Double-stacked cans make a strong impression right after a section is stocked: a band of colourful labels on two levels. Then the first sales arrive. Shoppers take from the front, turn a can over to read the style, set it down somewhere else, and the section loses its morning look.

Concept P.O.S. answers that disorder with the Robusta pull-tab system: each flavour gets its own lane and, at the moment you choose, a single motion brings the whole column back to the edge, top cans included. The general principle is covered in our article on front-facing product presentation.

Why double-stacked cans fall out of order

Round, smooth and printed on every side, a can almost always passes through the shopper's hands before it is bought. They lift it, spin it to find the flavour or the beer's name, compare it with its neighbour, then rarely put it back where it started: it ends up one lane over, or on top when it was underneath.

Stacking makes matters worse. Every purchase opens a gap at the front, and nothing pushes the units at the back forward to fill it. After a busy stretch, you find an empty first row, stock that is really there but out of sight at the rear, and a top layer that leans. To the shopper, the flavour they want looks sold out while several cans wait behind.

Variety does not help: a microbrewery releases seasonal editions, and energy drinks add flavours throughout the year. Without clear boundaries, one misplaced can creates a mixed row, and the price on display no longer points to the right product. Squaring everything up by hand means unstacking, bringing the bottom layer forward, then rebuilding: the job that keeps getting postponed.

One pull brings the whole lane forward

Robusta is our pusher family for packaged merchandise in busy aisles. For stacked cans, we present it with a pull-tab: each lane is mounted on a black base, the column rests against a pusher at the back, and the pull-tab sits at the front.

A staff member pulls, and the entire column slides to the edge, top level included, with nothing to unload: the labels end up aligned and facing the shopper. Because the motion is the same everywhere, it is easy to teach.

Unlike a spring, the pull-tab applies no constant pressure: between rounds, cans stay where shoppers left them, and you decide when to restore the facing, for example:

at opening, so the first customers find a complete section;
just before a rush, such as the after-work crowd or a Friday evening;
during the restocking round, as the shelves are refilled.

Pull-tab or spring for cans?

Robusta is also available with a calibrated spring that pushes continuously: as soon as one item is removed, the next advances on its own, which suits lanes that empty nonstop. For two stacked levels, the configuration we present uses the pull-tab, since one motion brings the whole lane forward at each restocking round, with no need to watch the section continuously. The final choice is made with our team, based on your formats, turnover and shelf depth. Our guide to spring or pull-tab shelf pushers explains both mechanisms and what each of our four models offers.

One lane per flavour, with the price in plain sight

The pull-tab takes care of the facing; keeping the section in order relies on three other components.

Dividers mark off each lane from front to back. A stray can stands out among its neighbours right away, and a new case goes straight behind the label that matches it.
The clear retaining strip, set at the front, holds the first cans without hiding their artwork: brand and flavour read on both levels.
Label holders show the price, the format and any current promotion under the matching lane, and they stay put when the row is pulled forward.

A flavour in high demand can take several neighbouring columns, while a limited release makes do with one. Because Robusta is modular, a few lanes can be set aside for a seasonal or promotional product, then returned to the permanent varieties. Picture a limited batch of autumn beer: two lanes at the head of the section for the season, then back to the usual styles.

Where it fits, and its limits

The Robusta pull-tab system belongs in ambient aisles, wherever beverages move quickly:

convenience stores, with their short shelves: two levels per lane put more units on display without widening the facing;
grocery stores and supermarkets, whose long beverage aisles read more clearly in neat columns;
beer shops and microbrewery counters, where shoppers take their time and handle the cans a lot;
micro-markets, where self-service displays have to stay tidy without supervision.

As for limits, the configuration shown holds the 473 ml format on two levels; a 355 ml or slim can is reviewed from actual measurements, never on the strength of a description. Documented depth goes up to 24 in, with bases 2 in or 2.5 in wide; beyond 24 in, our team validates the setup. Cold aisles belong to the Blizzard pusher, whose components are validated for the intended environment, so a project for cans sold chilled is reviewed with us. Finally, we publish no load capacity or facing count.

What to send us for a quote

A configuration is built from your measurements, not from a standard layout. Gather:

the inside of each shelf, measured in width, depth and clear height;
how many sections you want to equip;
a photo of the section as it looks today;
the can formats you sell;
how many flavours need to share the space.

Clear height matters a great deal here: it lets us check that two levels fit under the shelf above. What follows, up to installation by your own team, is described in the steps of a shelf upgrade project.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Robusta pull-tab system take 355 ml cans?

The configuration shown is designed around the 473 ml format on two levels. 355 ml and slim cans are reviewed from measurements: send us their dimensions, and our team will tell you what is possible before anything is made.

Can several formats share one shelf?

Yes: each lane is configured separately, so columns of different formats can sit together once every one of them is confirmed from measurements.

How many cans does a lane hold?

No capacity is published: the quantity depends on your shelf depth and the format chosen, and it is confirmed at the quote stage.

Double-stacked cans, front-facing in one motion

One lane per flavour, a clear strip at the front and a pull at the right moment: that is what makes a section of double-stacked cans easier to maintain. Concept P.O.S., a Canadian company based in Repentigny, Quebec, and active since 1997, designs and manufactures its pushers: you deal directly with the maker.

To get started, fill out the form on our double-stacked can shelf pushers page, call us at 1 (888) 422-0605 (Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) or write to sales@conceptpos.com.

Double-stacked cans: one pull brings the whole lane forward