Merchandise shipping and display system
View Patent ↗A system and method for shipping and displaying merchandise items includes a shipping display container having a front, back, and two side walls, a bottom, and dividers between the front and back walls for aligning merchandise items in rows. The container includes notches on both side walls adapted to engage a support frame and maintain the container in stable position. Such a system and method for provide for efficient utilization of space in both shipping and display of merchandise items and for stable positioning of shipping containers during shipping in a retail display.
1. A shipping display container, comprising:
a back wall, a front wall, and two side walls, each of the walls attached to a bottom;
at least one divider attached to the front wall and to the back wall and extending therebetween;
the divider and the two side walls attached in parallel relationship, the divider and one of the two side walls forming a display channel for displaying a plurality of merchandise items in spatial alignment;
a notch in each side wall near the front wall and a notch in each side wall near the back wall for mounting the shipping display container onto a support surface shaped to receive the notches; and
a removable shipping top,
wherein the plurality of merchandise items is aligned for display after the shipping display container is shipped to a retail setting, and
wherein the shipping display container is stably displayed on the support surface.
2. The shipping display container of claim 1 , wherein the front wall comprises a product information display panel.
3. The shipping display container of claim 1 , wherein the at least one divider comprises integral construction with the shipping display container.
4. The shipping display container of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of the shipping display containers, each of the shipping display containers having a shape, wherein the shape of each shipping display container is complementary to the shape of the other shipping display containers for stable stacking during shipping.
5. The shipping display container of claim 1 , wherein the shipping display container is reusable for shipping and display of the merchandise items.
6. The shipping display container of claim 1 , further comprising a lightweight, durable material.
7. The shipping display container of claim 6 , wherein the material is a corrugated paper board material.
8. The shipping display container of claim 6 , wherein the material is a plastic material.
9. A shipping display container system, comprising:
a shipping display container comprising a back wall, a front wall, and two side walls, each of the walls attached to a bottom; at least one divider attached to the front wall and to the back wall and extending therebetween and in parallel relationship with the two side walls, the divider and one of the two side walls forming a display channel for displaying a plurality of merchandise items in spatial alignment; and a removable shipping top;
a support frame attachable to a display surface and adapted to receive the shipping display container, the support frame comprising two side support members each attached to a front support member and to a back support member to form a frame; at least one bottom support member attached between and depending downward from the back support member and the front support member and configured to support the bottom of the shipping display container when the container is placed on the support frame; and
a means for securing the shipping display container to the support frame, comprising in the shipping display container a notch in each side wall near the front wall and a notch in each side wall near the back wall, wherein one side wall is mountable over an outside of one side support member and the other side wall is mountable over the outside of the other side support member for interlocking the shipping display container into a stable position on the support frame.
10. The shipping display container system of claim 9 , wherein the support frame further comprises a product information display panel depending downwardly from the front support member of the support frame.
11. The shipping display container system of claim 9 , wherein the support frame comprises the approximate dimensions of the perimeter of the shipping display container bottom.
12. The shipping display container system of claim 9 further comprising a means for mounting the support frame to a vertical display surface.
13. The shipping display container system of claim 12 , wherein the a means for mounting the support frame to a vertical display surface comprises a snap-lock mechanism having prongs for snapping the back frame member into place between the prongs and securing the support frame to the display surface.
14. The shipping display container system of claim 9 , wherein the front wall of the shipping display container is adapted to fit over the product information display panel of the support frame.
15. The shipping display container system of claim 14 , wherein the front wall of the shipping display container comprises a product information display panel.
16. The shipping display container system of claim 9 , wherein the back wall is taller than the front wall and the side walls are correspondingly angled between the back wall and the front wall to provide a deeper back portion of the shipping display container for positioning the merchandise items at an angle for increased visibility.
17. The shipping display container system of claim 16 , wherein a back of the bottom support member extends farther downward and is lower than a front of the bottom support member for supporting the shipping display container having a deeper back portion.
18. The shipping display container system of claim 9 , wherein the shipping display container system comprises a modular system.
19. The shipping display container system of claim 18 , wherein the modular system further comprises a plurality of the support frames mounted to a vertical display surface and a plurality of the shipping display containers mounted to the plurality of the support frames in a display configuration of multiple rows and columns.
20. The shipping display container system of claim 19 , wherein each of the plurality of the shipping display containers is mounted in a non-spaced apart relationship with another of the plurality of the shipping display containers in the rows and columns.
21. A method for shipping and displaying merchandise items, comprising:
providing a shipping display container comprising a back wall, a front wall, and two side walls, each of the walls attached to a bottom; at least one divider attached to the front wall and to the back wall and extending therebetween and in parallel relationship with the two side walls, the divider and one of the two side walls forming a display channel for displaying a plurality of merchandise items in spatial alignment; a notch in each side wall near the front wall and a notch in each side wall near the back wall for mounting the shipping display container onto a support surface shaped to receive the notches; and a removable shipping top;
placing the plurality of merchandise items in spatial alignment in the display channel;
covering the shipping display container with the shipping top;
shipping the shipping display container to a retail setting;
removing the shipping top from the shipping display container;
mounting the shipping display container onto a support surface shaped to receive the notches; and
displaying the spatially aligned merchandise items in the shipping display container at the retail setting.
22. The method for shipping and displaying merchandise items of claim 21 , further comprising a plurality of the shipping display containers, each of the shipping containers having a shape complementary to the shape of the other shipping display containers, the method further comprising stacking the shipping display containers in a stable stack for shipping.
23. The method for shipping and displaying merchandise items of claim 22 , further comprising:
removing the shipping display container from the support surface;
placing the shipping top onto the shipping display container; and
returning the shipping display container to a supplier for reuse.
24. The method for shipping and displaying merchandise items of claim 21 , further comprising:
providing a plurality of the shipping display containers;
providing a plurality of support frames, each support frame attachable to a display surface and adapted to receive the shipping display container, each support frame further comprising two side support members each attached to a front support member and to a back support member to form a frame; at least one bottom support member attached between and depending downward from the back support member and the front support member and configured to support the bottom of the shipping display container when the container is placed on the support frame; and a means for securing the shipping display container to the support frame;
mounting the plurality of support frames on a vertical display surface;
aligning the front notch and the rear notch in each side wall of each shipping display container over the side support members of the support frame; and
mounting the plurality of the shipping display containers onto the plurality of support frames,
wherein the plurality of shipping display containers are stably positioned and the merchandise items are displayed.