During the first year, I had several retail outlets offering the calendar. As the second year started to roll around, I spoke to all of them. It appeared that those who best displayed the calendar sold them the fastest. Most of them agreed that if they could stand up the calendar rather than laying it flat, more people would see it and possibly buy it. Thus I was launched into the enormous world of “point of purchase” countertop displays. After this experience, I will never look at product displays in the same way.
After hours of store visits and online research, I narrowed down the options to two methods. One was a fold up display made of white cardboard that could hold about 10 calendars. The other option was a clear heavy plastic stand that would hold 3 calendars at a time. Each had their advantages and disadvantages.
The cardboard ones were cheaper but when shipped were quite large. Meaning they would not fit into the carton with the calendars. This meant both additional shipping cost, hassle and the store had to do some assembly to set them up. Although the acrylic display was more expensive, it would fit in the carton with the calendars. Lastly, I had to come up with a way to decide on the text that should go on the display and how to get it on either display without costing an arm and a leg or looking like a middle school art project.
So much effort exerted to encourage a few additional sales. But I choose not to look at it that way. If my goal was and still is to get these weekly planners into the hands of people who need them, then I need to do what I can to support these retailers. I chose the acrylic displays. I used the computer to print out another slogan, “Finally a calendar you can see”. My wife is far better with scissors and tape. She affixed it to the small panel across the bottom and taped it so it almost looked professional. Now we’ll just sit back and hear if it was worth all the effort.
Edward Cohen
Edward Cohen is a senior, legally-blind entrepreneur. His company designs and makes products useful for daily living that help those dealing with vision decline or related challenges. In 2015, he started EZ2See® Products LLC to make a large-print, weekly-style planner. He incorporated unique features not found elsewhere, which is why it is so accessible. He continues to create and add unique low-vision products.
