Custom Four-Sided Beer Island Display Rack Project

From a Render to a Factory-Ready Beer Island Display

This client is a top-10 North American alcohol company with its own production facilities. Formost has worked with this client for three years, developing multiple custom store display shelves and metal product display stands. The client originally sourced from a local display rack factory, but switched to Formost after recognizing our advantages in engineering capability, lead time, and cost.

For this project, the client was preparing for a trade show and needed a batch of non-KD floor display island racks. They provided a rendered reference image, an original 122 x 122 cm footprint, bottle size specifications, wheel requirements, and a ready-to-display delivery requirement. Beyond these inputs, all structural, engineering, and packaging decisions were left to Formost.

Product Development Under Unclear Physical Constraints

The client provided visual intent, but Formost had to solve five technical problems before this display shelf could be manufactured.

Footprint, Tray Base, and Caster System

Resize the Footprint

To maintain a square footprint while improving container loading, the final size was set at 1100 x 1100 x 1952 mm. This preserved the approved four-sided retail display format while making export packing more practical.

Solve the Caster-vs-Pallet Conflict

Inspired by how plastic pallets use recessed positions, we designed a custom MDF tray base with pre-cut caster hole positions. During sea freight, the casters sit into the holes and the display is locked to the tray. At the venue, the casters lift out and the display rolls freely.

Specify the Caster and Stopper Layout

The final system used four inner swivel casters to carry the primary load, four directional brake casters at the corners for controlled movement, and eight rubber wheel stoppers per unit to keep the display stationary in exhibition or retail environments.

Control the Curved Top Header

The curved header frame carries the PVC brand panel. The arc had to remain circular after bending and welding so the most visible part of the metal POP display rack would present cleanly from all sides.

Steel Structure, PVC Branding, and Export Packing

The four-sided shelf frame used Q195 steel tube and Q235 steel plate. High-density PVC was used for the brand panels, while 18 mm MDF compliant with CARB Phase 2 / TSCA Title VI formaldehyde-emission requirements (supplier certificate on file) was selected for the custom tray base. The MDF base improved bottom flatness, allowed precise custom sizing, and supported the caster-hole packing concept.

All steel components were finished with black powder coating, creating a clean appearance suitable for liquor store shelving environments and beverage retail programs. The tray base became part of the packing unit: the display was placed on the tray, protected with cardboard and stretch film, and loaded directly into the container without a separate wooden crate.

Why This Matters for Buyers

For beverage brands running trade shows and in-store campaigns, an island display only delivers value if it ships efficiently, arrives undamaged, and rolls into position ready to merchandise. In this project, Formost re-sized the footprint for container efficiency, engineered a caster-in-tray base so the unit ships locked yet rolls freely on site, and packed it without a separate wooden crate. For overseas buyers, that means lower freight cost per unit, less transit damage risk, and a display that is ready to use out of the box.

Reordered After Exhibition Use

The client was satisfied with the display’s performance at the exhibition. The product served its intended purpose as a branded beer merchandise display for trade show and promotional exhibition use. The project delivered valuable engineering experience in large-format non-KD island display structures with custom mobility, base flatness control, and export packing solutions.

The client reordered once, and there have been zero quality complaints so far.