Success Story Category: Temporary Displays

Objective

• Activations must align with stringent guidelines of big box home improvement stores
• Develop a display that is compact, yet highly functional

What we did

• The team developed a quarter pallet display to merchandise the products
• Features were added by the team to create a sturdy structure, ensuring longevity and minimal maintenance

Results

• Product visibility and accessibility were maximized by the easy to shop, compact design
• The displays sturdy structure allowed it to withstand the high-traffic environment, extending its life at retail

Objective:

• Create a premium looking trophy case like display that contains baseball product to promote Evan Williams Bourbon as the “Official Bourbon of Major League Baseball’s World Series”
• Showcase the brand locally (Cincinnati, Kansas City, etc.) as well as promote the World Series in other markets

What We Did:

• Created a stop-in-your-tracks display case that caught customers attention and drew them in from several feet away
• Used materials that capture the premium look and feel while maintaining strength and cost-effectiveness

Results:

• Reports show an execution rate of 100% in store, with no reported shipping issues
• Heaven Hill is planning a similar promotion again next year

OMA Bronze Award

For this award-winning display, we partnered with VMC Drinks to produce something that personifies their values as a brand and emphasizes their crucial partnership. Let's explore how we did it.

Program Objectives

Our objectives for this project were to create a display that brings attention to VMC's pride in its Mexican roots and ensure that we show the strength and value of their partnership with the Mexican boxer Santos Saúl Álvarez Barragán. VMC is a new brand. Mexican spirits group Casa Lumbre formed it in 2022. They are known for producing a variety of popular Mexican alcohols. They needed a strong display for their entry into the U.S. market that reminded Mexican-Americans of their roots, as identity is a great characteristic to target for marketing purposes. The display needed to be easy to set up and take down, so we created it as a case stacker for display in lobbies.

The Work

To convey the two crucial concepts — Mexican heritage and the partnership with Santos Saúl Álvarez — we decided that the key fixture of the display would be that it must resemble a boxing ring. We used two corrugated plastic columns with digital printing of the VMC brand's bird of prey on all four sides to accomplish this task. Between these columns, we hung heavy-duty colored rope elements with metal fittings. We topped them off with formed metal top caps with a gold powder-coated finish. On top of the columns, we used a contour-cut 3D corrugated header with a large-scale image of Santos Saúl Álvarez Barragán that people could use for photo opportunities. The VMC logo and slogan were printed in bold on the header, showcasing their three drink flavors. This was set against a light background picture of a Blue Agave field with a simple farmers' cottage on the right, meant to represent a field in the boxer's home state of Jalisco. The midground had the typical picture of the VMC bird perched on a Blue Agave plant. The background showcased the brand's Mexican roots and the prime ingredient of the tequila portion of the drink. We draped realistic boxing ring ropes in the middle to make this display stand out. We chose the colors based on the Mexican Flag: green, white and red. Again, this reinforced the relationship between boxing and Mexico and created a unique look and feel to this case stacker display.

Results

This display was successful in several ways. It drove sales, but more importantly, it increased brand awareness in the U.S., especially among the target Mexican audience. It was not a complex display to set up, so stores quickly put it together. Overall, it succeeded in getting VMC's name into the public eye.

Summary

To summarize, VMC tasked us with creating a stand-out case stacker display to help their brand identity in the U.S. market and emphasize their Mexican roots and partnership with boxer Santos Saúl Álvarez Barragán. If you are looking to break into a new market, let us help! We'll create an eye-catching, practical display that will draw attention to your brand and product. View More Success Stories  

OMA Display of the Year & Gold Award

For this project, we partnered with Marks & Spencer to deliver an inspired Q4 holiday display. We wowed consumers by bringing a taste of London to Target stores through transportation-inspired displays.

Program Objective

Marks & Spencer tasked us with bringing London's signature red double-decker bus to Target stores nationwide. They wanted the display to stock tasty sweets, exceptional deals and the latest trends to get people into the holiday spirit. The goal was to give the consumer a delightful and whimsical experience whenever they entered a Target store during the holiday season. It needed to be large, bright and capture people's attention among all of the other holiday-themed displays jostling for space at that time of year. This display was about creating an experience and driving sales through bold, modern, optimistic storytelling.

The Work

The duration for the display's lifespan in stores was two months. Considering this information, we used a sustainable corrugated structure with litho-printing and a high-tension printed liner.  The team was tasked with using Target's portable metal towers and carts for the shelving of this product merchandiser. We went through multiple rounds of samples and mock-ups, and our footprint changed throughout the process. We started with two towers and one cart but decided to use only one tower and one cart for the final display. The cart and tower had to be modular so stores could move them with products for cleaning purposes. We decided Velcro was the best option to secure the two portable units together to fulfill this request. Regarding floor placement, the display was placed in the food and beverages department. We also shipped the components partially assembled to make the process easy on store staff and reduce the amount of time needed for staff to execute the display. All hardware came with an instruction sheet and full graphics.

The Results

The display was a great success overall. It met Target's stringent requirements, and the partially assembled nature, modular design and clear instructions all contributed to the excellent execution. Marks & Spencer was so delighted with the display and how it showed off their merchandise that they requested a final sample to have in their London headquarters. For the London samples, we created corrugated fixtures that mimicked the in-store metal fixtures, and it is now proudly displayed in their office.

Summary

In summary, Marks & Spencer tasked us with telling a story through display design. Because of its whimsical nature, they wanted consumers to see this display and their faces to light up with a smile. We brought London's famous red double-decker bus to Target stores nationwide to accomplish this. We used one tower and cart placed in Target's food and beverages department. We shipped the display partially assembled with easy-to-follow instructions to save store time. The display was a resounding success — Marks & Spencer and Target were happy with the outcome. If you want your display to drive sales and tell a story, get in touch with us today!   View More Success Stories

OMA Silver Award

We had the privilege of working with Mountain Dew on an engaging and energetic merchandiser to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their Baja Blast flavor.

Program Objectives

This display's objectives were simple. Mountain Dew needed to blast people out of the water with an eye-catching merchandiser that embodied their brand persona and reflected Baja Blast's dynamic beach aesthetic. Mountain Dew Baja Blast is traditionally sold only at Taco Bell or other food service outlets, but because this was an important anniversary, they wanted to make it especially unique at retail. They decided this display would be available in convenience store environments, with 20-ounce bottles of Baja Blast. This necessitated a small format, small footprint structure to fit into the desired retail environment. Mountain Dew wanted a display that commanded attention, with a unique shape that set it apart from traditional hutch structures, to attract new and existing drink fans. It was also imperative that the display was easy to execute to get strong retail compliance rates so that Mountain Dew's direct service teams could maintain their speed.

The Work

The display's two-month life span and budgetary considerations required us to use an all-corrugated structure, which we litho-laminated to make the colors and branding pop. Our design team brought to life the unique shape Mountain Dew requested through a radically curved structure mimicking a massive wave at the beach. We used SBS pieces to curve the sides of the cabinet, making them rise magnificently above the shelves, with the wave crest breaking over the product. The SBS is also offset-printed for maximum impact. The cabinet's side has colorful graphics that set the beach scene, further reinforced by the aqua, white and yellow colors and shelves printed to look like weathered wood. For the easy execution component, we packed all components "knocked down" into a one-piece shipper for easy transport, including the set-up instructions, hutch structure and header components.

Results

The display structures' compliance with grocery, drug and convenience store aisle specifications allowed them to maximize placement while maintaining site lines for security. Sales for this display exceeded all expectations. By leveraging the rarity factor of finding this product outside of food service outlets, Mountain Dew expanded its reach to a broader audience, fulfilling the objective of attracting new customers. The success of this display was twofold. It boosted short-term sales and solidified long-term brand loyalty by meeting current fans' demands and surprising new consumers with the unique Baja Blast flavor.

Summary

To summarize, Mountain Dew tasked us with creating a temporary, small-footprint floor stand for convenience store environments to sell 20-oz. bottles of Mountain Dew Baja Blast to celebrate the product's 20th anniversary. Our unique display profile utilized wave imagery, a weathered wood look for the shelves and other aqua-toned components that reinforced the brand's beach atmosphere and lime flavor. This display succeeded in short-term sales and long-term brand awareness and fulfilled Mountain Dew's expectations. Create your own successful display with our team of award-winning designers. Contact us today!   View More Success Stories  

OMA Silver Award

We delightedly assisted the premium Italian wine producer LaMarca in their efforts to market their new 187ml Prosecco bottles in Kroger stores nationwide. Let's look at how we made this a successful award-winning display that shot LaMarca's sales up for a sustained period.

Program Objectives

Stores usually merchandise these products in two ways. Either on cut cases with the attitude of "stack it high and let it fly," or Kroger will place them on a shelf as open stock. Our mission was to elevate LaMarca's products above the rest by creating an upmarket destination for them within the cluttered wine section of this grocery store chain. Our objectives for this mission were twofold. We needed to consider how to maximize the amount of product offered while keeping the display's footprint reasonably small.

The Work

LaMarca wanted to pitch that their Prosecco display should be front and center in a locale that would disrupt the consumer's path when entering the store. We created and proposed several different concepts to support their pitch and rendered them into actual store environments. Ultimately, LaMarca decided on the stairstep design because it keeps with the elegant tone they were going for while also being simplistic and minimizing the footprint of the display. The high-gloss litho-lamination on the display's corrugated structure emphasized the high-end look and feel of the LaMarca brand. While the exterior exuded elegance, we built the interior with more practicality in mind. It housed a partition set that allowed the unit to hold 72 bottles of the smaller 187ml Prosecco bottle in a reasonable three-by-two overall footprint.

The Results

This program's results were an astounding win for LaMarca on various levels. Here are the effects this display had on LaMarca:

• They were able to create the desired disruptive destination for their brand. The retailer even paired the larger 750ml bottles at the front of the store with the display.
• In terms of sales, LaMarca achieved an incredible +25% sales lift monthly thanks to this simple, sleek and cost-effective display.
• Due to the popularity of the display, most Kroger stores kept it up longer than intended, even refilling some displays with open-stock products an astonishing two or three times. LaMarca is already planning phases for a 2024 version.

Summary

It was crucial to make sure we translated the upscale nature of LaMarca into this display. That luxurious, upmarket feel comes with excellent quality, carefully chosen materials and a design that gives off a calm air of excellence. Our chosen stairstep design and the high gloss-litho lamination printing blended simplicity and luxury in a way that drew people in, while the interior partition set allowed for ample storage (72 bottles) of the giftable 187ml bottle in a three-by-two footprint. If you would like to see a sales increase like LaMarca with your product and see your company on this success page, contact us today!

OMA Silver Award

We are proud to have partnered with Athena Club for this project. They are an omnichannel subscription-based provider of consumer packaged goods (CPGs) that focuses on setting a higher standard for self-care through their personal care products aimed at women.

Program Objectives

We had two objectives to meet for this project to be successful. Our main focus was to forge a quality partnership with Athena Club by helping them navigate their first foray into the brick-and-mortar retail market and launch their line of women's shaving products. The rollout was exclusive to Target, necessitating a drop-in endcap display that could turn heads from across the store. Our secondary goal was to help Athena Club eliminate any hurdles or roadblocks encountered during this program so that we could become their total supply chain partner. Athena Club is an emerging brand with only an online presence and little to no retail merchandising experience — and Target has complex merchandising guidelines. We had to step in to help them through the process to ensure mutual success.

The Work

There are two ways CPGs can execute a display at Target:

• Empty displays can meet open stock products, with a 3rd party company enlisted for the setup and filling of the display.
• A display can be completely prepacked with the product and dropped into place.

After we showed Athena Club the advantages and disadvantages of each display execution, they decided that using a prepacked display was the best option for their purposes as it offered fast delivery with a quick setup time. We then started on the design process, rendering concepts and prototypes, ultimately coupling our concepts with critical shopper marketing data. This was our eureka moment, and the perfect display chassis soon came to life. After some deliberation, we decided to use an all-corrugate structure with high-gloss litho-lamination graphics. To create order, neatness and a sense of separation between the products, we used stepped dividers and metal peg hooks to merchandise the razors themselves. The oversized razors fanned out on the side as a lug-on standoff was what turned heads for the entire unit. The execution was flawless. Athena Club merely shipped the open-stock product to our fulfillment center, and a fully assembled prepacked display appeared on the proper endcap at the right time within Target.

The Results

Our results for this program were fantastic. The customer trusted us with every aspect of the merchandising supply chain, allowing us to flex our full capabilities in this sector. The endcap successfully drove trial and brand awareness, which has cascaded into future on- and off-shelf display opportunities at Target.

Summary

Today, because of this successful program, we are working on multiple display setups for varying retailers. Athena Club and our partnership with them have proven that the model can work to convert from being solely D2C to also incorporating a B2C strategy. If your business wants to transition to brick-and-mortar retail displays and enjoy the same retail success as Athena Club, contact us today!

At Great Northern Instore, our aim is to design and build in-store displays that add value and enhance the shopper experience. To fulfill this goal, our expert team researches shopper behavior to gain valuable insights. Command and Meijer wanted a streamlined, effective solution to promote revenue and highlight their products. Our team got to work, pooling our expertise to craft a quality planogram.

The Benefits of Our 3M Command Planogram

We designed a planogram that makes browsing and shopping easier. Customers can easily read the packaging and retrieve the products due to a streamlined design. The planogram also fulfills several critical needs:

• Reigniting sales: By highlighting items and giving them their own display, you can reignite sales and keep stock moving.
• Making items easier to find: The 6-foot-tall planogram and clear signage make the products easier to find among a sea of similar brands.
• Selling additional products: Add complementary products to the planogram to cross-sell or upsell specific offerings.

Why Our Planograms Work

The team at Great Northern Instore strives to go above and beyond. We use targeted research to gather important data that informs our design and building phase. We surveyed shoppers in 30 Meijer stores about the existing shopping experience. Taking our survey findings, we crafted a planogram that responds to customer needs while being functional and eye-catching. Our planogram offers:

• Easy shopper navigation: The bold, clear headers at the top of the planogram make it easier to find the products.
• Displays for additional product use: Images on the display show customers how they can use the item in several ways, adding to its function and sale prospects.
• Clearly defined sections: We used Command's product color codes to identify sections, a customizable solution you can easily utilize.

Our 3M Command planogram delivered great results. Collaboration across the manufacturer, brand, retailers and merchandising group led to a very successful implementation. Sales results show that our shopper insights concerning branding and product organization were on the mark.

The Great Northern Instore Difference

The Great Northern Instore team is committed to seeing you win. We are passionate about customer support and building functional, creative displays that meet your brand requirements. See why thousands continue to choose us:

• Our experts conduct research to gain insights into shopper behavior to make the shopping process easier.
• Our design team crafts intuitive, responsive solutions that align with your creative goals and structural strategies.
• We take sustainability seriously. Our primary material, corrugated cardboard, is 100% recyclable.
• Your vision remains at the forefront during the entire project while our team takes care of every step.
• We draw from decades of display and packaging knowledge to provide impeccable customer support.

Contact Us Today and Get Started

Though Great Northern Instore crafts award-winning display solutions, our passion lies in helping you win. Get started today by contacting us through our online form, and we will get back to you promptly. View More Success Stories

Great Northern Instore is passionate about simplifying the promotion and shopping experience and crafting value-added displays. Our expert team fulfills this goal by conducting in-depth research into shopper behavior. The results help us gain more insight into designing effective display solutions for merchandisers and brands. In an effort to evaluate the efficacy of an extended-life display, we designed a display that could merchandise wine and spirits during Father’s Day and summer selling periods with separate integrated graphic panels for each time frame.

The Advantages of Our Walgreens Display

We designed and crafted an in-store extended-life display for Walgreens using innovative design techniques that reduce the need to change displays across promotional seasons. The streamlined design makes products easy for customers to see and retrieve. The side panels, headers, shelf fronts and back panels were printed front and back. The simple and unique operation of reversing these panels inside attached “J” channels allowed the display to morph from one promotion to another. The Great Northern Instore extended-life display offers:

• Use over two separate promotional periods: As the Walgreens display success story shows, you can showcase separate promotions over separate seasons using the same display.
• Eye-catching design: Print relevant promotional information and brand names while the products are easy to see and read.
• Several selections: You can display various items by customizing the display to suit your unique business requirements.

Why Our Solutions Work

We use our industry knowledge and team of research experts to gather valuable information when designing and building extended-life displays. This approach helps us create functional, utility-friendly solutions that save you money. We help our customers win with:

• Printing on the front and back: Printing on the front and back allows you to reuse extended-life displays without replacing them.
• Adaptable displays: There is no need to get another display, as one can be morphed to fit a new promotion.
• Sustainable solutions: Use the display for several promotions, reducing environmental impact.
• Cost savings: Save fuel, material and display costs with an extended-life display.

This display was designed for multiple periods, which greatly reduced the project’s carbon footprint by halving the number of units traveling across Walgreens' United States supply chain.

The Great Northern Instore Difference

We thrive on excellent customer support and go above and beyond, doing what others cannot or will not do. Our team will work with you to create display solutions that make the shopping experience easier. Here is how we are different:

• We conduct extensive research into shopper insights to evaluate what works and what adds value to the shopping experience.
• We offer sustainable solutions, with our corrugated material being 100% recyclable.
• Our intuitive and responsive designs align with your structural and creative goals.
• Our team provides impeccable support, and your preferences are at the forefront during the entire project.
• With decades of industry experience, we provide quality customer service at every step.

View More Success Stories and Get Started Today

While we provide award-winning displays, our passion is seeing our customers thrive. Read more case studies like the Walgreens display success story and reach out to us today.   View More Success Stories