Acrylic vs Metal Displays - Which Is Better?

In-store displays and signs play a critical role in the success of a retail establishment. Without them, you are essentially wasting valuable physical space in your store, which ultimately results in a loss of sales and profits. While they are simple in design, signs and displays give you the ability to market products and items to customers. Generally speaking, most in-store displays and signs are made using one of two different materials: acrylic and metal. Here we'll take a closer look at the pros and cons of each material and reveal which one comes out as the winner.

The Importance of In-Store Displays

As previously stated, in-store displays are essential to the success of practically any retail establishment. Sure, you might be able to get some sales without them, but you are leaving tons of money on the table. Using signs and displays inside your retail store will encourage customers to purchase your products, and that's the end goal for most establishments. Whether your store sells clothes, electronics, groceries, jewelry, handbags or pet supplies, you need to use signs and displays to maximize your profits.

Metal Displays

Some of the displays you'll find on the market are made using a metal material, such as aluminum or steel. Aluminum displays are inexpensive, but they also tend to damage easily. Let's face it, store displays are sure to take a beating from customers running into them and knocking them down. Cheap aluminum displays probably won't be able to hold up under this type of pressure. Steel displays are a better choice simply because they are more durable, but they are also more expensive.

One thing you'll need to be aware of with metal displays is that they are prone to rust. Anytime moisture develops on metal, it's going to lead to rusting. Just the high humidity inside a retail store is enough to cause some of the cheaper metal displays to rust. You can prolong their life by keeping them dry, but that's about the only technique for slowing down the progress of rust.

Acrylic Displays

On the other side of the fence is acrylic displays. Based on its appearance, you might assume acrylic is just another form of glass, but this isn't the case. Acrylic is an incredibly hard plastic that's crystal clear. Unlike glass, however, acrylic doesn't break easily. You can hit it, kick it and run into it without fear of your acrylic displays breaking. Yet another reason why so many stores choose acrylic displays is the weight. Holding one of these displays in your hand will reveal just how lightweight the material is.

Using Acrylic Displays In a Retail Store

In the world of retail business, how you display and show off your product can either make or break your company. If it's not done right, you'll end up wasting valuable real estate in your store, and this alone could be enough to place you further behind some of the competitors in your industry. The good news, however, is that setting up display correctly will achieve more sales, more recognition and a better all-around shopping experience for your customers. Here we'll take a look at some of the ways to use acrylic displays and how to get the most benefit from them.

Acrylic Sign Holders

Want to display prices or special promotions on certain items in your store? If so, you should use some of the free-standing acrylic sign holders such as the ones shown above. As you can see, they are designed to stand on their own without any additional attachments or devices. If there's an open spot on a shelf or nearby end cap, simply place the acrylic sign holder on top of it. These neat little accessories are designed to be simple enough so that anyone can use them. You just slide in the desired sign into the center and place it standing upright in the desired location within your store.

At first glance, you might assume these acrylic sign holders would break easily. After all, it's inevitable that customers or even employees will end up knocking them down on the ground. The good news, however, is that they are designed with impact-resistant materials to withstand falls such as these. Unlike some of the cheaper sign holders on the market, these will offer you countless years of use in your retail store, allowing you to focus your time and resources on other parts of your business.

Where Should I Use Acrylic Displays?

Unfortunately, trying to determine the best area to use acrylic sign holders and displays isn't always an easy process. Since all store layouts and designs are different, there's no single "best" area to use them. However, a general rule of thumb is to use holders and displays to highlight popular products. The more attention you can draw to your top selling products, the more people will buy it. Use this to your advantage by setting displays and sign holders up around the products that are currently selling well in your retail store. Of course, you can also experiment with different locations to see if something else works better.