How to Merchandise Squishy Toys at a Convenience Store Counter

The two square feet beside your register are the most valuable real estate in your store. Every customer passes them, wallet already out. Squishy toys are one of the few products that can earn that spot — but only if the display is set up deliberately.

Placement: eye-level for kids, arm's reach for adults

Squishies sell on touch. A closed box behind the counter kills the sale. Put them where a child waiting with a parent can pick one up: front of the counter or an end-cap within a metre of the queue. If shrinkage worries you, keep a "try me" unit tethered at the front and stock sealed units behind it.

How many to display

• Counter tray: 6–12 units, one or two styles. More than that looks cluttered and slows the line.

• Nearby end-cap: a full display box per style, so the counter tray can be refilled without a backroom trip.

Rotate before it goes stale

Impulse products fatigue. Regulars stop seeing a display that never changes. Swap the counter style every few weeks — even just switching from a food-shaped squishy to an animal shape re-triggers attention. Keep whatever sells fastest; rotate the slot next to it.

Price it for a "yes" without thinking

The counter works best at price points a parent approves instantly. Keep at least one option under the price of a lottery ticket, and use the display card to show the price clearly — an unpriced toy makes the parent ask, and asking gives them time to say no.

If you're building a counter program from scratch, start with one proven seller and one novelty shape, measure a few weeks of sell-through, and reorder the winner. Our Toronto warehouse stocks squishy displays year-round, so testing small is easy.