Today's self-service retail industry demands efficient display of various products while minimizing floor space requirements. The merchandise display capacity of a self-service retail store is inherently limited by the store's square footage of interior space. In this regard, the amount of area available within a store directly limits the number of products which may be effectively displayed for sale. Heretofore, various merchandising display devices have been employed to increase the merchandising display capacity of a store. Some of the devices commonly used to increase a store's merchandising capacity include gondola display units and various other self-standing “point of sale” displays.
For certain types of merchandise, such as greeting cards, for example, a relatively large surface area is required to properly display and showcase the products. In such cases, the problem of displaying related goods near the original products without obstructing the original products, using additional space or impeding traffic flow, can become particularly acute. For a greeting card display unit, for example, it may be advantageous to display together with the greeting cards other related items, such as, ribbons, stickers or other small decorative items, theme-related gift items, gift tags, gift wrap, adhesive tape, and other package materials, without obscuring the visibility of the greeting cards.
Although the existing merchandising display units can be satisfactory for their intended purposes, there is still a need for merchandising display assemblies and methods that increase sales of additional products related to original products by increasing the visibility of the related products near the original products, while maintain visibility of the original products and without using valuable shelf or floor space.
The present teachings provide a merchandising display assembly. The merchandising display assembly includes a mounting portion adjustably coupled to a support surface associated with a first product, and a suspending portion for suspending a second product. The suspending portion is coupled to the mounting portion, and the mounting and suspending portions are adapted for at least reducing interference with the visibility of the first product.
The present teachings also provide for a merchandising display assembly that includes a plate member adjustably engaging a support surface of a display unit for displaying a plurality of first products, and an elongated member coupled to the plate member and including an engagement feature for suspending at least a second product, wherein the elongated member is adapted for suspending the second product at a position that does not significantly interfere with the visibility of the first products.
The present teachings provide a method for displaying at least one additional product in front of a display unit having pockets for receiving originally displayed products. The method includes inserting a plate member of a display assembly in one of the pockets, and suspending the additional product from an elongated member coupled to the plate member without substantially interfering with the visibility of the originally displayed products.
Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses. For example, although the present teachings are illustrated for use in connection with displays of greeting cards, the present teachings can also be used in connection with other display units, such as, for example, displays of periodicals, office supplies or other products.
Referring to
The pockets 82 that receive the original products 84 can be plastic pockets, slots or other holders that can be individually defined on a divider or other support surface 86 of the display unit 80. The pockets 82 can also be defined by small spacers, such as plastic tabs or other structures 83 that delineate a space for each original product 84, or stacks thereof. In some applications, the support surface 86 can be a wire grid or frame that defines pockets 82. Instead of a wire frame, other types of frames can also be used, such as plastic or wooden frames or dividers. Similarly, the display unit 80 can be a wall unit, or a free-standing unit, such as gondola, carousel, pole, or any other suitable display unit 80.
Referring to
The merchandising display assembly 100 can also include a suspending portion 104 coupled to the mounting portion 102. The suspending portion 104 can include an elongated member 110, such as a rod or bar, an arm 112 and an engagement feature 114 for supporting additional products 60 or product holders 62 for additional products 60. The elongated member 110, the arm 112 and the engagement feature 114 can be constructed as one integral component, or can be modularly assembled, or can be permanently interconnected. When constructed as an integral component, the suspending portion 104 can be formed as a metal bar or rod which is bent to the appropriate shape, or can be molded as a single piece of plastic or composite material. The arm 112 can include a curved portion adapted for extending a desired distance “D” in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the plate member 106 for providing product clearance and visibility. Similarly, the height “H” of the furthest point of the arm 112 above the extension 108 or above the top of the plate member 106 can be selected for enhancing visibility of the additional products 60, and at least reducing interference with the visibility of the original products 84.
The elongated member 110 can be welded or spot welded to the plate member 106, when those members are metallic. The elongated member 110 and the plate member 106 can alternatively be coupled by other known devices and methods depending on the materials used. The elongated member 110 can also be removably connected to the plate member 106 using screws or other fasteners. The elongated member 110 can also be adjustably coupled to the plate member 106 for adjusting the height H of the suspending portion 104. The elongated member 110 can be, for example, slidably received in a slot or tubular portion defined by the plate member 106. The height H and the distance D can be adapted for suspending the additional product or products 60 with or without product holders 62 at a position that does not significantly interfere with the visibility of the original products 84. The elongated member 110 can also be completely removable from the plate member 106 to facilitate, for example, shipping and/or storing the merchandising display assembly 100.
Referring particularly to
From the forgoing discussion it will be appreciated that the merchandising display assembly 100 can create additional display space featuring additional products 60 for various types of existing display units 80, while retaining sufficient consumer visibility of the original products 84 on the display unit 80 and without impeding traffic flow in the vicinity of the display unit 80.
The merchandising display assembly 100 can increase product sales by displaying additional products 60, related or unrelated to the original products 84, without decreasing visibility, accessibility, or focus for the original products 84.
The merchandising display assembly 100 can be removably and/or adjustably coupled to the display unit 80, such that seasonal or promotional demands or needs can be accommodated. For example, several units of the merchandising display assembly 100 can be added during holidays to support various holiday ornaments or other holiday related items in front of holiday greeting cards and then removed after the holiday season is over. The merchandising display units 100 can also be moved from one location to another to feature different products appropriate for the season. For example, a merchandising display assembly 100 can be moved from a birthday area to a graduation area of a greeting card display during graduation season.
The foregoing discussion discloses and describes merely exemplary arrangements of the present invention. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from such discussion, and from the accompanying drawings and claims, that various changes, modifications and variations can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20060283818 A1 | Dec 2006 | US |