Counter Display Boxes

A counter display box is a printed carton that holds a set of small products, ships closed, and opens or tears along a line to become a self-contained display on a checkout counter or shelf. The Best Price Boxes makes custom counter display boxes with no minimum order, and we beat any written quote for the same specs.

Selling blind boxes or mini squishies at the register? Our blind box packaging page shows how counter displays, cube boxes and master cases work as one kit.

One carton, two jobs

The clever part of a counter display is that the shipping box and the sales display are the same piece. The retailer receives a sealed carton, opens it along a perforation or removes a lid, and the box becomes a display tray with a printed front. That saves the store setup time, which is why shops will often accept a display box they would not take as loose product. The design challenge is to work well in both states. The carton has to survive a delivery truck and then look good when open.

Sizing around the unit count

Start with how many units go in and how they face. Twelve bars in a row need a different footprint from twelve in two stacks. Measure one unit at its length, width and thickness, decide the rows and columns, and add about 1/8 inch of clearance per row. Then decide the front wall height. A low front wall shows more product and makes it easy to grab, while a tall wall holds items upright. Counter space is limited, so most retailers prefer a footprint smaller than a sheet of letter paper.

Board, build and print

For light items such as candy, lip balm or small cosmetics, folding carton paperboard around 18 to 24 pt does the job. For heavier products like bottled goods or tins, corrugated E-flute adds stiffness and stacking strength. Print can run on both the outside and the visible inside. Header panels, called backers, rise behind the product and carry the brand, and these are often where the artwork does the most selling. Finishes include gloss, matte, soft-touch, spot UV and foil, and Pantone matching helps when your brand color has to be exact.

Test the opening before you order in volume. A tear strip that is too strong makes store staff reach for a box cutter, and one that is too weak lets the carton open in transit. A single sample shipped to yourself, then opened by someone who has never seen it, tells you quickly whether the box works as a display.

Think about restocking too. Retailers will refill a display if it is easy to do, so a lid that lifts clear and a tray with a clean interior make a reorder more likely than a box that falls apart on first use.

• Styles: tear-away display carton, lidded display box, auto-bottom display, header-backed display
• Materials: folding carton paperboard, corrugated E-flute
• Print: CMYK or Pantone, inside and outside, header panel
• Options: dividers, tear strip, hang hole, window
• Quantity: no minimum order

Pick a different build when

If you sell food and want a counter box built for it, see our food counter display boxes. For a display that assembles quickly with a glued bottom, our auto bottom counter display boxes are worth a look. A pop-up style with a taller backer is covered in pop-up display boxes, and the wider range sits under custom display boxes.

Retailers have their own rules on display size and weight, so ask yours before you finalize. Any labelling your product needs is yours to confirm, and we print the artwork and copy you supply.

Send the unit dimensions, the count per display and a quantity, even one, and we will draw the dieline and quote it.

Frequently asked questions