interpack 2011: Packaging as a Sales Tool
That being said, the perfect packaging at the PoS is not a brilliant “individualist” making everything else pale in comparison, but primarily a team player. It is just one component in branding, and as such it has to fit seamlessly into the overall concept. The design has to stay within strict limits, since the colors, logo, and language are normally pre-defined. “In the mail order business, packages are the only piece of corporate design that consumers can actually hold in their hands,” comments packaging designer Uli Mayer-Johanssen of the Berlin-based MetaDesign agency. Other factors that are just as important for successful presentation of a product at the point of sale are the stability and ease of handling of the packages. “In terms of logistics, displays can be a particular problem if they are not sturdy enough, too tall, or the base is too weak to carry a superstructure with a very high point of gravity,” explains Hilka Bergmann. Top-mounting structures like this could easily collapse under the weight of the merchandise and would have no chance of arriving at the PoS intact.
At the store itself, easy assembly, and disposal are key. “Displays that are difficult to assemble and take up too much time simply don’t get set up,” says Hilka Bergmann. Another important aspect for retailers is ease of restocking at the point of sale. Displays are normally set up for two to four weeks and have to be continually replenished during this period. When they are taken down, the remaining merchandise has to be transferred to the shelves. Since retailers have no time for complex rearrangements, modular displays that can be set up on top of the transport packaging and are quick to install are gaining ground rapidly. This puts manufacturers in somewhat of a dilemma: the packages themselves have to present a perfect appearance, but they must also be multifunctional in order to keep costs down and ultimately to protect the environment. Displays that are taken down after just two weeks and put in the waste paper collection or even garbage are definitely not a good proposition in terms of economy or ecology.
The German display and packaging manufacturer STI Group has found a solution for efficient PoS presentation. For the Vileda company, it developed a corrugated board display stand for pails, scrubbing brushes and floor cloths with a modular design that reduces the number of parts by two-thirds. The various display types and merchandise selections can be put together using just a few standard elements, which also makes it easy to quickly position new products at secondary locations, reports STI Group spokeswoman Claudia Rivinius.
Good looks are not enough
- Places:
- Germany