Cover for a merchandise display

Abstract

Cover for display merchandise stands made of sheet material, wherein the merchandise stand (11) comprises several layers of carriers (13) stocked with goods (12), wherein the individual layers (15) are stacked with the aid of the carriers (13) to form a multi-layer shelf for storing and selling goods, and wherein a carrier (13) is placed on top of a carrier (13) below it stocked with goods (12), characterized in that - the cover (10) is suitable to be placed over a merchandise display (11) from above, and - wherein the cover (10) is designed in one piece and has several cover segments (16, 17, 18) separated from each other by perforations (19) and separable from each other, which correspond to the respective position and dimensions of a layer (15) stocked with goods (12), and - wherein when such a perforation (19) is torn open, the respective cover segment (16, 17, 18) is removed and the layer (15) behind it, which is stocked with goods (12), is exposed for sale.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a cover for display merchandise stands made of sheet material, wherein the merchandise stand comprises several layers of carriers stocked with goods, wherein the individual layers are stacked with the aid of the carriers to form a multi-layer shelf for storing and selling goods, and wherein a carrier is placed on top of a carrier stocked with goods underneath.

[0002] The invention relates to a device for presenting and storing goods for sale. Such a device for presenting and storing goods for sale is also referred to as a merchandise display arrangement or merchandise display.

[0003] Such displays are widely used in the current state of the art. They are generally assembled at the manufacturer's factory and transported to the sales area as a handling unit. The handling unit typically comprises a quarter pallet, i.e., a pallet with the dimensions (length x width) of one-quarter of a standard Euro pallet. Such a quarter pallet is usually made of plastic, occasionally also of wood.

[0004] Various types of displays exist for presenting goods at the point of sale (POS). Shelf-like displays or those with a base are frequently used, especially for small items such as cosmetics or chocolates. The display bases must be highly stable to ensure the product display stands securely. Typically, the interior of the base is reinforced to further enhance stability. The disadvantage of these bases is that they either need to be transported fully assembled, requiring significant space, or they require several time-consuming steps to unfold and erect at the point of sale before loose goods can be placed on them. This increases the risk of user errors that could compromise the stability and appearance of the display.

[0005] The invention relates to a merchandise display with which a wide variety of goods can be presented in a retail outlet of any kind, e.g. in a drugstore, supermarket or beverage store.

[0006] The present invention relates in particular to a merchandise display for use with and presentation of reusable bottles.

[0007] Conventional displays, especially for bottles and returnable bottles, can be divided into two types: firstly, a protective cover that is placed over the assembled display and used for transport; and secondly, the elements visible at the point of sale (POS) that can be printed and thus serve as advertising space, namely the product carriers, the display casing, and, if applicable, the base, top sign, and other additional elements. The display casing typically encloses the product carriers on three sides. In the case of a quarter pallet, these are the two short sides (right and left) and one long side (back). The fourth, also long, side of the display (front) is open, allowing customers to access the product.

[0008] With such conventional displays, the protective cover for transport must be removed from the display before sale, which causes extra work for the employees at the POS, and then it must be disposed of, which costs resources and causes waste or recycling costs.

[0009] With conventional displays, merchandise is often only accessible from one side, the front. This limits the placement of such displays. They are restricted to "frontal placements," such as at gondola ends or perpendicular to the customer's direction of travel. If a customer turns against the direction of travel and faces the display, they cannot remove any merchandise because the display casing closes off the back. Placement in open space is not a viable option.

[0010] The advertising effect of conventional displays is therefore limited: Advertising on the display cover is consistently only visible on the outside sides (left, right, back) of the display. Any potential advertising on the inside sides (left, right, back) is obscured by the merchandise inside the display. Furthermore, the largest advertising area, the rear exterior, is the back of the display and is practically invisible when positioned frontally. The display cover must first be folded and attached to the pallet during assembly, which is time-consuming.

[0011] Especially with products packaged in glass, such as bottles, jars, etc., these conventional displays are prone to damage at the point of sale (POS). The display cover only protects the product from three sides (front, left, back), meaning that products can easily fall out and break, for example, if bumped by a shopping cart. For the same reason, these displays are difficult to move around the sales floor at the POS when the transport cover is removed. Furthermore, conventional corrugated cardboard displays are lightweight and therefore often have a low load-bearing capacity, which results in a limited product capacity, particularly for glass bottles.

[0012] Generally speaking, presentation displays are popular in the beverage industry because they offer an attractive secondary placement, good visibility, and increase sales. However, conventional cardboard displays pose particular problems in the reusable glass bottle sector. The reusable glass bottle system in Germany is an established and straightforward process: Manufacturers send crates of bottles to wholesalers, who then deliver them to the point of sale. Customers purchase the bottles, which are subsequently returned as empties, and finally, the bottles are returned to the manufacturers via the wholesalers.

[0013] However, if this sales method is applied to a product display, this essentially simple sales process becomes significantly more complicated and time-consuming. Retailers not only need product displays with bottles, but also empty crates for the returned bottles. Otherwise, the reusable bottles cannot be transported, remain at the point of sale (creating a bottle backlog), and are not returned to the manufacturers. Therefore, manufacturers and wholesalers must deliver the appropriate number of empty crates to the point of sale for each display. This takes time, requires loading capacity, and causes unnecessary costs and transportation emissions.

[0014] The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a merchandise display for holding bottles, in particular reusable bottles, which ensures easy loading, removal and disposal, especially for reusable bottles.

[0015] The problem is solved by the characterizing features of the independent claims. According to the invention, a cover for display merchandise stands made of sheet material is provided, wherein the merchandise stand comprises several layers of carriers stocked with goods, wherein the individual layers are stacked with the aid of the carriers to form a multi-layer shelf for storing and selling goods, and wherein each carrier is placed on top of a carrier stocked with goods below it, and wherein - the cover is suitable for being placed over a display stand from above, and - wherein the cover is designed in one piece and has several cover segments separated from each other by perforations and separable from each other, which correspond to the respective position and dimensions of a layer stocked with goods, and - whereby when such a perforation is torn open, the respective cover segment is removed, thus exposing the layer behind it, stocked with goods, for sale.

[0016] The invention is realized within the framework of a sales and presentation unit according to the invention, which comprises a merchandise display stocked with goods, which is encased by the cover according to the invention, and which is offered as a sales unit at the point of sale.

[0017] According to the invention, there can be two variants of the display, namely a. a variant in which the cover slides down over the display stand to the pallet at the bottom and rests on it, so that the pallet can be moved and transported by a forklift, hand pallet truck or pallet jack despite the open display; or b. One option is a version where the cover slides over the display stand to the pallet at the bottom and then down over it to the floor. This option is preferred for display stands that are not moved. It is also more visually appealing because the pallet at the bottom is not visible. If the display does need to be moved, the cover can be slid upwards.

[0018] The advantages of the invention are therefore as follows: The cover according to the invention encloses a stack of carriers (preferably bottle carriers with reusable bottles) loaded with goods, the stack gradually becoming smaller as goods are sold, with one layer after the other being sold successively until the stack is completely empty. This protects the goods from dirt at the point of sale.

[0019] The number of individual layers determines the dimensions of the cover. Ultimately, the display stand is a shelf for storing and selling any (stackable) goods. The individual levels or layers containing goods are referred to here as "sales shelves." The dimensions of the cover and the sales shelves correspond to the utilization of cargo space during transport.

[0020] The cover according to the invention is a single piece. Preferably, the cover consists of a sheet material, preferably corrugated cardboard, plastic, a fibrous material or combinations thereof.

[0021] It serves both as a protective cover for transport and as an advertising space at the point of sale. The cover's dimensions are determined by the display stand. This means that the cover's dimensions correspond to the display stand, particularly the height and thus the number of display layers. The cover itself is made of printable material and is finished and printed according to its intended use, ensuring it complements the product range and, most importantly, fits the display stand.

[0022] The cover according to the invention is preferably made of corrugated cardboard, has a low material usage of approximately 1.6 kg of cardboard, thus conserving resources and can be recycled.

[0023] The product display with the cover according to the invention can be assembled quickly. Once the goods are placed in the holders, no further time-consuming preparatory work, such as folding or attaching a display sleeve, is necessary, as is common with conventional cardboard displays. Instead, the cover according to the invention has a basic design that simplifies assembly: It is a downward-opening folding box with four side panels and four lid flaps. By sliding the side panels parallel to each other, a three-dimensional state in the form of a rectangular sleeve is achieved. To close the box, first both flaps on the short sides and then the flaps on the long sides are folded over by 90 degrees. Finally, the remaining gap between the long sides is sealed with self-adhesive tape, thus fixing the flaps in their position.The construction is similar to a moving box, which is assembled by sliding the outer surfaces parallel to each other, thanks to predefined folds that allow for adjustment. The cover can therefore simply be slipped or inserted over the display stand to serve as a protective cover for transport.

[0024] When unfolded, with perforations intact, and placed over the display stand, the cover completely encloses the entire display stand, excluding the pallet at the bottom. The cover is held in place by the top segment covering and resting on the top (and therefore first) sales layer. An additional, empty top support can serve as a bottom support, stabilizing the entire display stand.

[0025] The fully assembled merchandise display, including the cover according to the invention, can be moved to the sales floor immediately upon delivery to the point of sale and is ready for sale in just a few simple steps. This eliminates the need to remove and dispose of an additional protective cover. Furthermore, the merchandise display does not require assembly by staff, as the assembly of the entire sales and presentation unit has already been completed by the manufacturer or supplier of the display stand. In addition, it is stable, can withstand a shopping cart bump, and can be moved safely until the last item is sold. Finally, the merchandise is always presented cleanly and neatly.

[0026] The placement of the display on the sales floor is subject to virtually no restrictions. While classic POS displays are usually positioned facing the customer, the cover according to the invention offers a 360° solution, as it allows customers to access it from all four sides. It can therefore be freely positioned in the space and gives the respective brand (depending on the product) better visibility. This significantly increases the advertising and marketing effect.

[0027] The invention is preferably used for marketing reusable bottles. This is where its advantage over conventional displays becomes apparent. In this case, the cover according to the invention encloses bottle carriers which, after one or more bottles have been removed, also serve to hold empty, returned bottles. The empty bottles can then be stacked again – this time without the cover according to the invention – on the quarter pallet and thus easily returned to the reusable bottle system. Bottle carriers from LOGIPACK Service GmbH (Bremen, Germany) were preferably used in the invention.

[0028] The product display with the cover according to the invention is therefore to be seen as part of a reusable system. The carriers are pre-assembled with goods and simultaneously serve to hold empty containers. This eliminates the need for manufacturers and wholesalers to deliver additional beverage crates to the point of sale for empty containers (as with conventional displays), resulting in better utilization of trucks or vans, which can use their entire loading area for goods on pre-assembled displays. This saves effort, time, and costs, and reduces transport emissions.

[0029] Another advantage over displays commonly used for reusable bottles is the product capacity. These are made entirely of cardboard, which limits their load-bearing capacity and stability, especially if they are mounted on a base for added stability. Depending on the space occupied by the design and base height of a conventional display, the quantity of goods is always reduced accordingly. This applies not only to bottles, such as glass bottles, reusable bottles, 0.33-liter reusable bottles, 0.5-liter reusable bottles, glass containers, and jam jars, but also to other items like paint buckets, boxes, or cans in a hardware store – basically any product suitable for layering on appropriate supports.The invention, however, combines the advantages of a plastic display stand with the marketing and advertising opportunities of a corrugated cardboard display. The display stand with the cover according to the invention is stable and has a higher load-bearing capacity than classic corrugated cardboard displays. Consequently, more merchandise can be offered for sale: both 0.33l and 0.50l bottles can be presented, resulting in a capacity of 200 reusable 0.50l bottles or 270 reusable 0.33l bottles.

[0030] The invention thus enables the simple assembly of presentation and sales units, provides a high product capacity, facilitates presentation at the point of sale, conserves resources and helps to reduce transport emissions, especially in the case of reusable bottles.

[0031] Further advantages of the invention are described in the dependent claims. The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to figures, without, however, being limited to these; it shows: Fig. 1. The loading of a carrier with goods, here bottles, as well as the stacking of the individual layers. Fig. 2 a standard quarter pallet. Fig. 3 the cover according to the invention for merchandise displays in complete and unfolded state. Fig. 4 the cover according to the invention for merchandise displays in complete and unfolded state. Fig. 5 the cover according to the invention for merchandise displays in its complete state, enclosing a merchandise display, and the merchandise display in use. Fig. 6 a nearly sold-out merchandise display. Fig. 7 a flowchart of the opening of the cover according to the invention and the sale. Fig. 8. the return to the reusable cycle.

[0032] Fig. Figure 1 schematically shows the loading of a display stand 11 with goods 12. Individual carriers 13 are loaded with goods 12 – in this example, (returnable) bottles – and stacked on a quarter pallet 14. In the image, five carriers 13 loaded with goods 12 are stacked on top of each other, with the individual bottles 12 being stabilized from below by the carriers 13 and also from above (by the additional carrier placed above).

[0033] Preferably, commercially available carriers are used, such as those offered by Logipack Service GmbH. These carriers have the advantage of being well-designed and available in various dimensions to accommodate all standardized packaging, reusable bottles, and pallets. The individual carriers are designed to hold the product (e.g., a reusable bottle) by inserting it into the corresponding recess. Simultaneously, the underside of each carrier provides a way to secure the bottle neck of the bottles covered by the carrier. This allows for the creation of a stable stack of multiple layers of product carriers.

[0034] For the purposes of the invention, a carrier stocked with goods is referred to as a sales position 15.

[0035] Fig. Figure 2 shows a conventional quarter pallet. Besides plastic pallets, other materials are of course conceivable, such as wood, composite materials, etc.

[0036] The invention is not limited to the use of a product display on a quarter pallet. Depending on the type of goods, half pallets or full pallets, preferably Euro pallets, can also be used. Offering paint buckets or paint cans in hardware stores, which can also be equipped with the cover according to the invention, is also conceivable.

[0037] Fig. Figure 3 shows the cover 10 according to the invention for product displays in its complete and unfolded state. The product display itself is not visible in this illustration because it is enclosed by the cover 10.

[0038] The cover consists of several cover segments, namely a top cover segment 16, three middle cover segments 17, and a bottom cover segment 18. The individual segments can be separated by perforations 19 in the corrugated cardboard of the display 10, namely by tearing open the perforations, as shown schematically in Fig. 3 is indicated.

[0039] On the top side of the uppermost cover segment 16, the fold or seam 20 is visible, which remains after the cover 10 has been placed over the product display (not shown).

[0040] Fig. Figure 3 shows a variant of the display 10 with an enlarged lower cover segment 18, which is clearly larger than the cover segment 17 above it, because the segment 18, when sliding down over the display stand, is intended to conceal and cover both the inner clearance stock (not shown) and the inner pallet (also not shown).

[0041] Fig. Figure 4 shows the cover according to the invention for merchandise displays in an exploded view. Two perforations are torn open, and the uppermost cover segment 16, as well as the middle cover segment 17 located below it, are detached from the overall structure of the cover. This would reveal the underlying support (not shown) with the merchandise display, making the goods available to the customer.

[0042] The Fig. Figure 4 shows a variant of display 10 with the lower cover segment 18 not enlarged. Here, the middle segments 17 and the lower segment 18 have the same dimensions. This would be a variant that does not cover the pallet at the bottom, but rests on top of it.

[0043] It is also conceivable that, after tearing open the top perforation and removing the top cover segment 16, the remaining lower part of the entire cover 10 is attached to the display stand itself or the pallet 11 using auxiliary devices. These auxiliary devices can be of all kinds, from clamps and fasteners to the common practice of clamping the cardboard elements together and to each other, or even inserting pre-prepared tabs on the cover into corresponding recesses in the pallet or the support.

[0044] Fig. 5 the cover 10 according to the invention for merchandise displays in its complete state (left side), enclosing a merchandise display, and the merchandise display in use (right side). The state on the right side of the Fig. Figure 5 shows the delivery state of the merchandise display, which is delivered to the sales area loaded with goods (not visible) resting on a quarter pallet 14 and covered and wrapped with the cover 10 according to the invention.

[0045] At the point of sale, however (right image of the Fig. 5) The horizontal perforation 19 between the top cover segment 16 and the middle cover segment 17 below it is torn open, so that the top cover segment 16 can be removed. This makes the first (topmost) sales layer 15 visible and accessible.

[0046] Simultaneously, the remaining display 10 slides down over the entire merchandise stand 11 to the floor, thus concealing the quarter pallet 14. This creates a far better visual sales stand than with the (usually visually unappealing) quarter pallet 14.

[0047] For this reason, the bottom cover segment 18 is also designed differently in terms of dimensions, namely larger. In particular, it is configured so that it corresponds to the dimensions of the quarter pallet and additionally to a carrier loaded with goods (bottles). This is necessary so that, firstly, the quarter pallet is no longer visible after the display according to the invention is "opened", and secondly, so that the bottom sales layer becomes accessible when the individual sales layers are being removed.

[0048] Fig. Figure 6 shows an almost completely sold-out merchandise display. Only the last clearance shelf 15, stocked with bottles / goods 12, remains ready for sale, as the last middle cover segment 17 has been removed. The version shown features the larger bottom cover segment 18, enclosing the pallet (not shown because it is obscured) 14.

[0049] Fig. Figure 7 shows a flowchart of the opening of the cover 10 according to the invention and the subsequent sale. Finally, only the bottom shelf of empty containers remains, and when this is sold out, the pallet is restocked with empty containers.

[0050] Fig. Figure 8 shows a merchandise display 11 filled with 5 layers of empty containers, resting on supports 13 and ultimately on the pallet 14, and is returned to the empty container cycle.

[0051] The top sales level 15 (now filled with empties) is completed with a topmost, currently empty carrier 13, which prevents slippage and stabilizes the stack of empties. Reference symbol list 10 covers for product displays 11 merchandise displays 12 Goods (e.g. reusable bottles or similar) 13 carriers 14 pallets (in this example, a quarter pallet) 15 Clearance sale 16 top cover segment 17 middle cover segment 18 bottom cover segment 19 Perforations 20 folds

Claims

[1] Cover for display merchandise stand made of sheet material, wherein the merchandise stand (11) comprises several layers of carriers (13) equipped with goods (12), wherein the individual layers (15) are stacked with the aid of the carriers (13) to form a multi-layer shelf for storing and selling goods, and wherein a carrier (13) is placed on an underlying carrier (13) equipped with goods (12), characterized by , that - the cover (10) is suitable for being placed over a product display (11) from above, and - wherein the cover (10) is designed in one piece and has a plurality of cover segments (16, 17, 18) which are separated from one another by perforations (19) and which can be separated from one another and correspond to the respective position and dimensions of a layer (15) equipped with goods (12), and - wherein when such a perforation (19) is torn open, the respective cover segment (16, 17, 18) is removed and the layer (15) located behind it, which is equipped with goods (12), is thus exposed for sale. [2] Cover for display merchandisers according to claim 1, wherein the lowermost support (15) is arranged on a pallet (14). [3] Cover for display merchandise stand according to claim 1 and 2, wherein after tearing open the uppermost perforation (19) and removing the uppermost cover segment (16), the remaining lower part of the entire cover (10) slides down over the entire merchandise stand (11) and over the bottom pallet (14). [4] Cover for display merchandise stand according to claim 1 and 2, wherein after tearing open the uppermost perforation (19) and removing the uppermost cover segment (16), the remaining lower part of the entire cover (10) slides down over the entire merchandise stand (11) to at least the bottom pallet (14). [5] Cover for display merchandise stand according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein after tearing open the uppermost perforation (19) and removing the uppermost cover segment (16), the remaining lower part of the entire cover (10) is attached to the merchandise stand and / or the pallet (11). [6] Cover for display merchandise stand according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the further horizontally circumferential perforations (19) are each positioned at the height of the respective sales levels (15) by sliding down the cover (10). [7] Cover for display merchandisers according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the surface material is preferably corrugated cardboard, plastic, a fiber material or combinations thereof. [8] Cover for display merchandisers according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein by tearing open such further perforations (19) one sales layer (15) after the other is successively exposed as required. [9] Cover for display merchandise stand according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the dimensions of the uppermost cover segment (16) correspond to the dimensions of a carrier (13) equipped with goods (12), so that the uppermost sales layer (15) is enclosed and concealed. [10] Cover for display merchandise stand according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the dimensions of the lowermost cover segment (18) correspond to the dimensions of the pallet (14) used and additionally to a carrier (13) equipped with goods (12) located thereon. [11] Cover for display goods stands according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the pallet (14) is preferably a Euro pallet, preferably a half Euro pallet, particularly preferably a quarter Euro pallet (quarter pallet). [12] Cover for display merchandise display according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein, in the unfolded state with intact perforations (19) and placed over the merchandise display (11), it encloses the entire merchandise display (11), without the base pallet (14), in an opaque manner, and wherein the cover (10) is held above the merchandise display (11) in that the uppermost cover segment (16) covers the uppermost sales layer (15) and rests on the same. [13] Cover for display merchandise stand according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein an uppermost carrier (13) is not filled with goods (12) and serves as a final carrier. [14] Cover for display merchandisers according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by that its dimensions are configured in such a way that it corresponds to the goods display (11) on all sides. [15] Cover for display merchandisers according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by that the goods are selected from the group of all goods suitable for layered stacking, preferably glass bottles, reusable bottles, 0.33 l reusable bottles, 0.5 l reusable bottles, glass containers, jam jars, buckets, boxes, cans, crates. [16] Cover for display merchandisers according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by that it serves as advertising space, preferably as printable advertising space. [17] Cover for display merchandisers according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by that the cover (10) can be printed and designed with advertising messages. [18] Cover for display merchandisers according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by that the cover (10) is based on a basic construction which is a folding box open at the bottom with 4 outer surfaces and 4 lid flaps, whereby by parallel displacement of the outer surfaces a three-dimensional state in the form of a rectangular sleeve is achieved which can be put over a product display (11) of corresponding dimensions. [19] Cover for display merchandise stand according to claim 18, wherein to close the sleeve-like cover (10) first both cover flaps on the narrow sides and subsequently the flaps of the long sides are folded over by 90 degrees, before the remaining gap between the long sides is closed by adhesive tape and thus the flaps are fixed in their position. [20] Sales and presentation unit, comprising a merchandise display (10) equipped with goods, which is covered by a cover according to one or more of the preceding claims 1 to 19. [21] Sales and presentation unit according to claim 20, comprising one or more sales levels (15) equipped with goods (12), which can be gradually exposed and made accessible for removal and sale as required by tearing open a perforation (19) provided on the cover (10). [22] Sales and presentation unit according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the sales unit, after removal of the goods, serves as a sort of empty container receiving station for the previously removed goods.

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