Custom Printed Cosmetic Display Boxes for Counters and Shelves

Each product stands in its own cell, so the front row stays tidy even when half the stock has sold.

At the back, a tall panel folds up and locks into the tray. That header carries the brand name and a line about the product, which is what a customer reads from across a counter.

The patterned unit in our photos holds 12 lipsticks in three rows. The tiered version in the second photo steps up at the back. Palettes and tubes on the top row show over the front row.

A pharmacy, a gift shop or a salon will give you a small patch of counter space. A display unit is how you use it.

Salons and nail studios also order them for their own reception desk, to sell retail polish or lashes next to the card machine. Market traders and pop-up shops use them because they pack flat between events.

Most of the products we box can be displayed this way. The makeup and nail packaging range covers the cartons that stand in the cells.

• Lipstick and gloss brands supplying gift shops and pharmacies
• Nail polish brands stocking salons and nail bars
• Lash brands with a till-side tray at a lash studio
• Bath and body makers at markets and craft fairs
• Wholesalers sending a ready-filled unit to each stockist

A 12-cell lipstick unit is about 180 mm wide, which most tills can take.

Count the cells by the product, not the display. A cell for a lipstick carton is about 28 mm square. A polish bottle needs about 36 mm, and a lash box on its edge about 25 x 110 mm.

The table shows common layouts. If your product is one we already box, such as a lipstick carton from our range, we match the cell to the carton exactly.

Everything is the same height, so the whole stock shows at once.

Mixed ranges with palettes, tubes and bottles suit a tiered unit. The back row sits higher, as in our photo, so a palette does not hide the tubes behind it.

Tall bottles need a deeper tray so they cannot tip. Bath bombs and soaps use a wider, shallower version, which we cover on the bath bomb display boxes page.

We usually suggest folding boxboard around 400 gsm for lipstick and lash units, with the divider grid adding stiffness.

Units that hold glass, such as 12 polish bottles, are better in thin corrugated board, which is available as an option. It takes the weight without the tray base sagging.

The header is the part that gets knocked, so it locks into the tray with tabs rather than relying on a crease. Board, rigid and finish options are confirmed on your quote.

The tray face, which the customer sees at eye level when seated, can carry a shade list or a price slot.

Printing the inside of the tray matters more than people expect. Once stock sells down, the inside of the cells is what shows, so a pattern or a brand colour there keeps the unit looking full.

Gloss lamination suits display units because they get handled and wiped. Foil on the header is an option for a premium counter, and our guide to finishes on beauty boxes shows how each one wears.

The tray, the divider grid and the header are die cut and creased so they fold flat. A stockist or a sales rep opens the pack, pushes the tray square, drops in the grid and folds up the header.

No glue or tape is needed at the counter. The tabs lock into slots, which also means a unit can be flattened again after a market and reused.

Flat packs save on postage too. A bundle of ten flat displays posts in one mailer, where ten assembled units would need a large box.

Stockists are far more likely to use a display that arrives loaded with product than one they have to fill themselves.

Place the shades in a logical order, lightest to darkest or by collection. Put the best seller in the front row where a hand lands first.

Send a spare header with each unit. Headers get bent, and a replacement keeps the display on the counter for another season. For units going to several stockists, talk to us on the phone or WhatsApp and we will size one unit that fits them all.

A 250 mm header blocks the till screen or the cashier's view, and the unit gets moved to the floor.

The second is cells sized to the product rather than its carton. If your lipstick sells in a 25 mm carton, the cell has to take the carton, not the bare tube.

The third is a plain inside. An unprinted white tray looks half empty after the first few sales, which is exactly when you want it to look busy.

Units are quoted per order, from £0.25 per unit for the cartons inside them, and the written quote confirms the display price.

Every display gets a free proof showing the header, tray and grid before anything is cut. Production is 4 to 6 business days after approval and delivery is free and tracked to UK addresses, usually in 2 to 3 business days. A damaged or misprinted batch reported within 10 days with photos is reprinted or refunded.

1. Measure the carton or bottle that will stand in each cell.
2. Choose a flat tray or a tiered unit, and the number of cells.
3. Decide the header height to suit the counters it will sit on.
4. Send artwork for the header, tray face and inside, or a brief for our designers.
5. Approve the proof and we cut, print and send the units flat.