Myth Busting: Is the Cheapest Material the Best Way to Reduce the Cost of a Retail Display?

Cost matters in retail display.

When a design is going into tens or hundreds of stores, even a relatively small difference in the cost of each unit can become significant across an entire programme.

So it is understandable that material costs come under scrutiny.

Could that metal component be made from MDF instead?

Could we use a thinner material?

Is there a less expensive way of making this part?

They are perfectly reasonable questions.

But choosing the lowest-cost material doesn’t necessarily produce the lowest-cost display.

Start with what the display needs to do

Different materials have different strengths.

A display might need to support considerable weight. It might be moved regularly. It could need to withstand knocks from trolleys, customers or stock.

Another display might sit relatively untouched in a premium environment where the quality of the finish is particularly important.

Some fixtures need to last for years. Others are designed for a shorter campaign.

The right material choice depends on the job.

That is why we consider how a display will actually be used before deciding how it should be made.

Most displays don’t need to be made from one material

This is where retail display manufacture gets particularly interesting.

A single unit might combine a fabricated steel structure with timber panels, plastic product holders and printed graphics.

Each material is doing something different.

Metal might provide strength without excessive bulk.

Timber products can create larger structural or decorative surfaces and accept a wide range of finishes.

Plastics can be formed or fabricated into detailed components, product holders, covers and other elements.

Print and graphics then provide the branding and communication that turn the manufactured structure into a recognisable piece of retail display.

The challenge is deciding where each material makes sense.

Sometimes spending more in one place saves money somewhere else

Looking at individual material prices in isolation can be misleading.

A different material might allow a component to be made thinner or lighter.

It could reduce the number of separate components required.

A small change might make something considerably quicker to assemble.

A stronger component might reduce the likelihood of damage once the display is in store.

Or a design change might make units easier to pack, allowing more of them to fit onto a pallet or vehicle.

Suddenly a decision that appears more expensive when looking at one component can have benefits elsewhere in the project.

That is where value engineering becomes important.

Value engineering starts before production

At Benchmark, our designers work alongside the teams responsible for actually making the displays. That relationship matters.

A design can be reviewed not only for how it looks, but for how it will be manufactured repeatedly in the real world.

Could a component be simplified? Could two parts become one? Would changing the material make production easier? Could the same appearance be achieved using a more efficient manufacturing process? Is material being used where it adds genuine value, or simply because that was how the original concept was drawn?

These conversations can take place during technical development and prototyping, before the main production run begins.

And the larger the rollout, the more valuable relatively small improvements can become.

Durability belongs in the calculation too

The purchase price of a display is only part of its cost.

If a component regularly gets damaged and needs replacing, that matters.

If a finish deteriorates quickly in a high-traffic environment, that matters.

If a unit is difficult to maintain, move or update, that matters too.

There are occasions where spending a little more on the right material at the beginning can produce a display that performs better for longer.

There are equally occasions where a less expensive material will do the job perfectly well.

Knowing the difference is the important bit.

Wood, metal or plastic?

Quite often, the answer is all three.

One of the advantages we have at Benchmark is that our joinery, metalwork and plastics capabilities sit together within the same manufacturing operation in Letchworth.

That gives our designers and manufacturing teams freedom to choose materials according to what each part of the display actually needs to achieve.

The result might look very simple when it eventually reaches the shop floor.

Behind that simplicity can be dozens of decisions about materials, processes, tolerances, finishes, assembly, durability and cost.

Getting those decisions right is an important part of turning a good retail display design into a practical manufacturing solution.

Got a retail display concept you’d like to manufacture?

Bring it to us.

Our design and manufacturing teams can help develop, prototype and value engineer retail displays across wood, metal, plastics and print from our 120,000 sq. ft. facility in Letchworth.

Call 01462 633000 or email hello@bench-mark.co.uk to talk to the Benchmark team.