What Is an Endcap Display? 5 Examples of Endcap Displays

Picture walking through a store and your eyes are immediately drawn to a colorful display at the end of an aisle. That’s an endcap display in action—one of retail’s most powerful marketing tools. These eye-catching setups are designed to stop shoppers in their tracks, often showcasing new products, promotions, or seasonal items.
In this article, we'll explore the impact of endcap displays and highlight 5 creative examples that have helped brands boost sales and capture customer attention.

An endcap display is a type of promotional display typically located at the end of store aisles. It’s designed to capture customers' attention by highlighting specific products in a high-visibility location. Since these displays are placed at the ends of aisles, they are prime spots for showcasing new, seasonal, or discounted products.
Endcap displays are often used in retail settings, like supermarkets, department stores, and big-box retailers, to drive impulse purchases or highlight featured items. These displays can vary in size and design but are usually eye-catching and strategically arranged to draw customers’ focus as they navigate the aisles.

Endcap displays in retail stores aren’t just for featuring products—they’re tactical tools that change consumer behavior and drive maximum sales. They help retailers:

• Get more product exposure – As endcaps are located in high traffic areas, they expose merchandise to customers who may not go down an aisle so they see more.
• Spur impulse buys – Customers buy on impulse when they see an endcap with promotions or offers.
• Are an affordable marketing tool – Unlike traditional advertising, endcaps are an affordable way to promote products with high visibility and impact.
• Organise the store and layout – Endcaps help retailers place high demand or promotional items in easy to get locations for customers.

With proper execution endcaps can really drive the customer buying decision and make more sales.

Retailers use endcap displays for various marketing purposes. Here are the most common types:

• Promotional Endcaps – These have promotions, discounts and special offers to drive impulse buys. Great for clearance and time sensitive promotions.
• Seasonal Displays – These are created to coincide with holidays or seasonal trends and feature themed products like holiday decor, summer items, or back to school items.
• Brand Endcaps – These are dedicated to one brand, allowing brands to promote their top selling or new products in a big way.
• Cross-Promotional Endcaps – These put complementary items together, e.g. dips and chips or coffee and cups and make it easy for customers to buy related items.
• Informational Endcaps – Some endcaps have signs, QR codes, or interactive elements to inform customers about a product, its features and use.

Great endcap displays often include innovative themes, cross-promotions, and interactive elements. Here are 5 examples:

In the fall, Target creates endcap displays featuring all things pumpkin spice—scented candles, flavored snacks, and coffee creamers. The seasonal display rides on the yearly pumpkin spice fuss, and impulse buys get paired together.

Coca-Cola does holiday endcaps with their infamous red cans with names or holiday packaging. During Christmas, those displays feature limited-edition bottles, gift sets, and special signage that says “Share a Coke” with friends and family, making the buy feel more personal and festive.

Burt’s Bees does endcaps that only promote their skincare and lip balm products at retailers like Walgreens and Target. Earthy tones, simple design, and big branding speaks to the natural beauty solution-seeker looking to take care of themselves.

LEGO retailers and big-box stores like Walmart and Target have interactive endcaps with mini building stations or QR codes that connect to special content. They let kids (and adults) test out different sets, see mini product samples, and get ideas, which drives activity and sales.

In the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl, Doritos does high-visibility endcaps with chips, dips, and soda in supermarkets. With bold signage and game-day packaging, those displays get last-minute snacking from football fans hosting parties.
All of these displays are designed to grab attention and drive impulse buys by tapping into seasonal celebrations, interactive experiences, and strong branding. Endcap displays can be replicated by retailers to create great endcaps that drive customer engagement and sales.

1. Showcase New and Featured Products

Endcap displays are the perfect space to introduce new products to shoppers. Since these displays are in high-traffic areas, they naturally draw attention to freshly launched or seasonal items. By placing new or trending products on endcaps, you create an instant opportunity for customers to discover something new and exciting, which boosts initial interest and helps generate early sales momentum.

2. Boost Your Sales Potential with Prime Real Estate

Endcap displays provide some of the most valuable retail space in a store. Positioned at the end of aisles, these displays give products exceptional visibility, dramatically increasing the likelihood of purchases.
Their strategic placement allows items to be noticed more easily, driving higher conversion rates. By showcasing key products on endcaps, you’re tapping into a space that can turn higher visibility into higher sales potential.

3. Cost-Effective Marketing Tool

Compared to traditional advertising or large-scale promotional campaigns, endcap displays are a relatively low-cost yet highly effective marketing solution. Retailers don’t need to invest heavily in expensive media or digital ads to achieve greater product exposure.
With the right product placement and attractive design, endcaps can be a highly efficient and cost-effective way to increase visibility, sales, and customer engagement.

4. Maximize Retail Space Efficiency

Endcaps provide additional space to display products without requiring significant changes to your store layout. This extra space is particularly valuable in smaller retail environments where shelf space is limited.
By utilizing endcap displays, you can optimize your store’s layout, ensuring that you have more room to showcase a variety of products, seasonal items, or promotional deals without overcrowding the shelves.

5. Non-Intrusive to the Shopping Experience

Endcap displays are designed to complement the natural flow of a customer’s shopping journey. Unlike aggressive pop-up displays or large signs that can feel intrusive, endcaps fit seamlessly into the store’s layout.
Customers can engage with the display without it feeling like an interruption. This enhances their overall shopping experience while subtly encouraging them to explore additional products or make impulse purchases.

6. Highlight Popular and High-Demand Products

Endcaps are the ideal location for highlighting your best-sellers or in-demand products. Whether it’s a top-selling snack, a popular tech gadget, or a seasonal favorite, these displays can put your hottest items in the spotlight.
Featuring popular products in high-traffic areas increases the likelihood that customers will engage with them, leading to more sales and improved brand visibility.

7. Extra Storage and Stocking Flexibility

In addition to their promotional value, endcap displays can also serve as extra storage for high-demand products. If you have limited shelf space or need to restock fast-moving items, endcaps provide additional storage for overflow items, helping to keep your store organized.
This flexibility ensures that you have enough product on display while maintaining a tidy and efficient retail space.

Looking for creative ways to design endcap displays, here are some tips to get you started and potentially make your own:

• Know the Purpose – Define the purpose of the display. Are you launching a new product, pushing seasonal sales, or best-sellers? Knowing the purpose helps you create a purposeful and effective display.
• Keep it Clean and Organized – Don’t clutter the products and keep it visually appealing. A clean design makes it easier for customers to browse and engage.
• Use Visual Impact – Use bold colors, informative signs and tactical lights to make the stand stand out. Great visuals will grab their attention and leave a lasting impression on the buyers.
• Make a Focal Point – Put the hero product in the middle of the display. Placing the main product in the center automatically draws customers in and encourages interaction.
• Use Cross-Selling – Sell more by grouping related products together. For example, showing coffee with mugs and creamer will sell more bundles.

From big brands launching new products to small businesses grouping complementary items together, endcaps are a way to promote products and engagement. As a retailer looking to fix your store layout or a business owner looking for new sales strategies, a well designed endcap can be the trigger to turn impulse buyers into loyal customers. By combining creativity, product placement, and visual impact, you can make any endcap a sales machine.