Die-cut boxes and shelf-ready packaging (SRP) for retail and display
A die-cut box is cut and formed with a cutting die, a wooden board fitted with steel rule blades. This process allows complex structures such as tear-off perforations, openings, windows, integrated lock bottoms and tabs that lock into the corners without glue or tape. Die-cut boxes are well suited to SRP and display trays that serve as both a shipping box and a product display at the point of sale.
Auto Boxes uses two types of cutting die. A flatbed die is a flat wooden board with steel rule blades that cuts one sheet at a time, suited to detailed shapes, perforations and cut-outs that require high accuracy. A rotary die is a curved board with blades mounted on a cylinder that cuts the board continuously as it passes through, suited to high-volume runs of simpler shapes. Die-cutting provides a precise fit to the product and supports marketing applications, particularly SRP and display trays that combine the shipping box and the point-of-sale display.
Box styles in this group
Shelf Ready Packaging
A case that opens along a perforation and goes directly onto the shelf without restacking the products. Store staff can replenish shelves more quickly, and the display remains orderly. An increasing number of brands selling through retail chains and modern trade are adopting this format.
Display Tray
A floor-standing or countertop tray for product display, formed from a single die-cut sheet with corners that fold together without glue. It is lightweight yet holds its shape well, and its open design keeps every product clearly visible.
Tuck Top with Snap-Lock Bottom
Combines a tuck-in top with a snap-lock (1-2-3) bottom in a single box. The top opens and closes easily, while the bottom folds and locks without glue or tape, providing good load capacity and fast manual assembly. Suited to retail products that require a strong base, such as cosmetics, supplements and small items.
Ear-Flap Mailer / Roll End Tuck Top
A box with locking side flaps. The front lid tucks in while the side flaps hold the shape firmly, so the box opens easily yet remains secure in transit. In Thailand, this style is widely known in e-commerce as the elephant-ear box.
Wrap-Around Blank
A corrugated blank cut to a specific pattern and fed into an automatic wrap-around case packer, which folds it around the product and seals it with hot-melt adhesive. It saves warehouse space, forms at high speed on the line, and is the principal format in the beverage and canned food industries.
Selecting a die-cut box specification
Begin with the role of the box
The first consideration in a die-cut box specification is the role of the box at its destination: whether it will be displayed in store or used as a shipping box.1. Boxes for the shelf, such as SRP and display trays
- White-top liner (WS), for brighter print and more accurate color than brown kraft.
- E flute, for clean cuts and a smooth surface with fewer visible fold marks than thicker flutes.
- KI or KA grade with B flute, for better cushioning and resistance to heat and humidity.
- Self-locking designs that require no tape, reducing packing time on the line.
- Each die-cut design requires a cutting die, charged once when the design is first produced.
- The cost depends on the size and complexity of the shape. Our team prices each design and states it on the quotation.
- Repeat orders of the same design use the same cutting die at no additional charge.
💡 How SRP reduces lost sales on the shelf
Research on on-shelf availability in the consumer goods industry found that approximately 75% of out-of-stocks originate in store processes, and approximately 25% of all cases involve products that are already in the store but have not reached the shelf. The main cause of this second group is slow replenishment, as staff must open each case and place products on the shelf individually. An SRP case opens along its perforation and goes onto the shelf as a complete tray, removing the unpacking and stacking steps from every replenishment cycle.Source: Gruen & Corsten, A Comprehensive Guide to Retail Out-of-Stock Reduction in the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods Industry (2007), published with the Grocery Manufacturers Association