Wood is an incredibly versatile natural product. As the market preference for retail displays and store fixtures continues to shift toward natural products, wood POP displays will gain greater market share relative to displays made of other materials. In addition, as U.S. companies continue to pursue reshoring and nearshoring opportunities, wood is an obvious material choice given the natural resource advantage that North America holds over other regions of the world. And finally, wood options are broad-ranging when it comes to POP displays, which is the focus of today’s post.
When most people think of wood POP displays, they picture a display like we made for Turf Distributors- all wood with a natural wood finish and maybe a PVC header sign.
Or they may picture plywood, which is also commonly used to create a natural look in the POP display industry. The Fat Brain Toys display we designed below shows how prefinished birch plywood can be used with painted solid wood to create a fun and attention-grabbing display.
Wood displays can be finished with a wide range of stains and paints to create an entirely new look. Take, for example, the floor spinner we made for Bridgewater Candle Company’s line of auto fresheners. In this case, the base and main body are constructed of wood with a stained finish. We added metal hooks, wire pockets, and a sheet metal header sign to complete the display.
Similarly, the Mr. Boddington counter display we created below is constructed of solid pine but has a dark walnut stained finish which gives it a rich and different look.
Although bamboo is technically a grass and not a timber product, its high strength-to-weight ratio is similar to wood, and its sustainability qualities make it a great choice for making POP displays. The Coola cart we made below is just one example of what can be done with Bamboo and how its natural aesthetic is hard not to notice.
Another commonly used wood product in the POP display industry is MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard). MDF is a wood composite material that is superior to particle board in terms of strength and durability. MDF can be finished in several ways including using a melamine finish, a laminate finish, a painted finish, and a solid surface finish, just to name a few. Below is an example of a floor display we made for Dreampad that is primarily constructed of MDF but also includes some bamboo shelf accents, PVC signs, and a digital media player.
Wood laminates are popular finishes for MDF. One example is the Salesforce floor bin display we made below.
In addition to being more cost effective than solid wood, MDF has a smooth surface which is great for direct printing graphics as shown in the Woodinville Whiskey example below.
Rather than direct printed graphics, MDF’s smooth surface can also accommodate laminated vinyl graphics as illustrated in the Mystery Ranch fixture we designed and fabricated below.
In addition to printed graphics, laser engraved graphics are a great option with wood, whereas similar options simply are not available with metal construction. Laser engraving is an excellent choice for brands who are looking to reinforce the natural aspects of their brand. The logo block below is one we did for Stone Brewery.
In today’s post we were only able to scratch the surface of the unlimited possibilities of wood POP displays. The natural properties of wood combined with its strength, durability, versatility, and beauty make it an excellent choice to consider for your next POP display or store fixture.
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.