How Display Packaging Boxes Actually Impact Your Brand

Display packaging is supposed to change how customers shop. That claim is repeated everywhere with almost no evidence behind it. Here is the actual research, plus a caution about a specific sounding statistic that does not hold up.

The Real Research Behind the Claim

Real, dated research exists here, and it deserves to be named. Point of Purchase Advertising International ran a 2012 Shopper Engagement Study, reported directly by Supermarket News. In store purchase decisions had reached an all time high of 76 percent. Shoppers misjudge their planned spending by 35 percent. 57 percent overspend even after counting their impulse buys. Nearly one in six brand purchases happen when a display for that brand sits in the store.

A later, separate study adds a second real figure. It is not a repeat of the first one. POPAI’s 2014 Mass Merchant study found 82 percent of purchase decisions were made in store, in that retail channel. Both figures are honestly dated. 2012 and 2014 are now over a decade old. They remain the most current versions of this research found. That is worth saying plainly, rather than treating either number as brand new.

A Statistic Worth Flagging, Not Repeating

One competitor page makes two claims with no source at all. It states that impulse purchases make up 60 to 70 percent of items placed near checkout. It also claims cosmetics display boxes drive a 20 to 30 percent jump in launch week sales. A precise number with no citation is not automatically wrong. It is also not automatically true. This session already found one fabricated statistic dressed up as a real study. That is reason enough to flag this kind of unsourced precision rather than borrow it.

What Actually Makes Display Packaging Work

Visibility comes first. A display built to stand apart from ordinary shelving earns a longer look, and that longer look is what the real research above is actually measuring.

Placement matters as much as design. Checkout counters, aisle end caps, and other high traffic zones are where a display gets the chance to do anything at all. The same design in a low traffic corner will not produce the same result.

Simplicity beats density. A shopper spends very little time deciding whether to engage with a display. One clear product, one clear message, and a design built for a quick glance outperforms a crowded one every time.

What Drives Cost

Material, size, order quantity, and whether a display ships flat or preassembled are the factors every competitor page in this space names. No exact price appears on any of them, and none is invented here either. A short cardboard promotional run stays cheap because the material is light and the build is simple. A larger, reusable or preassembled unit costs more, since it demands sturdier stock and extra assembly work before it ever reaches a store.

Display Packaging on Custom Boxes Deals Packaging

Display packaging built around a specific product, placement and budget is what custom display boxes actually covers. A custom cardboard counter display fits the checkout counter placement the research above points to directly. For a larger promotional run, custom corrugated display boxes covers the sturdier, higher volume end of the same category.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does display packaging actually affect purchase decisions?

Yes. That question, how display packaging boxes actually impact your brand, has a real answer. POPAI’s 2012 Shopper Engagement Study found in store purchase decisions had reached 76 percent, and a 2014 follow up study found 82 percent in the mass merchant channel. Both are real, dated figures from a named industry research body.

Is it true that impulse purchases make up 60 to 70 percent of checkout items?

That specific figure appears on one competitor page with no citation behind it. It should be treated as unverified rather than repeated as settled fact.

Where should a display box actually be placed?

High traffic zones do the real work: checkout counters, aisle end caps, and other spots a shopper naturally passes or pauses at. The same design performs differently depending on where it sits.

What drives the cost of a custom display box?

Material, size, order quantity, and flat versus preassembled shipping are the real levers. A short cardboard run stays cheap. A larger, sturdier, reusable build costs more, and the exact number always comes down to the project.

Does a display box need to promote more than one product?

No. A single clear product and message outperforms a crowded display, since shoppers decide whether to engage in a very short window.

What display options does Custom Boxes Deals offer?

Cardboard counter displays for checkout placement and corrugated display boxes for larger, sturdier promotional runs, both built around the specific product and budget.

Anthony Kim

Hello, I'm Anthony Kim, a seasoned packaging consultant and designer. With a professional journey spanning over four years, I've evolved from a budding designer to a recognized expert in the field. Currently holding the position of Packaging Consultant, I've honed my skills in creating not just visually stunning packaging but also solutions that align with strategic business goals.

View all articles →