to choose the right design elements that’ll make your product display boxes more effective and efficient.
If you want to know more about the design possibilities of your display packaging, get in touch with Packoi Printing.
We have the expertise to create cardboard display boxes for you. Contact us today so we can talk. We’ll send a fair quotation in no time.
