One of the most frequently asked questions we hear is “What is the definition of a display?” It is a good question without a simple answer. At Vanguard, we define a display as a merchandiser that sets on a retail floor, shelf or fixture and holds product for sale. Within this definition are four primary categories with an infinite amount of variations of each.

• Pallet displays are displays that are assembled on a pallet that is filled with product and shipped retail ready to the store floor. Variations on this can include full pallets, half pallets and quarter pallet variations. These are usually the largest and most complicated of the seasonal or temporary merchandisers yet the most foolproof for rollout on the retail floor. These displays will almost always hold the greatest amount of product and consequently can be the most cost effective on a per product piece basis. These are almost always shipped by common carrier.
  
  
• Base/tray/riser displays are free standing floor displays that include a free standing base, a tray for the product which locks into the base at a nearly vertical angle and a riser (or header) which contains the bulk of the graphics and marketing content. These are frequently shipped in a single master shipper with the tray filled with product, the base knocked down flat and folded and the riser (header) placed inside usually on top of the tray. These are often cost effective when smaller quantities of product are required, the shipments need to be sent by FedEx/UPS directly to the stores or the footprint allowed on the floor is small. Some assembly at the retail floor is required.
  
  
• PDQ’s are effectively trays with high quality graphics. The trays are assembled, product filled and packed in a master shipper. The advantage to a store is a foolproof, fast stocking item with marketing graphics.
  
  
• Sidekicks are long, narrow trays (14” or narrower) with either shelves or hanging hooks. Sidekicks are also frequently pre-packed into a single master shipper for shipment directly to a store and may or may not have a header. When shipped with hanging clips, these too are virtually foolproof at the retail floor level.
  
  

Whatever the style or the requirements, Vanguard has the award winning Creative Services department to design it from the conceptual stage to production. We incorporate state-of-the-art technology in our equipment and our processes. Vanguard can manufacture virtually any size or style of display to fit any budget while keeping all processes in-house for quality control on on-time delivery. But don’t be fooled. Just because a company can manufacture corrugated products doesn’t make it a display company. Examine their capabilities closely before committing your project to just any vendor.