Environmental Solution: Swing Arm Display Case Shelves

This goes back to an old idea I posted where I proposed a system that would feature plain-packaged food situated behind “gates” that would serve as the colorful signage for the product.

This design is for smaller items like toys and electronics - anything that would be stored on peg display racks. My belief is a simple placard isn’t enough to sell consumers on the product. We are conditioned to seeing the item displayed in a nice colorful package.

So I designed display cases which are mounted in front of goods that are packed in plain cardboard packaging (I’ll elaborate on the cardboard packaging in another post). The cases show off the product and are adorned with product branding and information - they essentially look like packaging you see on peg hooks currently.

The cases swing out of the way, allowing access to the corresponding products behind them:

In order to maximize shelf real estate, the rows would be offset (think building bricks). I found that display cases would hit display cases located directly above, so I offset the rows and added a “swing arm” that would swing the case clear without hitting other cases. Cases on the top row would flip open upwards, some cases on the bottom row would flip down. The cases with swing arms can be plugged into a bracket, holding it open for you while you grab the items off the rack.

The mockup I made is a small sample, in reality this system would fill entire aisles. Larger display cases (like the ones holding Optimus Prime) can be used to showcase multiple products. Smaller cases (holding R2-D2s) are used in the corners or gaps at the edges caused by the offset layout.

This system would help eliminate one-time use plastic packaging in favor of recycling-friendly materials like cardboard.

Cons: Harder to determine stock numbers at a glance, or to see if an item is sold out. Setting up individual displays cases can be time consuming. Consumers would have to inspect the plain packaging info to ensure it corresponds to the item displayed in front.

Pros: More apparent if someone is grabbing an item off the rack - helpful for spotting shoplifters. The aisles would always look presentable (shelves always look full). Reduction in plastic waste. Switching to recyclable materials for the product packaging.

This idea was provoked by a documentary I recently saw called Bag It, which I highly recommend. It’s a sobering look at the impact of plastics on the ecosystem. Companies like Hasbro are starting to phase out plastics in their packaging, which is great news. Maybe we’ll see something like the above design.