Case Study: How ESPOSIT Ships a Two-Metre Display on a Single Pallet

A display can be perfect on the shop floor and still be a bad design. If it ships in an oversized crate, eats half a pallet and costs more to transport than to make, the problem simply moves from the store to the supply chain. ESPOSIT's project for the bike-accessory brand Liix shows how to solve both at once: a floor display close to two metres tall that travels flat, in pieces no longer than one metre, on a single standard pallet.

The brief

Liix is a family-run German company known in more than twenty countries for bike accessories with a strong personality: colourful bells, bags and urban accessories with an instantly recognisable look. In 2019 the brand needed a display for its affiliated shops that could hold hundreds of small products, look unmistakably Liix, and still keep packaging and transport costs under control.

That last point is where most large displays fail. A one-piece unit nearly two metres high needs oversized packaging, takes up a large share of a pallet's height and drives up freight costs on every shipment.

The engineering answer: design the journey, not just the display

ESPOSIT tackled logistics at the drawing stage rather than at the packing stage. The finished floor display is about 1.95 m tall, with a 63 cm central body that widens to 90 cm with optional side elements, and 40 metal hooks to use every centimetre of display space. Yet it was split into modules with a maximum length of one metre, so the entire unit fits in flat-pack boxes on a single standard pallet.

How two modules become one rigid structure

Splitting a two-metre display without screws risks a weak point in the middle. ESPOSIT avoided that by dividing the side panels and the front panels at different heights. The back panel sits exactly over the joint in the sides and slots into both the upper and lower module at once, tying them together. The front display panels then lock everything in place. Every component restrains and reinforces the others, so the finished unit is as stiff as a one-piece display and stays steady even when pushed from the side.

Built to change with the brand

• Removable side arms. Shaped wooden bars that echo bicycle handlebars extend the width to 90 cm and carry extra products. They are purely for display, not structure, so a smaller shop can remove them in seconds.
• Independent header. The Liix logo panel is separate from the frame. A new brand identity, collection or seasonal message means swapping one panel, not the whole display.

The counter unit: same logic, smaller footprint

For the till, ESPOSIT developed a rotating countertop version with a 30 × 30 cm base, 54 cm high, holding up to 24 hooks, six on each side. One turn shows the whole range. Because customers look down on a counter display, a tall protruding header would have looked heavy, so the Liix logo is recessed into the top surface instead, visible from all four sides.

What this means for brands supplying Irish shops

Ireland is an island market. Almost every display arrives by ferry and pallet, and many brands roll the same unit out to dozens of independent stockists. The Liix approach translates directly:

• Design for the pallet. Agree a maximum component length early. It shapes the whole structure and can cut the cost of every shipment.
• Keep branding swappable. A replaceable header lets one fleet of displays carry several campaigns over its life.
• Let stores scale the footprint. Removable, non-structural extensions mean one design fits both a flagship and a small village shop.
• Plan for the packaging rules. The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation applies from 12 August 2026 and, from 2030, limits empty space in transport packaging to 50%. Flat-pack displays that ship compactly are already on the right side of that line.

For a closer look at the joints themselves, read Slot-Together Displays Explained. For trade-show logistics, see Trade Show Stands That Travel Flat.

Planning a display roll-out?

As the official ESPOSIT distributor for Ireland and the UK, we supply the full range and can take your custom brief to ESPOSIT’s design team in Italy. Whether you need one hero unit or a fleet for fifty stockists, tell us about your project and we'll help you plan it from shop floor to pallet.

FAQ

Can a two-metre slot-together display really be stable without screws?

Yes, if the joints are engineered for it. In the Liix display the joints are staggered and the back panel bridges both modules, so the finished unit stays rigid even when pushed from the side.

Why split a display into one-metre modules?

Shorter components pack flat into standard boxes, fit on a single standard pallet and avoid oversized freight, which lowers shipping cost on every unit you send out.

Can the branding be changed later?

Yes. In the Liix design the logo header is a separate panel, so a new identity or campaign means replacing one part, not the whole display.

Sources: ESPOSIT – Il caso Liix: efficienza logistica e design flessibile; ESPOSIT on LinkedIn; Latham & Watkins – EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation summary.