Metal display stands are perhaps the most common among all of the materials used in POP displays and store fixturing. Metal is ubiquitous in the retail merchandising world. In our current blog series, we have been discussing the critical importance of selecting the right materials for your instore display.
Like wood, which we reviewed in Part I of our series, metal has a number of pros and cons which are important to understand in making smart material choices during the design process. Today, we will highlight some of the considerations to be mindful of in using metal as a core material for your store display stands. We’ll also showcase a number of examples of how metal is typically used to create different types of instore displays.
Let’s start with some of the pros and cons of making your POP displays out of metal:
Pros
● Cost Effective– Metal is one the most cost-effective materials used in making POP displays. In comparing a wood floor shelf display and a metal floor shelf display, the metal option would probably win the cost competition in most cases.
● Strong and Durable– Metal is known for its strength and durability. That is why it is used as a structural component to make bridges and tall buildings. Metal instore displays are likely to go out of style before they fail structurally.
● Versatile– Metal can be used in so many different ways and types of displays. Metal can be cut, welded, bent, curved, punched, laser cut, and powder coated to create a wide range of parts and display components.
● Widely Available– Metal is generally easy to get in many forms including tube, wire, and sheet metal.
● Recyclable– Metal can be recycled, melted, and reformed to reduce its environmental impact (although how often metal displays are recycled is another question).
Cons
● Nonrenewable Resource– Despite the fact that it can be recycled, metal is a non-renewable resource that comes from rock, called ore, which is part of the Earths’ crust- a finite resource.
● Longer Lead Times– While metal is available in the U.S., Europe, and other parts of the world, it is typically more cost effective to make metal displays in Asia, particularly since China produces over 50% of the world’s steel supply. The implication for making cost-effective metal displays is that lead times will be inherently longer.
Let’s look at some examples of the most common types of applications for metal in instore displays.
- Wire– Wire is the most affordable type of metal used in POP displays. It comes in a variety of standard thicknesses or gauges and can be easily welded by humans or robots to create entire displays or display components. It is most commonly used to make shelves, baskets, counter displays, display accessories such as hooks, grid and slatgrid panels, dump bins, and selected floor displays like light-duty fold-out shelf displays. Some examples of POP displays that are made entirely of wire or utilize wire components are shown below.
- Metal Tube– In addition to wire, metal tubing is also used extensively in creating instore displays. Metal tubing is stronger than wire and is often used for display frames or as structural members of a display. It is generally available in round, square or rectangular shapes and comes in different wall thicknesses depending on the strength required. Two metal tubes can easily we welded, screwed together or fit together with one swaged end. It can also be slotted to create adjustability for accessory display components. Below are a few examples of metal tube applications, some of which also incorporate wire and sheet metal.
- Sheet Metal– Sheet metal is a higher value-added type of metal than wire or tubing and is therefore more expensive. Like wire and tubing, sheet metal is usually powder coated to protect it from oxidizing which causes rust. Sheet metal can easily be bent, curved, punched, drilled, laser cut, stamped, or embossed (great application for logos).
Perforated sheet metal can create a visually interesting look while also making the material a bit lighter. Sheet metal can also be used to create steel pegboard which is significantly stronger than traditional MDF pegboard. In addition, it can be used as a backer for changeable magnetic graphics (Frontrow and Smartwater examples below). Several examples of sheet metal applications that we have fabricated are shown below.
Thanks for checking out today’s blog on metal display stands as a primary material used in instore displays. Be sure to check out Part III of our series in which we will dive into plastic.
Jim Hollen is the owner and President of RICH LTD. (www.richltd.com), a 35+ year-old California-based point-of-purchase display, retail store fixture, and merchandising solutions firm which has been named among the Top 50 U.S. POP display companies for 9 consecutive years. A former management consultant with McKinsey & Co. and graduate of Stanford Business School, Jim Hollen has served more than 3000 brands and retailers over more than 20 years and has authored nearly 500 blogs and e-Books on a wide range of topics related to POP displays, store fixtures, and retail merchandising.
Jim has been to China more than 50 times and has worked directly with more than 30 factories in Asia across a broad range of material categories, including metal, wood, acrylic, injection molded and vacuum formed plastic, corrugated, glass, LED lighting, digital media player, and more. Jim Hollen also oversees RICH LTD.’s domestic manufacturing operation and has experience manufacturing, sourcing, and importing from numerous Asian countries as well as Vietnam and Mexico.
His experience working with brands and retailers spans more than 25 industries such as food and beverage, apparel, consumer electronics, cosmetics/beauty, sporting goods, automotive, pet, gifts and souvenirs, toys, wine and spirits, home improvement, jewelry, eyewear, footwear, consumer products, mass market retail, specialty retail, convenience stores, and numerous other product/retailer categories.