Pallet displays are pre-built retail displays shipped on pallets ready for store floor placement.
Detailed Definition
A pallet display is a merchandising unit built and filled with product, usually by the brand, a packer or a co-packer, then shipped on a pallet so a store can roll it onto the sales floor with little or no restocking. Displays may use a full-size 48x40 pallet or smaller half and quarter footprints, and often include corrugated trays, shrouds and printed graphics. They are common in grocery, club and mass retail for promotions and seasonal items, and they reduce the in-store work of stocking shelves.
Pallets used under displays
The base pallet is part of the display. Retailers often specify the pallet type, footprint and condition, and some require a rental pool pallet or a dedicated display pallet. Half and quarter size display pallets fit store aisles and endcaps better than a full 48x40. Because the base sits on the sales floor, retailers may require it to be clean, free of protruding nails and hidden by a skirt or the display's graphics. See also retail pallet requirements, and ask the retailer whether the base pallet must be returned through a pool or may be disposed of at the store.
Engineering a display to survive shipping
- Corrugated trays and shrouds must carry stacking loads in trucks and warehouses, not only on the store floor.
- Product must be secured so it does not shift when the display is moved with a pallet jack.
- Height and footprint must meet the retailer's store requirements.
- Graphics should face the right way when the pallet sits in its planned spot.
Transit testing, for example under ASTM D4169, can show whether a design survives handling before a large rollout.
Authoritative Sources
- Consumer Brands Association (formerly GMA) (CBA): the trade association whose 48x40 inch pallet standard (the "GMA pallet") became the dominant US pallet specification.
- Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA): the trade association representing large US retailers on policy and operations issues; receiving requirements are set in each retailer's own routing guides, not by RILA.
Related Glossary Terms
Frequently Asked Questions
Who sets the requirements for pallet displays?
The retailer usually does. Large chains publish display and shipping guidelines covering pallet type and size, maximum height and weight, labeling, and how the display must arrive. Requirements can differ by chain and even by program within a chain, so brands and display makers should work from the current guideline for that customer rather than assuming a format accepted elsewhere will pass.
How is a pallet display different from a regular retail pallet?
A regular retail pallet carries shipping cases that store staff unpack onto shelves. A pallet display is built to be shown as is: product is arranged in trays with graphics so shoppers take items straight from it. That means the display must be packed to look right after transit, and the base pallet has to meet the retailer's standards for appearance as well as for strength and handling.