Custom Soap Display Boxes

Sizing for Your Bars

Start with the bar, whether it is naked, wrapped in paper or in its own box. Measure the length, width and thickness and decide how many bars should sit in each row. Bars standing on their edges show more surface and fit more per row, while bars lying flat show the top face and any stamped logo.

Leave a little room between the bars and the walls so customers can lift a bar out easily. If you sell several shapes, such as round and rectangular bars, dividers help keep each type tidy. Measure your counter space too; a display that is too deep takes over the till area, and one that is too tall can block sightlines.

Wrapped bars need slightly more room than naked ones, especially if they have a belly band or a paper wrap with folded ends. Boxed bars need the most space and are usually best shown in a deeper tray. If you sell bars in more than one format, choose the format you sell most often and size the display around it. p2 The guide to measuring a product covers working from a shelf space backwards.

Board and Strength

Soap is heavy for its size, so a display box needs a sturdy base. Most soap displays are made from E-flute corrugated board with a printed white or kraft surface, strong enough to carry a full row of bars without sagging. For lighter displays holding a few small bars, a thick folding boxboard can work.

Kraft board suits natural and handmade soap brands and pairs well with one or two colours. White board shows full colour artwork and photography best. A matt or gloss lamination helps the display resist soap residue and water splashes, which matters in salons and bathroom shops.

Making the Header Work

The header is the billboard of a display box. Keep it simple: your brand name, a short description of the soap and perhaps a price point or a scent list. A clear header can be read from across a shop or market stall, so it pulls people over from a distance.

The front lip of the display is another useful space. A short line about what makes your soap different, such as the oils you use or how it is made, gives customers something to read while they pick up a bar. Avoid crowding it, because the soap itself should be the star.

Price panels are worth thinking about early. Some sellers print a price on the header, which looks neat but makes reprints necessary when prices change. Others leave a small blank panel on the front lip for a price sticker or a chalk-pen tag, which keeps the display usable for longer and lets you run offers without new print. p2 Header print and laminate are compared in the guide to print and finish options.

Using Displays in Different Places

Gift shops and boutiques use display boxes on counters near the till for impulse buys. Salons and spas use them on reception desks. Market stall traders find they make setting up quicker, because the bars are already arranged and can be lifted onto the table in one go. Wholesale soap makers supply display boxes to stockists so their bars are shown consistently in every shop.

Because displays are flat-packed, they are easy to carry to markets and store between events, and they can be replaced cheaply if they become worn.

If you supply stockists, consider shipping the display pre-filled with bars inside a lid or outer sleeve. The shop simply removes the lid and places the display on the counter, which makes it more likely your soap is shown the way you intended rather than tucked onto a shelf.

For markets, a few spare displays in your kit mean you can replace any that get wet or knocked during a busy day, keeping the stall looking fresh until the last customer. Packing them flat in a large folder or between two boards keeps them crisp in the van and ready to fold up in seconds. p3 Makers at markets usually keep our handmade soap boxes under the table for gift sales.

Measure the Counter Space Before the Bars

A soap display that is too deep takes over the till, and one that is too tall blocks the view of the person serving, so measure the counter spot it will live on first: depth from the front edge, width, and the height that keeps sightlines clear. Then measure the bar in the format you sell most, naked, wrapped or boxed, and say how many go in a row and whether they stand on edge or lie flat.

Leave the price off the header and put a blank panel on the front lip for a sticker or chalk tag, so offers and price changes never need a reprint. Say if the display travels to markets, which favours a laminate and a heavier board. The custom quote arrives by email within one working day, from £0.25, with the minimum set per job.

The free proof shows the header, front lip and sides flat and folded. Production takes 4 to 7 working days after approval and the flat displays reach UK mainland addresses by free tracked delivery. Makers who supply stockists usually add a printed box for each bar so the display and the product match.