Insight 02
Corrugate, Acrylic, Metal or Wood: Choosing the Right Material for the Job
The best material is the one that does the job.
There is no single “best” material for a retail display. The right choice depends on how long the display needs to live, how much product it holds, where it will be used, how many units will be produced and what the brand experience needs to feel like.
For permanent and semi-permanent programs, plastics, wood and metal give us an enormous toolbox. For shorter shelf-life programs, corrugate and printed point-of-sale materials can deliver impact without overbuilding the solution.
Plastics: more options than most people realize
Plastics are one of the most versatile categories in retail fabrication. Vacuum forming can create dimensional shapes, textures, product forms and branded elements using a relatively lightweight shell. It can be an especially interesting option when a brand wants something more dimensional and durable than corrugate without building an entire fixture from wood or metal.
Injection molding opens up even more possibilities for custom parts when production quantities justify the tooling investment. Acrylics can bring transparency, polish, color and a premium feel to shelving, signage and product holders. Other sheet and formed plastics can provide durability, cleanability and shape in ways traditional flat materials cannot.
Wood + metal: structure and substance
Wood and engineered wood products create warmth and a substantial, furniture-like presence. They are highly machinable and can be painted, laminated, stained or combined with other materials.
Metal is often the answer when strength matters. Steel and aluminum can support significant product weight while maintaining relatively thin profiles. Powder coating and other finishes allow the structure itself to become part of the design.
Often, the smartest permanent display uses several materials together: a metal frame for strength, wood for warmth and formed plastic or acrylic for the branded details shoppers actually notice.
Shorter life? Do not overbuild it.
Not every display needs to last for years. Corrugate and printed POS are extremely effective for seasonal promotions, launches, temporary programs and high-volume rollouts. They are lightweight, highly printable and can be engineered to ship efficiently. The key is matching the investment to the expected life of the program.
We do not start by asking, “What material should we use?” We start by asking what the display needs to accomplish. Then we choose the materials and processes that get us there most intelligently.