These days, everyone appreciates a good deal. That’s exactly why big-box club stores like Sam’s Club and Costco are more popular than ever. One of the ways these stores are able to cut down on costs? By eliminating excess packing material and waste, and handling costs. This means they have much stricter requirements than other shops when it comes to packaging.
Wondering what it takes to create a Sam’s Club style display design and get your product packaged and into these warehouse giants? What about a Costco display design? Check out some basics on club store packaging requirements to get some helpful hints about how to keep it creative and follow the guidelines.
Know the Rules
Each club store’s display and packaging requirements are specific, and often changing. It is important to understand what restrictions apply to each retail chain. For more information and to get the latest specifications, please contact us.
Strategies for Packaging for Club Stores
Don’t let the rules overwhelm you – you have more creative license than you think. Some tips for standing out?
- Make It Efficient: This refers to both the strength of your packaging and the way in which you use it to advertise your product. In club stores, since your products will likely be displayed in bulk, you have more room for text, great graphics, and even recipe ideas. Consider creating a unique packaging design for products going to club stores. These stores often carry only one or two similar items (for example, instead of a choice between fifteen different sweaters, in a club environment, there may only be two.) So, you’re not competing with your standard industry rivals. Instead, you want to make sure shoppers put your sweater into their carts instead of another item altogether.
- Make It Safe: Though each club store may have its own specific safety requirements, remember that your packaging must be durable enough not only to survive the shipping journey, but also be able to withstand the hundreds of shoppers that come to clear out the shelves each day. Consider large bins or even packaging that can fold into custom, standing displays for smaller items.
- Design for Visibility: Your Costco display design or Sam’s Club popup display isn’t going to sell anything if consumers can’t see and assess what your product is and what it can do for them at a glance. You have roughly 3 seconds to catch your customers’ attention. Miss that window and you’ve effectively lost a sale. All of the products and options on your display should be easy to see and, more importantly, easy to grab.
- Look into the Billboarding Technique: Graphics are super-important when it comes to club stores, especially since they play into brand recognition. Billboarding is a design that’s created when boxes and packages are stacked in bulk. Just make sure that your design is able to be seen from more than one side, as often, aisles are see-through. If you’re still working on brand recognition, consider at least color-blocking your boxes in your brand’s colors.
Once you’ve optimized your display and shipped it to your target big-box store, both the display and your inventory management practices will be scrutinized. Club stores will ask you questions about shipment schedules, how the products arrive, and how quickly you can incorporate changes into your display. With the focus on climate-friendly packaging, the sustainability of your display may also be called into question.
Design for your Location
While the design will play a significant role in your relationship with these big-box stores, you’ll also need to consider where your display is going to live once it arrives. You need to choose a design based on your display’s eventual location, and not just on generic club store design tips you find online.
If you’re going to be showcased in the front of the store, focus on delivering high-impact messaging — perhaps on a pallet skirt — which will show details of your primary packaging. Concise statements and large visuals have quite a bit of attention-catching power, which can help snag those coveted 3 seconds of attention.
Displays in the middle of the store will need to be equally effective when seen from all directions Packaging designs that work well stacked are ideal for middle-of-the-store displays. Focus on graphics and text that can communicate your branding from up to 5 feet away, as quickly as possible.
If your display will be placed toward the back of the store, focus on simplifying your message, since the space you have to work with might be limited. Bright colors and bold visuals are your friends for these locations, especially if you’re relegated to a dimly lit corner of the store.
Other Considerations
Is there anything else that you should keep in mind when designing a display for Sam’s Club, Costco, or another club store?
Make sure you’re ready to update and change your display to keep pace with the store’s needs and with changing trends. Staying in close contact with the store can be a valuable tool for gathering extra information, so you’ll always be a step ahead of the competition. Remember that your customers’ attention spans are limited, so always be on the lookout for new ways to catch their eye.
Finally, always be aware of standard merchandising requirements, both for the store and for the areas where you operate, and stay abreast of these requirements to prevent additional work.
We hope these tips have helped you learn how to stand out from the crowd when it comes to club store packaging. If you still have questions or are ready to get started creating your own design, our experts are always happy to help. Keep checking back in on our blog for more invaluable packaging advice!
To start your own project, click here or contact us and we’ll help you with all your questions.