Selling and marketing
Macaron Display Ideas: 5 Setups That Sell at Markets
Pick a macaron display that fits your table, your budget, and how people buy at markets.
On this page
- Start with the table you already have
- Use height so the back row sells
- Pick a color story, not a pile
- How to arrange open boxes and closed boxes
- How to keep the display cool, covered, and upright
- Test the display before market day
- How to pack and carry the display alone
- What a display costs you in space and time
- Mistakes that cost you money
What to remember
- Put the color where the eye lands first: at the front and at eye level.
- Use height so the back row is not hidden.
- Price every box so she can decide without asking.
- Keep the setup light enough to carry and pack alone.
The best macaron display ideas do two jobs at once: they protect fragile shells and they make the color easy to see. You do not need a big booth. A small table, a few risers, and one clear sign can do the work.
Start with the table you already have
Before you buy anything, measure your table and your car. A display that does not fit your back seat is a display you will stop using. Write down the width, depth, and height you can carry alone. Then build around those numbers.
If your table is 6 feet, you do not have to fill it. Leave space for your cash box, your bags, and a spot to write orders. For more ways to sell at markets, see the selling guides.
Use height so the back row sells
A riser lifts one row above the next so every color is visible from the front. You can use a box covered with fabric, a wooden crate, or a shelf you already own. The point is to see the shells, not the riser.
Measure your table and car
Write down the width, depth, and height you can carry alone. Do this before you buy a riser or a stand.
Pick one color story
Choose three colors or fewer. Group them in short rows so she can see the choice.
Build two levels
Put the back row on a riser and the front row on the table. Keep both rows within reach.
Put prices on every box
Write the flavor, the count, and the price on one card per box. Keep the card at eye level.
Test the walk by
Stand where a customer stands. Check that you can see every color and read every price from 3 feet away.
Pick a color story, not a pile
Group by color and keep the groups small. If you sell boxes, put one open box at the front so she can see the shells without touching them. Use a macaron packaging box that fits your table and your car.
Use a card that says the flavor and the price in the same place. She should not have to ask. A small chalkboard or a printed card works. Keep the words short: flavor, price, and what is inside.
How to arrange open boxes and closed boxes
Put one open box at the front of each color group. Keep the rest closed in a cooler or under a cover. The open box shows the shell and the color, and the closed boxes protect the stock. Refill the open box as it empties so the table stays full without warming the whole batch.
Place closed boxes behind the open box, not beside it. A customer can see the open shell and the closed box she will carry home. Keep the price card next to the open box so the flavor and the price sit together. If the card moves, the open box loses its job.
How to keep the display cool, covered, and upright
Check the weather before you set an open display. Sun and wind can tip a light tray or warm the shells. Use a covered box or a weighted card when the market is outdoors. If you sell indoors, you can skip the wind check but not the cooler.
Sit macarons flat in a box or on a tray with a lip. Do not stack them on a plate without a rim. Put grip liner under a riser so it does not slide. A box with a lid is the safest choice for travel and for wind.
Test the display before market day
Set up the display at home before market day. Put it on a table the same height as your market table. Walk around it and check the view from the front, the side, and 3 feet away. Fix anything you cannot see or reach.
Time yourself. If setup takes more than 10 minutes alone, simplify it. Pack it down and time that too. The display should fit in one trip from the car.
How to pack and carry the display alone
Pack the display in the order you will set it up. Put the riser, the trays, the cards, and the grip liner in one box. Label that box so you can find it in the car. The display should fit in one trip from the car to the table.
Time the pack down at home, not at the market. If the pack down takes more than 10 minutes alone, remove one piece. A display that needs two trips or two people will slow you down at the end of a long day. Keep the setup light enough to carry and pack alone.
What a display costs you in space and time
A display costs more than the riser. It costs the minutes you spend setting it up and packing it down. If a setup takes 30 minutes at each end of the market, that is an hour you are not selling. Choose a setup you can do in 10 minutes alone.
For example, our guide on macaron wholesale price lists $1.25 to $2.00 per macaron. Say you sell a dozen at $1.25 each, which is $15.00. Your Brevl shop is $20 a month with 0% commission. At 20 dozen a month, the shop fee is $1.00 per dozen, and that is the overhead shown here. Your ingredient cost and your labor cost come from your own recipe costing. The margin after all three is $15.00 minus your ingredient cost minus your labor cost minus $1.00. If that number is too small, raise the price, cut labor time, or sell more boxes.
Mistakes that cost you money
The first mistake is buying a display before you know your table size. The second is hiding the price. The third is making the setup too heavy to carry alone. Each one costs you sales or time, and both are money.
Check the weather before you commit to an open display. A covered box or a weighted card is a safer choice. If you sell at an indoor market, you can skip this check. For box sizes and cost per dozen, see macarons packaging ideas.
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- Macaron Packaging Boxes: Cost per Dozen and Box Size
- Macarons Packaging Ideas: Cost per Dozen and Your Margin
- Macaron Containers Wholesale: Cost per Box and Margin (2026)
Common questions
How many macarons should I put out at once?
Put out one open box per flavor and keep the rest in a cooler or a covered box. A full table looks good, but warm macarons do not sell. Refill the open boxes as they empty so the table stays full without risking the whole batch.
Should I use a tiered stand or flat trays?
A tiered stand saves table space and lifts the back row. Flat trays are easier to carry and pack. If you sell alone, start with two flat trays and one small riser. Add a tier only when you have someone to help you carry it.
How do I keep macarons from tipping over?
Sit them flat in a box or on a tray with a lip. Do not stack them on a plate without a rim. If you use a riser, put a small piece of grip liner under it. A box with a lid is the safest choice for travel and for wind.
What should the price card say?
Put the flavor, the price, and the count on one card. Write the price per box, not per macaron, if you sell by the box. Keep the card at eye level and use dark letters on a light background. She should not have to ask.
General information, not legal or tax advice.